Thousands of daft Scots are ditching protective sun creams and instead opting for cooking oils to tan quicker, according to a new survey.
At least 271,000 residents are risking burns and skin cancer by smearing vegetable, olive and coconut oil on their skin before sunbathing - with 16% of women and 11% of men raiding the kitchen cupboards.
The same study showed that 31% of Scots have purposely not applied sunscreen in their efforts to tan quicker - despite more than three quarters suffering burns.
Worryingly, the research by supermarket Asda revealed that 20% believe that their sunburn will turn into a tan.
Love Island star Dr Alex George - who famously suffered bad sunburn during last year's series, has now warned against the crazy cooking oil trend.
He said: "We are a nation of sun-worshippers, but it’s worrying to see that so many Brits are using cooking oil to get a better tan and are unaware of the importance of UV protection – especially when buying sunscreen.
"Whether at home in the UK or holidaying abroad, we need to take sun protection and damage seriously. We all have a friend that burns quicker than others, risking serious skin damage and even melanoma skin cancer to achieve a tan is simply not worth it".
Attitudes to the sun seem to differ depending on where we are.
Around 83% of us will apply sunscreen when on holiday abroad, but for those opting for a stay-cation 58% will leave their skin exposed.
A spokesperson for Asda added: "We want people to have fun this summer, but we want them to be safe in the sun.
"When outdoors it’s important to protect yourself and use a sun cream with a 5* UV rating, ensuring it is applied regularly throughout the day to avoid burning in the sun."
