A mother is warning other parents about the dangers of being in the sun for too long after her five-year-old son was left with sunburn and blisters, despite being "slathered" in factor 50 sunscreen.
Ffion Haf Roberts says her son was left needing hospital treatment for sunburn even though he had the cream on.
She says Rhys Armon Williams was covered in blisters despite using the product, North Wales Live reports .
He had been playing in the garden and in a paddling pool with his siblings in the sunshine on July 23 when the incident happened.
Miss Roberts says she took him to hospital for treatment after his skin began blistering and the pain became "unbearable".
Edgewell Personal Care (EPS), which makes the Banana Boat products Miss Roberts was using, said they provide safe and effective UVA and UVB protection when used as directed on the label and with other sun protection measures as necessary.
"All of our sun care products undergo rigorous testing to ensure they are appropriately labelled and meet all relevant local governing body regulations,” said a spokesperson.
This is what you need to know about the UVA and SPF factor on your sun cream .
Miss Roberts said Rhys had been playing in the garden with his brother and sister and was in and out of the paddling pool so she made sure she kept topping up the sun cream.
"I was using factor 50 and it also said it was water resistant," she said.
"I noticed he was a bit red at the end of the day but the following day he woke up with small blisters which gradually got worse.
"I took him to the doctor's for advice and he told me to put a cool flannel on him but by 7pm he was no better so I called out of hours and they told me to take him straight to A&E.
"He was given plasters for the burn and I was giving him Calpol and ibuprofen to help with the pain. He's been such a tough cookie.
"He has burnt in the sun before because he is very fair which is why I always slather him in sun cream and keep topping it up every hour.
"I'm very shocked that it happened and feel guilty as I couldn't do anything to take the pain away from him. He couldn't even have a proper cuddle because it was just too painful for me to touch him."
Miss Roberts, from Penygroes, near Caernarfon, has since made a complaint to EPS but says she is "disappointed" that they have not issued an apology.
The company said that, although they cannot comment on individual cases, they want to reassure the public that their products meet all relevant local governing body regulations, including the required SPF (sun protection factor) tests.
A spokesperson said: "Nothing is more important to us than the wellbeing of the people who use our products.
"Consumers can rest assured that Banana Boat products provide safe and effective broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection when used as directed on the product label, and with other sun protection measures as necessary.
"As with all Sun Protection, it is important to follow the instructions as on the back of the can or bottle, using as directed and reapply as directed.
Many parents ignore sun safety advice despite urging kids to be careful when catching the rays
"Remembering to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, keeping babies and children out of direct sunlight, avoiding the midday sun and always wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear.
"Consumers can continue to be assured of the quality of Banana Boat products.
"We completely understand the importance of sun protection for consumers and are committed to providing safe tested, proven and reliable products."
