A mum-of-two says her daughter was left "screaming in agony" after her skin "melted within minutes" of being in the sun despite having lathered her in factor 50 sun cream. The mum, from Pwllheli, Gwynedd, claimed she used Nivea Sun Protect and Moisture on her daughter on Monday, July 11.
The seven-year-old went out to play in the garden with her brother but within five minutes her mother, Jasmine William, heard her "squealing" and shouting: "My back is on fire." The mum said as soon as her daughter rushed into the house she could see that her back and shoulders had turned bright red and giant blisters began forming on her skin, NorthWalesLive reports.
Jasmine, 27, described her daughter's ordeal as "horrific". She added: "At first I thought she was fighting with her brother but I quickly noticed the difference in her cry and she started shouting: 'My back is on fire'." A Nivea Sun spokesman said the firm had been in touch with the family to "understand more about what happened in this instance".
Read more: The scorching temperatures pictured across Europe as continent sees 40°C conditions
Jasmine said: "She ran in and I could see the blisters forming before my eyes. I didn't know what to do – I couldn't touch her to comfort her, I couldn't hold her because it was too painful for her.
"I thought she was going to collapse in pain – she was absolutely hysterical. Her skin looked as though she'd had boiling water from a kettle poured on her."
The mum said her daughter has no allergies and has never had an issue with any sun cream in the past. She added: "I feel riddled with guilt. I always check the labels on everything – it's a habit because some of my family members have allergies. She was adamant she didn't want to go to the hospital after a bad experience when she was younger so I took her to the chemist and they said it doesn't look anything like an allergic reaction.
"I just want other parents to be aware. I feel so guilty that this has happened but at least if I put it out there then people will know."
A Nivea Sun spokesperson said: "Consumer trust in the safety of our products is our highest priority and we are dedicated to developing products that reliably and effectively protect against sun damage.
"We are currently in contact with Jasmine Williams, who contacted our consumer relations team via email and has since had a telephone consultation to understand more about what happened in this instance.
"We rigorously test each of our Nivea Sun formulations and their labelled SPFs according to internationally-standardised test methods at independent test institutes so we can always ensure consistent high-quality efficacy and consumer safety of all Nivea Sun products."
The Met Office has issued an updated weather warning as the UK prepares for "exceptionally high temperatures" over the coming week. You can read more about that here.
READ NEXT:
- Wales becomes UK's first nation with 20mph default speed limit
- Sir Tom Jones issues health statement after cancelling gig last minute
- Jamie Roberts announces immediate retirement from rugby
- Incredible footage captures shark jumping off Welsh coast
- What the rules are around hospital visiting in each part of Wales
