A baby has suffered severe sunburn despite her mother’s careful application of a high-protection sun cream, prompting calls for increased vigilance among parents regarding sun safety—even on seemingly low-risk days. The incident unfolded in East Lothian, Scotland, where Lauren Leishman, aged 22, took her 12-month-old daughter Rhegan to a local farm show on a cold, overcast June day.
Despite the chilly weather and both parents wearing jumpers, Ms Leishman decided to apply Malibu Kids Factor 50 sun cream to Rhegan as a precaution. The family, from Dalkeith, Midlothian, spent just three hours outdoors, believing the measures taken would sufficiently protect their young daughter from sun damage. To Lauren’s shock, however, Rhegan developed alarming symptoms later that day.
“We were only outside for a short while, and the weather was really cold,” Lauren told reporters. “I actually hesitated about whether to bother with sun cream at all, but just thought I’d be extra cautious.” When the family returned home around lunchtime, Rhegan was napping in her car seat. “When she woke up and we looked at her, she was glowing bright red,” Lauren recalled.
The situation deteriorated overnight. By the following morning, Rhegan’s face and hands had developed large, fluid-filled blisters—classic signs of severe sunburn. Gripped by panic and guilt, Lauren and her partner Kai took their daughter to the Royal Hospital for Children & Young People in Edinburgh. Medical staff there immediately began treatment and warned the family that Rhegan’s face would likely blister and peel, leaving her with raw and painful skin.
“Doctors expressed surprise at the extent of the burns, especially as we’d used a kids’ factor 50 cream and the day was overcast. I felt totally helpless,” Lauren said. Hospital advice was unequivocal: Rhegan should stay out of sunlight for at least two weeks and needed regular application of soothing cream to aid her recovery. Lauren described the ordeal of having to restrain her daughter to apply ointment to her sensitive, damaged skin.
The episode has left the family badly shaken, particularly as they had trusted the Malibu Kids product because of its high factor rating and child-friendly labelling. “You just assume that if a cream says ‘kids’ and ‘factor 50’, your child will be safe. It’s shocking, really,” Lauren reflected. She pointed out that they had never used this specific sun cream before and strongly doubted she’d ever use it again after what happened.
Lauren is now using her experience to raise awareness among fellow parents. She urges others to look beyond just the SPF number and check the UVA star ratings, which measure protection against the harmful rays linked to skin cancer and premature ageing. Lauren discovered after the fact that the particular cream she used only had a three-star UVA rating, falling short of the best available cover.
Since sharing her story, she has received responses from other parents who experienced similar difficulties with the same or similar products, including during holidays abroad. “Had I known to look for the star rating, I would never have bought it,” she said, adding that researching sun cream options should be a priority for all parents.
Rhegan remains in pain, with her mother saying her condition “only seems to be getting worse” as her injuries heal. Beyond the immediate recovery concerns, Lauren fears that the burns could leave her daughter with permanent facial scarring. “Because she’s just a little girl, I really hope she won’t be left with marks,” Lauren said.
The experience has also left Lauren apprehensive about letting Rhegan play outdoors for the remainder of the summer. “She was given so many garden toys for her birthday, but none of them will be used this year,” she lamented.
Malibu Sun, the manufacturer of the implicated sun cream, stated that it has been in contact with the family and is investigating the incident further. In the meantime, healthcare professionals continue to advise parents to remain vigilant about sun safety, even in the UK’s often unpredictable and seemingly harmless weather. The case highlights the need for greater public awareness regarding the efficacy of different sun protection products for children.