Lauren Leishman with her twelve-month-old daughter Rhegan

Lifestyle

Mum Horrified After Baby Suffers Severe Burns Despite Using Factor 50 Sun Cream

Published on July 14, 2025

A mum has shared her shock after her 12-month-old daughter was left with severe sunburn, despite using Factor 50 sun cream. Lauren Leishman, 22, had taken her little girl, Rhegan, to a family farm show in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland. Though the skies were overcast, Lauren made sure to apply sun protection on her daughter, thinking she was playing it safe.

The next morning, Lauren was horrified to discover that Rhegan’s face and hands were covered in huge, fluid-filled blisters. She rushed her to the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh, where a nurse warned that her face would peel back to raw skin.

Lauren, a carer from Dalkeith, Midlothian, said: “It was such an overcast day, we both had jumpers on. It was chilly, and I actually remember thinking, ‘Do I bother with sun cream or not?’ and I thought, ‘I’ll just put it on just to be safe.’” The family had spent just three hours outdoors, but that was enough for little Rhegan to suffer, reported the Mirror.

“It’s such a shame. I just want to make people aware. It’s Scotland—how could she burn that badly with sun cream? It’s crazy. She’s in agony,” Lauren said, shocked by the severity of her daughter’s burns. The weather had been overcast, with temperatures only reaching highs of 18°C, which is far from the scorching heat usually associated with sunburn.

Lauren had used Malibu Kids Factor 50 sun cream, which is marketed as “high protection” and “clinically proven to be kind to skin.” Yet, after just a few hours outdoors, Rhegan was left with skin glowing bright red. “We were out from half ten until half one, came home, and she was sleeping in the car seat. When she woke up, her skin was glowing red,” Lauren recalled.

To make matters worse, Rhegan’s condition worsened overnight. “She woke up in the morning, and she was just so blistered. Huge big filled blisters,” said Lauren. “I just felt panic straight away, and the guilt was awful.” The family quickly took her to the hospital, where doctors were “shocked” by the severity of the burns. They treated Rhegan with ointment and advised that she stay indoors for at least two weeks.

Now, Lauren is urging other parents to double-check the UVA star ratings on their sun creams before using them on their children. “I would say absolutely research the sun cream you’re using on your child beforehand,” she advised, sharing her experience with others on social media. “I’ve seen comments from people saying they used this sun cream in Spain or other countries, and the same thing happened to them.”

Rhegan’s condition continues to worsen, and Lauren is concerned about her future sun exposure. “I’m worried about taking her outside in the sun again. We definitely won’t this summer. She’ll have to stay in for two weeks, and after that, she won’t be out in the sun,” Lauren said. “It was just her birthday, and she got garden toys, a little sandpit, but that will definitely not be used this year.”

Malibu Sun has acknowledged the complaint and sent Lauren a complaints information pack. They’ve promised to investigate further. Express.co.uk has reached out to Malibu Sun for comment.

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