Uh oh…
My Kitchen Rules star Pete Evans has angered cancer research experts after advising his 1.5 million Facebook fans to spend time in the sun, sans sun protection.
The celebrity chef frequently surfs with his two daughters Indii and Chilli.
When asked by a fan on his official Facebook page what sunscreen he prefers, the father-of-two replied admitting that he wears “generally nothing” and that those who do slip slop slap are simply covering “themselves in poisonous chemicals.”
“I keep an all over tan all year and don’t stay out for super long periods in the sun,” he said before revealing that when he spends four hours in the sun, he uses a product called Surf Mud which hasn’t been approved by the Australian TGA as an efficient sunscreen.
“The silly thing is people put on normal chemical sunscreen then lay out in the sun for hours on end and think that they are safe because they have covered themselves in poisonous chemicals which is a recipe for disaster as we are witnessing these days,” the polarising chef explained.
“We need to respect the sun but not hide from it either as it is so beneficial for us, but use common sense. The goal is always never to burn yourself.”
Sun damage starts in as little as ten minutes, and can occur without a sunburn – just ask Kim Kardashian!
Whilst it’s true that sunbaking for hours on end, even with sunscreen on, isn’t a wise health decision, advising readers to forgo sun protection altogether can relay severe consequences, says The Cancer Council’s director of education Terry Slevin.
“The science is clear, increased exposure to UV radiation equals an increased risk of skin cancer and this is from people who have been researching this for decades,” the health professional told News.com.au.
Watch the video below to be reminded of the importance of sun safety! Post continues…
“Sunscreen use, including UV absorbers, which he refers to as chemical sunscreen, has been proven to reduce skin cancer risk.”
“The question is who should people take their advice from on sun protection. Mr Evans is not someone I would call on for that advice. It’s yet another case of someone (in this case with a media profile) undermining the safety and efficacy of sunscreen.”
Considering that sun damage starts in as little as ten minutes, and skin cancers cause 1400 deaths in Australia each year, we think we might continue to slip slop slap with good old-fashioned suncream liberally, thank you very much.
Sunscreen has been proven to prevent basal cell carcinomas and melanomas.
