Saskatoon woman says sunscreen left her with chemical burn

Concerns about Banana Boat sunscreen are making their way to Saskatchewan after a painful experience for a Saskatoon woman.

Erin Belsher and some friends were enjoying the sunshine on July 15th, but she said the day took a turn for the worse after she slapped on some sunscreen.

“I am a very fair skinned female so I always make sure I have plenty of sunscreen on,” she wrote on Facebook.

Belsher told 650 CKOM she began noticing a burning sensation a few hours later.

She said the burning feeling returned in her legs when she went to work the next day.

Eventually, the pain was so excruciating she drove herself to hospital.

“Within half-an-hour of being at the hospital my legs had burst out into these huge blisters,” she said.

The doctor told her she had suffered a second-degree chemical burn from the sunscreen.

Health Canada has opened an investigation following dozens of complaints, many involving young children, who claimed to have suffered burns and blistering.

Belsher said she’s still taking pain medication nearly a week after suffering the reaction and hasn’t been able to work.

“It almost feels like someone is cutting off my leg. I can’t stand or walk or anything for more than like five seconds,” she said

Since sharing her experience on Facebook, Belsher’s post has been shared over 1,000 times. She said she wants to create awareness so it doesn’t happen to anyone else.

Belsher also left a post on Banana Boat’s Facebook page, but said she has yet to hear back from the company.