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A mother admitted she inadvertently 'cooked herself like a roast chicken' by slathering herself in zero SPF carrot oil while sunbathing, leaving her 'looking like a Drumstick lolly' with third degree burns.

Laura Bevin, 24, hoped to achieve a golden summer glow during a family day trip to the beach in Southport, Merseyside, with her mother Carol, 52, and sister Nicola, 29, last month.

Despite repeatedly slathering her five-year-old daughter Millie Bevin in factor 50 suncream, Laura, from Warrington, Cheshire, shunned the suncream and instead used £7.99 Calypso Original Carrot Oil deep tanning spray during the seven-hour stint.

Laura Bevin, 24, from Warrington, Cheshire, covered herself in carrot oil while enjoying a day at the beach but was left with third degree burns on her legs (pictured)

While Laura (pictured) covered her daughter in factor 50 suncream, she simply used £7.99 tanning oil while sat on the beach in the sun for seven hours

However later that evening she was forced to sleep on top of her duvet cover because her legs were incredibly tight and painful, and days later blisters erupted on her left leg, including one the size of a satsuma.

After a visit to a walk-in centre and a hospital A&E days later Laura was told she was suffering from third-degree burns and said her scorched 'crispy' skin looked like 'burnt chicken skin', which made an unpleasant sound when it cracked. 

Horrifying photos show Laura's legs burned red raw with large wounds where the skin has peeled away, exposing painful burned flesh beneath.

She said now feels like she is 'living like a vampire' because her skin has been left so sensitive she has to run inside 'to hide' when the sun comes out.

The mother-of-one is now sharing her ordeal as a warning to others to always use sunscreen because it's 'just not worth' the pain of what she went through.

Calypso said it 'truly hopes' Laura has a speedy recovery and reminded customers of the 'importance of choosing SPF products while out in the sun'.

Laura said: 'Other than my face, from make-up, my skin is very pale - especially my legs.

Instead of suncream, Laura used £7.99 Calypso Original Carrot Oil deep tanning spray (pictured)

'I'm usually dressed in black and covered up, this is the only summer that I put a playsuit on and thought 'oh I'll get a nice tan'.

'I do feel self-conscious being so pale because I think everyone looks a bit better with a tan, especially next to them as they're so brown.

'My mum and sister are really brown and they were using the carrot oil, whereas I'm really white.

'I don't know what I was playing at. I thought "I won't burn, I'll just get a nice colour", but obviously not.

'I kept smothering Millie in factor 50 suncream not realising I was basically cooking myself.

'I didn't blister straight away, I was just red. I looked like a Drumstick Squashie sweet or lolly.'

Laura, who is naturally pale, usually wears trousers but decided on June 13 that she would wear a playsuit because the weather was so nice. 

Desperate for some colour, the support worker decided to use the carrot oil, which costs £7.99 online, her sister Nicola uses to top up her tan with no problem.

Laura slapped on the oil a couple of times during the seven-hour outing and didn't realise she was burnt until she returned to the car on the journey home.

It was only as Laura left the beach and started the journey home that she realised how burned she was.

Laura said: 'In the car on the way home the skin from my thighs to my ankles felt like leather and quite tight.

'That night they were red and it felt like my skin was on fire so I slept on top of the covers and had the fan on.

Laura has spoken out about her experience in the hope that people will listen to her story and make sure they were appropriate skin protection in the sun 

Days after the beach trip Laura's left leg (pictured) broke out in blisters, including one the size of a satsuma and was diagnosed with third degree burns 

'The next morning my friend brought me some natural yoghurt so I lay on the bed reapplying that.

'For two days I lay there and I could only hobble around for toilet trips. Three days later, when I put the aloe vera gel on, all these blisters just came out.'

Concerned by the blisters and the severe sunburn, Laura went to a walk-in centre on Thursday, June 17, where her legs were assessed and her left leg was dressed in tube sock bandaging.

The following day a satsuma-sized 'wobbling' blister bubbled up on her left ankle, so Laura went to Warrington Hospital's A&E department.

There doctors popped the oozing blister and, after inspecting her flaking and scorched skin, said Laura was suffering from third-degree burns and she may need a skin graft.

Staff then scraped off some of her burnt skin, applied a cream and bandaged her leg up and asked her to return for a check-up.

The mother-of-one said her scorched 'crispy' skin looked like 'burnt chicken skin' and even sounded like that when it cracked

Laura opted to use carrot oil after her mother Carol, 52, (pictured) and sister Nicola, 29, had managed to get brown while applying it to their skin as they sunbathed

Days later Laura returned to the hospital and said a flap of skin on her leg looked and sounded like it belonged on top of a roast chicken.

Laura, who was given a 10-day course of antibiotics, said: 'I went to a walk-in centre where they put a tube sock bandage on. The following day I went to hospital because I was in agony.

'I don't know whether the tube sock had caused all the pressure to go into my ankle but a huge blister, the size of a satsuma, appeared at the bottom of my ankle that wobbled as I walked.

'The blister was leaking a lot of fluid as it had become infected. They don't usually pop blisters at the hospital, but they did this time because of the infection inside.

'They took some of my skin off with a scalpel to tackle the infection and put a lotion on my leg to help remove the scabs.

'When I went back the doctor removed a flap of skin that looked like chicken skin you get on a Sunday roast, but burned. It sounded exactly like chicken skin too.

'They were talking about a skin graft at one point because they didn't know how it would turn out but luckily my body healed well.'

It was only as Laura left the beach and started the journey home that she realised how burned she was and her skin began to react, with tiny blisters bubbling up on her leg (pictured)

Six weeks on, Laura said her leg is still tender and she now flees the sun 'like a vampire' despite smothering her skin in factor 50 sun cream.

Laura said: 'With the sunny weather now I am covered up, but it's very sensitive and I've still got marks now.

'The hospital told me it would be sensitive for the rest of my life.

'I smother myself in factor 50 now. I haven't had my legs out since then, I've just been wearing trousers and I can feel the sun through them.

'I'm like a vampire when the sun comes out - I run inside to hide.

'I won't use carrot oil in future. I've seen people sunburned before but you never think it's going to happen to you.

'My manager said to me it looked like I'd poured boiling water on my leg. I honestly didn't think that the sun could do that to somebody.

'Anyone wanting a nice golden tan this summer I'd say it's just not worth it.'

A Calypso Sun spokesman said: 'Calypso Sun provides a wide range of products from deep tanning oils to very high sun protection SPF50+ lotions and sprays.

Six weeks on, Laura said her leg (pictured) is still tender and she now flees the sun 'like a vampire', as well as smothering her skin in factor 50 sun cream

'We truly hope Laura has a speedy recovery from her experience but would also like to remind everyone of the importance of choosing SPF products whilst out in the sun.

'Products that do not contain sun screen will not protect you from the sun.

'All Calypso Sun products are manufactured to UK British Retail Consortium Standards.'

Lisa Bickerstaffe, a spokesperson for British Skin Foundation, said: 'The British Skin Foundation would not recommend using carrot oil on the skin during a day trip to the beach.

'Always protect the skin with high factor SPF30+ with UVA protection of four or five stars when you're out in the sun. Team this with other sun safe behaviours such as sun protective clothing, wide brimmed hats and sunglasses.

'Remember to reapply at least every two hours or after swimming, sweating and towel drying. Seek shade between 11am-3pm when the UV index is highest.'