As the weather heats up, Australians are being reminded that proper sun protection is about more than just sunscreen.

Deborah Hutton told Deborah Knight she was “shocked” to find out not all hats provide adequate protection against the Australian sun, after her second facial skin cancer diagnosis.

“These hats that we normally wear basically are just providing shade, but most hats still allow UV rays to penetrate.”

Ms Hutton teamed up with Gosford-based manufacturer Rigon Headwear to design her ‘Canopy Bay’ range of hats, which are all tested in Melbourne by ARPANSA to ensure they rate with UPF50+ protection.

“I’ve really taken that on with such joy and such passion.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about the importance of SunSafe hats

Deborah Hutton’s hats will be available for sale at canopybay.com.au from September 15.