TikTok Sunscreen Misinformation
Study finds TikTok misinformation about sunscreen's safety disproportionately drives viral engagement
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Most sunscreen videos on TikTok actually encourage people to wear sunscreen. But a new University of Alberta study found that 87% of those pro-sunscreen videos still contain misinformation — and the false claims are the ones that go viral, according to NBC News.
Researchers analyzed nearly 1,000 of the most-viewed TikTok videos across major sunscreen hashtags, which together have racked up 2.4 billion views. The findings, published in *PLOS Digital Health*, warn that viral misinformation could drive up skin cancer rates — especially in children.
Misinformation Earns the Most Likes and Shares
The study's most alarming finding isn't how much bad content exists — it's how it spreads. A small fraction of videos spreading false claims, like "sunburns aren't dangerous" or "sunscreen causes cancer," generated a disproportionately large share of total engagement. Fear-based content simply gets more likes and shares than calm, factual advice, according to NBC Miami.
Lead researcher Alessandro Marcon at the University of Alberta's Health Law Institute found that many creators do promote sunscreen use — but they undermine it with unsupported caveats. Some tell viewers sunscreen is only worth using for cosmetic reasons, like avoiding wrinkles. That framing leaves out the most important reason: preventing skin cancer.
Chemical Sunscreens Are the Main Target of False Claims
Most of the false claims focus on chemical sunscreens. These products use ingredients like oxybenzone to absorb harmful UV rays. Influencers often call these ingredients "toxic" or "hormone-disrupting." But there is no clinical evidence in humans that any widely used sunscreen ingredient causes harm, according to NBC Washington.
The FDA has asked for more data on how much these chemicals absorb into the skin. But the agency has been clear: absorption does not mean harm. Despite that, the regulatory caution has been used by influencers to stoke fear. "Natural" alternatives like coconut oil have an SPF of roughly 1 to 4 — effectively zero protection.
Daily Sunscreen Use Cuts Melanoma Risk by Half
The stakes are real. Using SPF 30 or higher daily cuts melanoma risk by 50%. Yet 1 in 7 Americans under 35 now believe that daily sunscreen use is more dangerous than direct UV exposure, according to NBC Bay Area. Melanoma is already one of the most common cancers in young adults.
Researchers warn the problem could hit children hardest. As parents turn to homemade or "natural" sunscreen recipes promoted on TikTok, kids are getting little to no real UV protection. That early sun damage raises lifetime skin cancer risk significantly.
TikTok's Algorithm Rewards Fear Over Facts
Health law professor Timothy Caulfield at the University of Alberta warns of what he calls the "anti-vax-to-anti-sunscreen pipeline." The same distrust of mainstream medicine that fueled vaccine skepticism is now targeting dermatology. TikTok's algorithm favors content that generates shock and strong reactions — exactly what fear-based health claims produce, according to NBC Philadelphia.
Critics say TikTok should label sunscreen misinformation the same way it labels other health topics. Right now, dangerous claims often get filed under "wellness advice" or "personal choice," which keeps them out of the platform's fact-checking systems. Researchers say that gap needs to close before skin cancer rates climb further.
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