A bare-chested TikTok influencer flings a tube of sunscreen over his shoulder, declaring that the cream causes cancer. Instead he preaches to his 400,000 followers to “get in the sun regularly” – in stark contrast to US dermatologists fighting the spread of such dubious misinformation.
In the midst of a sweltering summer, some social media influencers are offering potentially dangerous advice about sun protection, while health experts warn about excessive sun exposure amid rising skin cancer rates.
Further damaging public health, the videos – some of which have been viewed millions of times – shared “homemade” recipes using ingredients such as beef fat, avocado butter and beeswax to effectively protect the skin.
In a viral TikTok video, “transformation coach” Jerome Tan eschews a commercial cream and tells his followers that eating natural foods will allow the body to create “its own sunscreen.”
He did not present any scientific evidence for this.
Experts say this kind of online misinformation is increasingly causing harm in the real world.
One in seven American adults under the age of 35 believe that using sunscreen daily is more harmful than direct sun exposure, and about a quarter believe that staying hydrated can help prevent sunburn, according to a survey conducted this year by Ipsos for the Orlando Health Cancer Institute.
“People are adopting a lot of dangerous ideas, which puts them at additional risk,” warned Rajesh Nair, a cancer surgeon at the institute.
‘There is no safe tan’
As influencers are expressing skepticism over commercial sunscreen products, another US survey shows a drop in their use, with about 75 percent of Americans regularly using sunscreen, down from 79 percent in 2022.
These findings align with other trends reflecting growing public distrust of established medical guidance — including for COVID-19 and other vaccines — and an increasing reliance on influential figures with little or no scientific knowledge.
Dermatologists are trying to dispel the popular belief among people that prolonged exposure to sunlight is good for the skin.
“There is no safe tan,” Daniel Bennett, a dermatologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health, told AFP.
“There is considerable evidence that exposure to ultraviolet light is the primary preventable cause of skin cancer,” he said.
Experts say most misleading or false claims come from influencers looking to make money from their content on social media platforms, which are an echo chamber where sensationalism and false claims often drive engagement.
Eric Dahan, founder of influencer marketing agency Mighty Joy, told AFP that some content creators are taking advantage of “sunscreen skepticism” to “sell their own supplements or endorse alternative all-natural sunscreens.”
‘Illusion of the Sun’
Dahan pointed to an Instagram post that advised against “constantly applying sunscreen” while promoting a line of skincare products.
“Say goodbye to your sun phobia. Catch some (guilt-free) rays this summer,” the emoji-filled post read.
Holding a surfboard on the beach, another bare-chested Instagram influencer said he rejects sunscreen.
“Am I worried about skin cancer? I’m not,” he posted, promoting an “animal-based sunscreen” made from beef fat.
The fat — which is basically purified beef fat — doesn’t have the ability to block ultraviolet radiation alone, said Megan Poinot Couvillion, a dermatologist in Texas.
“I don’t see any problem in using it on the skin as a moisturiser, but definitely not as a sunscreen,” she told AFP.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has called for more research on the ingredients in commercial sunscreens, but it recommends their use because it has said excessive sun exposure is a leading cause of skin cancer.
The American Academy of Dermatology warns that homemade sunscreens “lack effective sun protection,” leaving users vulnerable to sunburn, premature skin aging, and skin cancer.
Some influencers’ recipes include zinc oxide, a well-known sun protector. But Adam Friedman, a professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, said making a sunscreen at home that effectively blocks UV radiation is unrealistic.
“You can’t make this in your basement,” Friedman told AFP.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)