- An analysis of 971 sunscreen-related TikTok videos showed only 6% were critiquing sunscreen use.
- Videos with unverified claims about sunscreen gained more traction than science-based ones.
- Most misinformation undermines established sunscreen safety and health practices.
The height of summer is approaching and experts recommend avoiding the sun during the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the UV rays are the strongest, or using sunscreen and other protective gear like sunglasses and hats if you can’t stay inside.
However, some misinformation about sun exposure has been circulating online — specifically, myths about sunscreen.
In a study published last Thursday, researchers analyzed how much social media affects the public’s health-related decisions. They did this through the lens of 971 sunscreen videos posted to TikTok under the most popular sunscreen hashtags.
What they found
An encouraging 86.8% of the TikToks analyzed in the study promoted sunscreen use. A handful had both positive and negative information, and only 6% were solely critiquing or discouraging sunscreen use.
Of that 6%, the researchers said 1.5% claimed sunscreen causes harm, and 1.2% said it prevents the health benefits of the sun.
The small percent of TikToks that contained misinformation about sunscreen was promising. However, the concerning finding from the study was how much those false TikToks spread.
On average, the engagement with the negative sunscreen videos was much higher than videos containing true information, with the negative ones garnering more likes, comments and shares.
The alleged concerns
The study explained that the negative TikToks claimed sunscreen is toxic, cancer-causing and limits Vitamin D absorption. These claims were mostly aimed at chemical sunscreens, and some videos suggested using mineral sunscreen as an alternative or forgoing sunscreen altogether. The Washington Post said some videos promoted using beef tallow instead of sunscreen.
According to the study, many of the influencers backed their claims by the idea that “ancestors from generations past spent considerable time in the sun without sunscreen and benefited from such exposure.”
Some of the claims, the study said, were not totally unjustified. “In 2021 certain products were recalled for having detectable levels of benzene, an established cancer-causing carcinogen,” it said.
But, “this concern pertained only to a few specific products at a particular time and not broadly to either all nonmineral-based sunscreens or to sunscreen generally as a sun protection tool.” The study said chemical and mineral sunscreens are both safe, “and in no circumstance is not using sunscreen a safer option than using a ‘chemical’ product during sun exposure.”
An age of cheap information
Dr. Eboni Cornish, associate medical director of Amen Clinics, said people are turning to platforms like TikTok for their health information because “it’s easy access,” per Fox News. “It’s very convenient versus going to the doctor’s office,” she said.
But the easy access goes both ways. Influencers can easily post videos with baseless claims, so viewers trade the hassle of going to a doctor’s office for the risk of consuming health information that may be false.
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe told Good Morning America that social media algorithms “reward content that is shocking, controversial, fear-mongering, so the myths go viral, but the facts get buried.”
This is why even though the majority of videos analyzed in the researcher’s study had positive and factual information about sunscreen, it might feel like most videos online are spreading myths. The 6% of false, negative sunscreen videos had the power to go the furthest and do the most damage.