Key Takeaways:
- Social media sunscreen misinformation is reshaping Gen Z sun protection behaviors.
- Anti-sunscreen narratives increasingly threaten consumer trust in skincare science.
- Tanning myths continue influencing beauty standards despite rising skin cancer risks.
A growing wave of sunscreen misinformation spreading across social media is now putting more than 16 million Americans at increased risk for skin cancer, according to new research from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The findings underscore how misinformation about beauty and wellness is increasingly influencing consumer health behaviors, particularly among Gen Z.
Released during Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the AAD’s annual Practice Safe Sun Survey found that millions of consumers have reduced or stopped using sunscreen because of online claims questioning sunscreen safety or promoting tanning myths. Nearly half of Americans and 64% of Gen Z respondents reported encountering sunscreen misinformation online.
The data arrives as sunscreen becomes one of beauty’s fastest-growing product categories, driven by skin longevity, hyperpigmentation prevention, and preventative aging concerns. But the same social platforms fueling SPF growth are also accelerating misinformation around UV exposure, “safe tanning,” and sunscreen toxicity.
According to the survey, 21% of Americans rely on Instagram or TikTok influencers for skincare advice, rising to 36% among Gen Z consumers.
AAD President Dr. Murad Alam said misinformation is reinforcing dangerous tanning narratives and causing consumers to underestimate the risks of UV exposure. The organization emphasized that there is “no such thing as a safe tan,”...
