Sunscreen has become one of the most controversial topics in modern wellness culture.
Social media influencers are setting bottles on fire, dermatologists are fighting back, and millions of people are caught in the crossfire wondering what to believe.
In a recent deep-dive investigation published by Men’s Health, writer Brian Underwood explores how a product scientifically proven to reduce skin cancer risk became the center of a massive misinformation campaign.
What emerges is a story about fear, science, social media algorithms, and the real consequences when health advice goes viral for all the wrong reasons.
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Flames, Fear, and Viral Misinformation
Picture this: an Instagram influencer holding a Banana Boat spray sunscreen bottle, pressing the button, and igniting the mist with a lighter.
As flames shoot across the screen, he declares that melanoma has increased 200 percent since sunscreen’s introduction in 1940. Another creator chimes in with an even bolder claim.
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By the way, all sunscreen is toxic. It’s literally what I believe is causing all the skin cancer.
Posts like these aren’t isolated incidents. The #antisunscreen hashtag has racked up over 5 million views, while #nosunscreen has climbed past 11 million.
According to a 2024 survey from Orlando Health Cancer Institute, one in seven adults under 35 now believes daily sunscreen use causes more harm than direct sun exposure. Even more alarming: 16 million Americans reported reducing or stopping sunscreen use entirely because of claims they saw online.
How Did We Get Here?
Sunscreen’s image problem didn’t happen overnight. Several high-profile controversies created cracks in public trust that influencers have been more than happy to exploit.
The FDA’s Confusing 2019 Study
Everything changed when FDA researchers concluded that four common chemical UV filters—avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule—were absorbed into the bloodstream at levels exceeding safety thresholds.
The agency proposed categorizing these ingredients as “non-GRASE” (not generally regarded as safe and effective), requiring more safety data. Mineral filters like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide? Those got the green light as category I ingredients.
The problem: While the study plainly stated that people shouldn’t stop using sunscreen, the FDA never clarified what absorption actually meant for health outcomes. That vacuum filled with speculation and fear.
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Absorption doesn’t mean harm.
That’s according to Dr. Steven Nelson, assistant professor of dermatology at Mayo Clinic and member of the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Photobiology Committee. He explains that decades of safety testing exist for these filters, but the FDA has been painfully slow at reviewing data and providing final verdicts.
The 2021 Benzene Contamination Scandal
Then came another blow: certain sunscreen brands issued recalls after benzene, a known carcinogen, was found in their products.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Secretary of Health and Human Services, amplified the controversy on social media, naming brands like Neutrogena, Sun Bum, and CVS Health as containing the highest benzene levels.
Here’s what actually happened: benzene wasn’t intentionally added. Certain propellants in spray formulas interacted with other chemicals to create it. Contaminated products were pulled from shelves, and the FDA updated protocols to prevent future issues.
Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd, director of the skin of color division at University of Miami’s dermatology department, says she doesn’t tell patients to worry about benzene anymore. But the damage to sunscreen’s reputation? Already done.
What About Hormone Disruption?
Anti-sunscreen content creators frequently cite studies showing that chemical filters like oxybenzone demonstrate endocrine-disrupting properties.
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- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
A 2023 review of 254 studies did find evidence that benzophenone-3 (oxybenzone) could disrupt hormones. Similar concerns exist for octinoxate, avobenzone, and homosalate. The European Union has even limited oxybenzone concentrations to 2.2 percent, well below the FDA’s approved 6 percent.
But here’s the catch: The vast majority of that research was conducted on cell cultures, rodents, and fish—not humans.
Only two small, inconclusive studies examined human subjects. Dr. Nelson emphasizes that UV filters can interact with hormone systems under experimental conditions, but there’s no convincing evidence they disrupt hormones in humans at real-world exposure levels.
The Vitamin D Defense
Another popular argument claims that sunscreen prevents vitamin D synthesis, leading to deficiencies that increase cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and depression risk.
There’s truth to the importance of vitamin D and sun exposure for overall health. Writer Rowan Jacobsen explored this extensively in his controversial 2019 article “Is Sunscreen the New Margarine?” which suggested that fear-the-sun messaging might be putting health at risk.
But the vitamin D deficiency epidemic doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Only 13.5 percent of Americans in a 2023 national survey reported using sunscreen daily. Those who do likely aren’t applying enough or reapplying correctly, according to Dr. Melissa Levoska, dermatology instructor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Translation: Most people aren’t using enough sunscreen to cause vitamin D deficiency in the first place.
Scientists Fight Back on Social Media
Dermatologists and science communicators are pushing back, but they’re vastly outnumbered.
An analysis of 500 TikTok videos using sun protection hashtags found that only 16.6 percent were created by board-certified dermatologists. Beauty bloggers created 38.7 percent, while patients and consumers produced another 33.7 percent.
Dr. Woolery-Lloyd, active on TikTok as @drheathermd, urges licensed professionals to join the platform. Accurate information needs to reach people where they’re already scrolling.
Michelle Wong, PhD, known as Lab Muffin Beauty Science to her hundreds of thousands of followers, takes a storytelling approach to combating misinformation.
For a long time, scientists assumed if you give people the facts, they’ll see reason. And that just isn’t the case. People remember stories. Not statistics.
Wong, based in Australia where skin cancer rates are among the world’s highest, believes much of the global misinformation originates in the United States, where institutional trust has eroded and conspiracy theories thrive.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
A Cancer Survivor’s Wake-Up Call
Steven Sladkus used to think a tan meant health. As an avid tennis player and outdoorsman, he avoided hats and sunscreen, chasing that bronzed look.
In October 2019, at his wife’s urging, the now-56-year-old went for a skin check. Doctors found melanoma on his scalp. Surgery was immediate.
My heart sank. I remember sitting on a stoop by my garage, putting my head between my hands and going, ‘Holy smokes.’
After surgery to remove and test a lymph node, doctors confirmed the cancer hadn’t spread. His dermatologist was clear: years of unprotected sun exposure caused it.
Now Sladkus sees his dermatologist every three months. His sun protection habits have completely changed.
I wear hats everywhere, and every day after I get out of the shower, I coat my head and neck with spray sunscreen. I don’t mind being the palest person in the room anymore.
His message to sunscreen skeptics? “If they don’t wear sunscreen after hearing this, they’re idiots.”
What Does the Science Actually Say?
Despite the noise, the evidence supporting sunscreen is overwhelming.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
A 2020 peer-reviewed analysis of randomized controlled trials with long follow-ups found that regular sunscreen use is associated with decreased rates of all skin cancers, including melanoma, the deadliest form.
Beyond cancer prevention, sunscreen is one of the most potent antiaging tools available. Research suggests daily use not only prevents visible signs of skin aging but can help reverse them.
Better Sunscreens Are Coming
For the first time in 27 years, the FDA approved a new active sunscreen ingredient: bemotrizinol (BEMT).
Already used in the EU, Japan, and South Korea, BEMT isn’t easily absorbed through skin, qualifying it for category I GRASE status alongside zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. It’s also an excellent UVA filter that could replace oily ingredients like octocrylene.
Neutrogena confirmed to Men’s Health that it plans to integrate BEMT into its sunscreen innovation pipeline. Meanwhile, researchers at UCLA announced development of a novel zinc oxide “tetrapod” that prevents particles from clumping, creating formulas that spread better and eliminate the dreaded white cast.
The Bottom Line
Four leading skin cancer nonprofits—the Skin Cancer Foundation, Melanoma Research Foundation, Melanoma Research Alliance, and AIM at Melanoma Foundation—are joining forces for the first time.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
They’re submitting an open letter to the National Cancer Institute urging action to combat social media misinformation promoting unprotected UV exposure as beneficial, similar to how the NIH addressed COVID-19 misinformation.
The reality: Sunscreen works. Products on shelves today aren’t perfect, but they’re not toxic. Mineral formulas remain an option for those concerned about chemical filters.
Social media is no substitute for advice from dermatologists who specialize in skin health. And when you see someone online claiming sunscreen causes cancer, remember to check their credentials.
That viral “doctor” warning you about toxins? He might just be a forensic psychiatrist with a product to sell.
