The trend: TikTok videos spreading sunscreen misinformation are rare, but they generate significantly more engagement than videos promoting proper sunscreen use, according to a study published last week in the journal PLOS Digital Health. University of Alberta researchers examined 971 of the most-viewed TikToks using five popular sunscreen-related hashtags.

Digging into the details: The TikTok sunscreen conversation is overwhelmingly pro-use, but the loudest voices are the contrarians.

• Most sunscreen-related TikToks (87%) promoted its use, citing benefits like preventing skin damage (17%), acne (15%), aging (12%), and cancer (6%).
• Only 6% criticized sunscreen, usually while still acknowledging its benefits.
• Just 1.5% of videos claimed sunscreen is harmful, and 1% argued it blocks the sun’s health benefits.

Yet critical videos generated far more comments, shares, and likes than pro-sunscreen content.

• Videos that only criticized sunscreen averaged roughly three times as many comments per post as fully promotional videos.
• TikToks that only criticized sunscreen generated about 4.5 times more shares than those that only promoted it.
• Critical-only videos averaged twice as many likes.

Why it matters: The consumers most tuned in to TikTok health content are also the ones who know the least about sun safety.

Among consumers who use social media platforms for health information, TikTok ranks fourth overall but first among Gen Z, per EMARKETER’s January 2026 US Digital Health Survey. Meanwhile, more Gen Zers than other generations “flunk” sun safety in a recent survey from the American Academy of Dermatology, with one-third receiving a D or an F. Researchers linked those poor results to younger consumers’ social media habits: 36% of Gen Z say influencers are their primary source of skincare information.

The AAD survey exposed several knowledge gaps. Many respondents still believe that a tan is harmless or even healthy (in reality, any tan is a sign of UV damage, per experts), and are unaware that sunscreen helps prevent premature aging.

Implications for wellness brands and marketers: The dermatologists best positioned to debunk sunscreen myths are barely on the platform where the myths live. Some 95% of misleading sun safety and sunscreen information originates on social media, according to one dermatologist interviewed by NBC News, yet dermatologists and other clinicians appeared in just 8% of the TikTok videos analyzed by the University of Alberta.

As summer ramps up, sunscreen brands should put in-house or partner dermatologists on camera in explainer videos that simplify confusing sun-safety guidance rather than push products. And to reach Gen Z, brands should focus on benefits that feel relevant to the cohort today (i.e., clearer skin, no sunburns this weekend), as concerns about cancer prevention and antiaging may feel too distant. They could directly address misinformation head on: for instance, content about how a dermatologist prepares for a day at the beach might do more to model sun protection than a list of SPF claims.

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