A small number of TikTok videos spreading misinformation about sunscreen are attracting far more engagement than accurate content, according to a study published June 18 in PLOS Digital Health. Researchers analyzed 971 TikTok videos and found that most promoted sunscreen use. Only 16 videos discouraged it or questioned its safety. Those 16, however, consistently generated higher engagement rates than the videos with accurate information.
The findings, reported by Healthline, raise concerns among skin health experts about how misleading content can punch above its weight on social media platforms even when it represents a fraction of total posts on a topic.
Paul Banwell, a plastic and cosmetic surgeon and skin health expert in the United Kingdom who was not involved in the study, explained why this pattern tends to occur. "Social media tends to reward content that is provocative or challenges accepted advice, so claims that sunscreen is harmful or unnecessary are often going to generate more discussion than straightforward health messaging," he said.
Banwell also pointed to a broader problem with how audiences interpret online popularity. "The issue is that people can start to mistake popularity for credibility," he said. "Just because a video has millions of views doesn't mean the information is accurate, and when it comes to sun protection, that can have real consequences if people are discouraged from using sunscreen based on misinformation rather than evidence."
While the study focused on TikTok, Banwell noted that sunscreen misinformation is widespread across social media platforms more broadly. A relatively small amount of misleading content, he said, can attract outsized attention online, allowing myths to spread further than the volume of posts alone would suggest.
A spokesperson for TikTok told Healthline that the platform prohibits health-related misinformation, including inaccurate medical advice that discourages people from seeking appropriate medical care. The platform's stated policy, however, did not address why the flagged content in the study continued to generate engagement.
Banwell also raised a concern about how sunscreen is typically framed in online content. He noted that much of the conversation centers on beauty benefits such as preventing wrinkles, pigmentation, and premature aging, while skin cancer receives far less attention. "As a doctor, my primary concern is skin health. Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, yet it seems to feature far less prominently in online discussions than beauty-related benefits," he said. "Ideally, we should be talking about both."
He pointed to younger audiences in particular as a group that increasingly relies on social media for health information, and said influencers carry real responsibility in how they frame sun protection. When sunscreen is discussed primarily as a cosmetic product rather than a health tool, the more serious risks of skipping it can get lost.
The study did not examine other platforms or track whether viewers who watched misinformation videos changed their sunscreen habits as a result. The researchers limited their analysis to TikTok content and engagement metrics.
