As Europe Bakes, Does Sunscreen Help?

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Millions of people across Europe are braving temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F), cooking under heat domes, with hot nights making recovery harder.

While many people understand the need to use sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun, some, especially on social media, are discussing whether it can actually be harmful.

The discussion focuses on the question of whether sunscreens may increase rather than reduce the risk of skin cancer.

And while this debate is not new, it seems to be resurfacing again and again as global temperatures continue to rise and drought and extreme heat become the new normal.

Does sunscreen increase the risk of skin cancer?

Screenshot of an online claim on sunscreen
Misleading claims about sun protection and skin cancer are being widely circulated on social mediaImage: Facebook

claim: “According to the National Cancer Institute, melanoma has increased by more than 200% since the introduction of sunscreen in 1940.”

This claim, archived Here,Has appeared on many social media platforms. It further describes sunscreen as a “poison” that prevents the body from properly absorbing sunlight.

DW Fact Check: Misleading

First, several studiesUsing sunscreen regularly has been shown to actually reduce the risk of developing melanoma.

“There is no scientific evidence that supports an association of sunscreen use with a higher risk of cancer,” said Brittany Schaefer, public information officer for the Connecticut State Department of Public Health.

Schaefer spoke to DW last year, when the Fact Check team debunked similar claims about sunscreen, particularly the misconception that countries that use the most sunscreen have the highest incidence of skin cancer.

A man and woman near a free sunscreen dispenser on a Dutch beach
In some countries, such as the Netherlands, sunscreen is provided free of charge to beachgoers.Image: Dingena Mole/ANP/Imago

Second, US National Cancer InstituteWhat it doesn’t say is that sunscreen use has caused a 200% increase in melanoma since the 1940s.

Available data on newly observed melanoma cases only goes back to 1975.

According to statistics, the rate of newly diagnosed melanoma cases has increased by more than 220% from then to 2023.

However, there is no evidence linking sunscreen use to the increase in melanoma cases.

So why are melanoma cases increasing?

A man protects himself from the sun during a heat wave in Germany
Experts say people are spending more time exposed to the sunImage: Matias Basualdo/Zuma/Picture Coalition

A 2023 studyThe inclusion of scientists from the US, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary may provide some clues to understand why cases are rising.

Some of the hypotheses discussed by the authors include:

  • Increase in reporting and documentation of cases
  • People are spending more time exposed to the sun
  • Climate change, especially depletion of the ozone layer and UV index variation
  • Sunscreen is not necessarily being used appropriately

This last point is also highlighted by public surveys in many countries, despite recommendations that sunscreen should be used regularly.

A person has been photographed in front of the setting sun in India
Officials say extreme heat is no longer a rare occurrence but has become the new normalImage: Mukesh Gupta/AFP

For example, in Germany, 51% of respondents2024 said they only use sunscreen in the summer or when exposed to direct sunlight, while 17% said they never use it.

And in the United States, A survey was conducted in the same yearfound that 33% of adults admitted that they never use sunscreen.

guidance from U.S. Food and Drug Administration,which regulates sunscreens to ensure they meet safety and effectiveness standards, recommends using sunscreen regularly and even on cloudy days.

Aldo Sanchez Vera and Astrid Prang de Oliveira contributed to this report.
Edited by: Sarah Stephan

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