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A folding fan can help you cool down in the heat, but it doesn't do much to protect your body from UV raysImage: Sarah Meyssonnier/REUTERS

Millions of people across Europe are dealing with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), baking under a heat dome. Hot nights are making recovery harder.

While many recognize the need to use sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun, some people, particularly on social media, have been asking whether it could actually be harmful.

The discussion centers around the question of whether sunscreen could increase the risk of skin cancer, rather than reduce it.

And while the debate is not new, it does seem to be resurfacing more frequently, as global temperatures continue to rise and droughts and extreme heat become the new normal.

Misleading claims about sun protection and skin cancer are circulating widely on social mediaImage: facebook

Does sunscreen increase skin cancer risk?

Claim: "According to the National Cancer Institute, since the introduction of sunscreen in 1940, melanoma has increased by over 200%."

This claim, archived here, has appeared on several social media platforms. It further describes sunscreen as a "poison" that prevents the body from properly absorbing sunlight.

Fact check: Misleading

First, several studies have shown that regularly using sunscreen actually reduces the risk of developing melanoma.

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

Schaefer spoke with DW in 2025, when the Fact check team debunked similar claims around sunscreen, especially the false assumption that the countries that use the most sunscreen have the highest incidence of skin cancer.

In some countries, such as the Netherlands, sunscreen is even offered free of charge to beachgoersImage: Dingena Mol/ANP/IMAGO

Second, the US National Cancer Institute has not said sunscreen use caused a 200% increase in melanoma since 1940.

The available data on new observed melanoma cases only goes back to 1975.

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

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

Experts say people are spending more time exposed to the sunImage: Matias Basualdo/ZUMA/picture alliance

So why are melanoma cases increasing?

A 2023 study involving scientists from the US, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary can provide some clues to understand why cases are on the rise.

Some of the hypotheses discussed by the authors include:

An increase in reporting and documenting cases
People are spending more time exposed to the sun
Climate change, especially the reduction of the ozone layer and UV index variations
Sunscreen is not necessarily being used appropriately

This final point has also been highlighted by public surveys across several countries, despite recommendations that sunscreen should be used regularly.

Officials say extreme heat is no longer a rare event, but the new normalImage: Mukesh Gupta/AFP

In Germany, for example, 51% of respondents said in 2024 that they only use sunscreen in summer or when exposed to direct sunlight, while 17% said they never use it.

And in the United States, a poll conducted in the same year found that 33% of adults admitted to never using sunscreen at all.

Guidance from the US 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 Prange de Olivieira contributed to this report.

Edited by: Sarah Steffen

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Fact check: As Europe bakes, should you trust your sunscreen?

Does sunscreen increase skin cancer risk?

So why are melanoma cases increasing?

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Fact check: As Europe bakes, should you trust your sunscreen?

Does sunscreen increase skin cancer risk?

So why are melanoma cases increasing?

Explore more

More on Health from around the world

Related topics

DW's Top Story

More stories from DW

Africa

Asia

Germany

Europe

Middle East

North America

Latin America