TThis summer, some influencers have taken to TikTok to post how they make sunscreen at home after a popular influencer did so. Experts are now warning people not to make their own sunscreen because it can be dangerous.
Influencer Nara Smith, 22, who is known for sharing videos of herself making everything from cereal to cough drops, posted a TikTok video in June of her husband, Lucky Blue Smith, mixing coconut, beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, and zinc oxide powder to create sunscreen (the latter is main ingredient (many mineral-based sunscreens). Her video has since received nearly 2 million likes. And others — like 24-year-old TikToker Avery Cyrus, who has 9.3 million followers — have also shared videos of themselves making their own sunscreen.
However, some dermatologists have expressed concern about making their own sunscreens, posting on social media warning people against it.
“The danger with homemade sunscreen is that it won't protect your skin properly,” says the doctor. Amna AdelLondon dermatologist. “Just because it contains zinc oxide… doesn't mean it's going to protect you from UV rays.” People who make their own sunscreen “increase their risk of sunburn” [and] “skin cancer develops.” (Adele has appeared in several paid campaigns for sunscreen brands in the past.)
A representative for Smith declined TIME's request for comment, and a representative for Cyrus did not respond.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates sunscreens as over-the-counter drugsProducts on the market “have to be thoroughly tested,” says Dr. Brooke Jaffee, a dermatologist in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dermatologists say there are a few reasons why making your own sunscreen can be dangerous. First, the process of making sunscreen is complicated — the formulas are precise and difficult to replicate at home. And second, there’s no way to know how much protection your homemade sunscreen will provide. That can leave your sunscreen with inconsistent or ineffective coverage, which can increase your risk of skin cancer and lead to premature signs of aging like wrinkles and sun spots.
“Let's say you're using 15 percent zinc, but you're adding other things to it. So is that really the percentage in your final product? How do you really know you're getting what you think you're getting?” says Dr. Doris Day, a New York City dermatologist.
“It's not easy to make a mineral-based sunscreen and make it go on smoothly and easily,” says Day.
Some dermatologists say that even if Smith's video wasn't meant to be taken seriously, they were concerned that people might try the recipe themselves.
Concern Potential health risks associated with ingredients in chemical sunscreens have become known in recent years. DIY Videos Jeffy responds to this: “I think it’s based on a few misconceptions that exist that sunscreens are harmful and that it’s safer to make your own products.” But Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAnd medical associations Everyone recommends using sunscreen because it can help prevent skin cancer. Jeffy suggests that anyone worried about chemical-based products use mineral sunscreens instead.
Kate Ring, a 43-year-old TikTok influencer based in Kent, UK, also posted video of her homemade sunscreen recipe that she has been using for years because she was concerned about the ingredients in sunscreens on the market. She says she is unfazed by the warnings from doctors and health officials, claiming that the process of making sunscreen is “not complicated at all.”
“I'm by no means an expert,” says Ring. “I obviously didn't put it on and then go out and bake in the sun for eight hours. In fact, I tested it for weeks and for different periods of time to make sure I was doing it right.”
But Jaffee is skeptical about how effective such home “testing” is. And experts say The absence of visible burns is not an indication of adequate sun protection.
Day says if someone doesn't want to listen to dermatologists, that's their decision, but “unfortunately” some people may listen to these influencers instead of the experts.
“My interest is to protect people from misinformation and products that can harm their skin,” says Day. “All I can do is provide information and hope it makes sense.”