TThis summer, some influencers jumped on the bandwagon of posting TikToks of themselves making sunscreen at home after a popular influencer did so. Experts are now warning people not to DIY sunscreen as it can be dangerous.
Influencer Nara Smith, 22, known for sharing videos of herself making everything from cereal to cough drops, posted a TikTok in June of her husband, Lucky Blue Smith, mixing coconut, beeswax, shea butter, of cocoa, jojoba oil and zinc oxide powder to create sunscreen (the latter is a main ingredient in many mineral-based sunscreens). Since then, her video has received around 2 million likes. And others — like TikToker Avery Cyrus, 24, who has 9.3 million followers — have also shared videos of themselves making their own sunscreen.
But some dermatologists have expressed concern about DIY sunscreen, making their own social media posts and warning people not to do it.
“The dangers related to homemade sunscreen is that it won’t protect your skin as it should,” says Dr. Aamna Adeldermatologist based in London. “Just because it contains zinc oxide…doesn’t mean it will protect you from UV rays.” People who make their own sunscreen “will increase their risk of sunburn [and] develop skin cancer.” (Adel has done some paid campaigns for brands that have sun protection products in the past.)
A representative for Smith declined TIME’s request for comment, and a representative for Cyrus did not respond.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates sunscreens as medicines without a prescription. Products on the market “have to go through extensive testing,” says Dr. Brooke Jeffy, a dermatologist in Scottsdale, Arizona. First, the sunscreen manufacturing process is quite complicated – the formulas are precise and can be difficult to replicate at home. And second, there’s no way to know how much protection a homemade sunscreen will provide. Because of this, your sunscreen may have inconsistent or ineffective coverage, which can increase your risk of skin cancer and lead to premature signs of aging, such as wrinkles and sunspots.
“Let’s say you use 15% zinc, but you’re adding other things. So do you really have that same percentage in your final product? How do you really know you have what you think you have? says Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist based in New York City.
“It’s not that easy to make a mineral-based sunscreen and spread it easily and smoothly,” says Day.
Some dermatologists say that even though Smith’s video wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, they worried that people would try the recipe themselves.
Concerns about potential health risks associated with chemical sunscreen ingredients have arisen in recent years. DIY videos are One reaction to this, says Jeffy: “I think it’s based on some misconceptions out there that sunscreens are harmful and that it’s safer to make products yourself.” But the FDAthe US Centers for Disease Control and Preventionand medical associations everyone recommends using sunscreen because it can help prevent skin cancer. Jeffy suggests that anyone concerned about chemical-based products use mineral sunscreens.
Kate Ring, a 43-year-old TikTok influencer who lives in Kent, UK, also posted videos of her homemade sunscreen recipe, which she has been using for years because she was concerned about the ingredients in sunscreens on the market. She says she is not deterred by the warnings from doctors and public health authorities, arguing that the sunscreen manufacturing process is “not complex at all”.
“I’m by no means an expert,” says Ring. “Obviously, I didn’t put it in and then I baked it in the sun for eight hours. I actually tested it over weeks and over periods of time to make sure I was getting it right.
But Jeffy questions how effective at-home “tests” like this really are. And experts to say that not visibly burning is not an indication of being adequately protected from the sun.
Day says that if someone doesn’t want to listen to dermatologists, that’s their decision — but that, “unfortunately,” some people may listen to these influencers instead of the experts.
“My interest is in protecting people from misinformation and products that can be harmful to their skin,” Day says. “All I can do is provide information and hope it makes sense.”
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
