Sam Faiers Sunscreen Controversy: Why Misinformation Sticks and Why It Matters

Several weeks ago, Sam Faiers told her 2.5 million followers that she and her family don’t wear sunscreen because it’s “toxic” and they’ve built a “tolerance to the sun.”

At the time, the story sparked outrage. Headlines were written, social media lit up, and people debated whether her comments were reckless or simply personal choice. But now? Most people have stopped talking about it. The outrage has faded.

What hasn’t faded are her words. Quietly, they’ve embedded themselves into everyday thinking. Parents second-guess whether to put SPF on their children. Young women chase deeper tans, convinced that “natural” must be safer. Followers repeat the mantra that sunscreen is “toxic.”

That’s how misinformation works. The post disappears from Instagram stories, but its influence doesn’t. It sticks. It spreads. And it shapes culture long after the headlines are gone.

The Science She Dismissed

There is no such thing as “tolerance” to UV radiation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classifies UV radiation as a Group 1 carcinogen — the highest-risk category, alongside asbestos and tobacco (IARC, 2012).

One blistering sunburn in childhood can double the risk of melanoma (Cancer Research UK, 2024). Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, and around 9 in 10 cases are thought to be preventable (NHS, 2023).

A common defence I’ve seen in the comments is: “But she’s not letting her kids burn, they’re just getting a tan.” The reality is that tanning itself is not healthy — it is a visible marker of DNA damage in the skin. A tan happens because your body is trying to protect itself from further harm by producing more pigment.

There is a very fine line between tanning and burning, one that is often impossible to predict. What looks like a “healthy glow” today may be tomorrow’s sunburn, especially in children’s delicate skin. Both tanning and burning increase the long-term risk of skin cancer.

Sunscreen is one of the most effective prevention tools we have. Randomised controlled trials show that regular sunscreen use reduces melanoma incidence (Green et al., 2011, JCO), slows premature skin ageing (Hughes et al., 2013, Ann Intern Med), and helps prevent pigmentation.

And crucially, there is no credible evidence that sunscreen is toxic. A 2021 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology confirmed that available sunscreens are safe and effective for the general population (Wang et al., 2021, JAAD).

The Ripple Effect

Sam Faiers’ comments didn’t happen in isolation. They tapped into a wider culture where:

• TikTok trends encourage checking the UV index to time a tan.

• SPF is painted as harmful while “natural” damage is rebranded as wellness.

• People skip sunscreen but spend heavily on collagen supplements — even though UV exposure actively destroys collagen (Fisher et al., 2002, PNAS).

It’s a culture that rewards confidence over accuracy. And the ripple effects are real: people will stop applying SPF, skip it on their kids, waste money on unproven alternatives, and years down the line, some will find themselves in a skin cancer clinic.

The Backlash and the Trolls

When I challenged her comments and explained the science, the backlash was instant. Thousands cheered her on, mocking doctors as “brainwashed by marketing.” My inbox filled with messages calling me dangerous, corrupt, or laughably naïve.

The comments were misinformed. Some of them was cruel. None of it was based on evidence.

And here lies another consequence: when doctors speak up online, we’re not just fighting misinformation — we’re fighting trolling too. Medical school teaches us how to take a history and examine a patient, but it doesn’t teach us how to withstand coordinated abuse for saying something as simple as “sunscreen prevents cancer.”

It is exhausting. And it silences many.

The Bigger Issue

The real danger isn’t just one influencer’s comments. It’s the environment that allows those comments to flourish unchallenged, while professionals are shouted down.

Influencers often outperform doctors in reach, relatability, and sheer visibility. They shape behaviour at scale. And when doctors do step forward to challenge dangerous advice, the personal cost can be high — online abuse, reputational attacks, the erosion of confidence.

But silence comes at a cost too. If doctors retreat from these spaces, the vacuum will be filled by louder, less qualified voices. And misinformation will continue to masquerade as health advice.

Where We Go From Here

Doctors need more support in this space — from institutions, from regulators, and from the public. Social media has transformed health communication, and our systems haven’t caught up. Evidence-based medicine can’t only live in journals and clinics; it has to compete in the algorithm, where misinformation thrives.

For the public, the ask is simple:

• Question advice that contradicts medical consensus.

• Protect your children with sunscreen: they’ll thank you in years to come.

• Share science, not speculation.

Closing Reflection

Sam Faiers’ post will fade from memory, but the ideas it planted will keep spreading. That’s the ripple effect of confident misinformation.

Doctors aren’t trained to fight that. But we can’t afford to stay silent either. Speaking up is uncomfortable, and sometimes unpopular. But it’s also necessary.

Because this isn’t just about sunscreen. It’s about the culture we’re creating — and whether evidence or influence will guide our health decisions in the years ahead.

And it’s worth remembering one final truth: there is no safe way to tan from UV. Both tanning and burning are signs of skin damage. One looks prettier in the moment, but the biology is the same: your DNA has already been harmed.

References

• International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol 100D: Radiation. WHO, 2012.

• Cancer Research UK. “Sun, UV and Cancer.” 2024. Link

• NHS. “Causes – melanoma skin cancer.” 2023. Link

• Green AC et al. “Reduced melanoma after regular sunscreen use: randomized trial follow-up.” J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(3):257–63.

• Hughes MC et al. “Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial.” Ann Intern Med. 2013;158(11):781–90.

• Wang SQ et al. “Safety of sunscreens: a review of the evidence.” J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021;85(2):482–492.

• Fisher GJ et al. “Pathophysiology of premature skin aging induced by ultraviolet light.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2002;99(1):19–24.