By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Melanoma — the most serious form of skin cancer — doesn’t just happen at the beach or in a tanning booth.
It happens on the drive to work, while walking the dog or sitting by a window.
And most Americans don’t realize it.
A new survey from the Melanoma Research Alliance finds widespread confusion about sunscreen and daily sun exposure.
“We found that 80% of people knew that sun causes damage to the skin and increases your risk for melanoma and skin cancer, but less than a third of people practice sun safety every day,” said Marc Hurlbert, CEO of the alliance.
The upshot? Protection is inconsistent.
Only half say they regularly wear sunscreen outdoors. Just 38% use it during everyday activities. And a majority don’t realize that even short periods of sun exposure can add up to danger.
“So, we encourage people to practice sun safety every day of the year,” Hurlbert said.
The survey also found nearly 60% of people worry sunscreen chemicals may be harmful — fears often driven by social media claims.
“The [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] regulates sunscreens just like they do over-the-counter drugs, and so anything you can buy at your grocery store or pharmacy are safe and effective,” Hurlbert said.
In all, 33% of Black respondents think people with darker skin tones don’t need sunscreen, even though anyone can develop melanoma.
In 2026 alone, melanoma cases are projected to increase by more than 10%.
Protection is key to prevention.
“We recommend broad spectrum sunscreens that protect from UVA and UVB damage and SPF 30 or higher,” Hurlbert said
Knowing your body is key. Know what freckles, moles and spots you have. And know if they’re changing over time.
The survey, which included a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults, was conducted online March 27 to April 1. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
FDA Approves First New Sunscreen Ingredient in Two Decades
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved bemotrizinol (BEMT) for use in over-the-counter sunscreen products.
Bemotrizinol is a chemical filter that absorbs both UVA and UVB radiation, the two primary types of ultraviolet rays that cause skin damage and increase cancer risk.
It’s the first new sunscreen ingredient approved in the U.S. since the 1990s. It has been used safely overseas for decades.
Manufacturers will be permitted to start including bemotrizinol in their formulas beginning Aug. 9.
It is expected to debut in the U.S. market exclusively under the brand name Parsol Shield this summer, according to newspaper reports. After 18 months, other manufacturers may market products with the new ingredient.
The FDA’s final order states that the new sunscreens containing bemotrizinol may come in the form of oils, lotions, creams, gels, butters, pastes, ointments, sticks or sprays (if certain spray-specific requirements are met).
Unlike many chemical sunscreen filters on shelves today, bemotrizinol is highly photostable, meaning it breaks down much more slowly when exposed to intense sunlight. That means protection may last longer.
BEMT is also less likely to be absorbed into the body. While some older chemical filters used in U.S. sunscreen have been found to enter the bloodstream at levels that concerned regulators, BEMT stays mostly on the skin surface, according to USA Today.
Because it is unlikely to cause irritation, the FDA has cleared it for use on children as young as 6 months old.
“Bemotrizinol would be the first chemical UV filter recommended to be used on infants due to minimal skin irritation,” Nisha Varadarajan, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, told USA Today.
Health experts hailed the approval as a vital tool in the ongoing effort to reduce preventable skin cancers.