The gap between understanding and action is where melanoma finds its opening.
Most Americans understand that the sun can harm them, yet fewer than one in three take daily steps to prevent that harm — a gap between knowing and doing that melanoma quietly exploits. A national survey by the Melanoma Research Alliance finds that fear of sunscreen chemicals, often stoked by social media, and persistent myths about darker skin tones not needing protection are eroding the defenses people already know they should have. With melanoma cases projected to climb more than ten percent in 2026, the distance between awareness and action is no longer merely a personal oversight — it is a public health reckoning.
- Melanoma accumulates silently during ordinary moments — a commute, a walk, a drive — yet only 38% of Americans use sunscreen during the everyday activities where that damage quietly compounds.
- Nearly 60% of respondents fear sunscreen chemicals are dangerous, a worry amplified by social media that persists despite the FDA regulating these products with the same rigor applied to over-the-counter drugs.
- One in three Black Americans incorrectly believes darker skin needs no sun protection — a misconception that is especially dangerous because melanoma in darker-skinned individuals is often caught later, when outcomes are worse.
- Melanoma cases are projected to rise more than 10% in 2026, and experts warn that education alone will not reverse the trend without a genuine shift in daily habit.
- The Melanoma Research Alliance is urging broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day of the year, paired with regular self-monitoring of moles and spots — small, consistent acts that early detection depends on.
Melanoma doesn't wait for summer. It accumulates during commutes, errands, and ordinary afternoons — and a new national survey suggests most Americans have little sense of this. The Melanoma Research Alliance polled 2,000 adults and found that while eight in ten understood sun exposure raises melanoma risk, fewer than one in three practice sun safety daily. Only 38 percent use sunscreen during routine activities, the very moments when cumulative damage quietly builds.
Misinformation is widening the gap between knowledge and action. Nearly 60 percent of respondents worried that sunscreen chemicals might be harmful — fears frequently seeded by social media — even though the FDA regulates sunscreens as over-the-counter drugs, meaning anything sold at a pharmacy has already been vetted. Alliance leader Marc Hurlbert was direct: the products on store shelves are safe and effective, and the anxiety surrounding them is costing people real protection.
Racial disparities add another layer of risk. A third of Black respondents believed darker skin tones don't require sunscreen — a dangerous misconception, since melanoma can affect anyone regardless of complexion and is often diagnosed at a later, more serious stage in darker-skinned individuals.
The stakes are rising. Melanoma cases are projected to increase by more than ten percent in 2026. Experts recommend daily broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, applied year-round, alongside regular self-monitoring of moles and spots for any changes. The survey's deeper finding is that information, on its own, is not enough — what's needed is the kind of quiet, consistent habit that turns what people already know into something that might actually save their lives.
Melanoma doesn't announce itself. It doesn't wait for beach season or a deliberate choice to sit in the sun. It arrives during the commute to work, during a walk around the block, through a car window on an ordinary Tuesday. Most Americans have no idea this is happening.
A survey by the Melanoma Research Alliance reveals a troubling gap between what people know and what they actually do. Eight in ten respondents understood that sun exposure damages skin and raises melanoma risk. Yet fewer than one in three practice sun safety on a daily basis. The numbers get worse when you look at specific behaviors. Only half of Americans say they regularly wear sunscreen when they go outside. Just 38 percent use it during everyday activities—the very moments when cumulative damage occurs. Most people don't grasp that short bursts of sun exposure, accumulated over time, carry real danger.
Marc Hurlbert, who leads the alliance, put it plainly: the knowledge exists, but the protection doesn't follow. "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," he said. The gap between understanding and action is where melanoma finds its opening.
Misconceptions about sunscreen itself are part of the problem. Nearly 60 percent of survey respondents worried that sunscreen chemicals might be harmful—anxieties often seeded by claims circulating on social media. These fears persist despite regulatory oversight. The FDA treats sunscreens the same way it treats over-the-counter drugs, meaning anything sold at a grocery store or pharmacy has been vetted for safety and effectiveness. Hurlbert emphasized this point: "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 is safe and effective."
Racial disparities in sun safety knowledge compound the risk. Among Black respondents, 33 percent believed that people with darker skin tones don't need sunscreen. This misconception is dangerous. Melanoma doesn't discriminate by skin tone. Anyone can develop it, though it is often diagnosed later in darker-skinned individuals, which can affect outcomes.
The timing of this survey carries weight. In 2026 alone, melanoma cases are projected to rise by more than 10 percent. That increase will happen unless prevention practices shift. Hurlbert's recommendation is straightforward: broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, applied every day of the year. Beyond sunscreen, he urged people to know their skin—to catalog their freckles, moles, and spots, and to notice if any of them change over time. Early detection matters enormously with melanoma.
The survey included 2,000 adults in a nationally representative sample, conducted online from late March through early April, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. The findings suggest that education alone isn't enough. Americans need not just information but a shift in habit—the kind of daily practice that turns knowledge into protection.
Notable Quotes
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.— Marc Hurlbert, CEO of the Melanoma Research Alliance
The FDA regulates sunscreens just like they do over-the-counter drugs, and so anything you can buy at your grocery store or pharmacy is safe and effective.— Marc Hurlbert, CEO of the Melanoma Research Alliance
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does the survey focus so much on the gap between knowing and doing? Isn't that just human nature?
It is, but the stakes here are different. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. The gap isn't just laziness—it's a gap that costs lives. When 80% know the risk but only 30% act on it daily, that's not a minor behavioral quirk.
The social media angle interests me. How much of the sunscreen hesitation is actually justified versus manufactured fear?
The FDA has already done the work. Sunscreens sold over the counter are regulated like drugs. The fear is real to people, but it's not grounded in evidence. Social media amplifies uncertainty, and uncertainty stops people from protecting themselves.
What surprised you most in the data?
The 38% figure for everyday activities. People understand the beach is dangerous. But they don't connect the dots between a car ride, a walk, sitting by a window—and melanoma. That's where the real vulnerability is.
The racial disparity—33% of Black respondents thinking darker skin doesn't need sunscreen—how does that fit into the larger picture?
It's a specific failure of messaging. Melanoma doesn't care about skin tone. But if a third of Black Americans believe they're protected by their own skin, they won't use sunscreen. And when melanoma does develop, it's often caught later, which changes everything.
What would actually move the needle on this?
Daily habit, not just annual reminders. The recommendation is broad-spectrum SPF 30 every single day. Not sometimes. Not at the beach. Every day. And knowing your skin well enough to notice when something changes.