When it comes to sun protection, are we just screaming into the void?
From government campaigns to influencer advocacy, the current approach doesn't appear to be resonating with young people. What will?
We’re going on two years since the incredible Natalie Fornasier left this earth after a long battle with melanoma. She shared her story with strength and generosity in the hope that we would all get regular skin checks and wear our sunscreen, so this newsletter is dedicated to her. Thank you for everything, Nat.
I was doing some work for a beauty brand a few years ago in Melbourne. Called in to their office for a few meetings, I instinctively found myself yapping about skincare with a bunch of young female staffers in the office kitchen. When I queried one about which sunscreen she wore, she replied, very matter-of-factly, “Oh, I don’t wear sunscreen.”
The shock practically leached from my pores at what I perceived to be a truly scandalous admission. “But you work in beauty, so… you know that serum that you just asked me about… the one that helps to fade hyperpigmentation… you know that that product won’t work if you’re not wearing sunscreen?” I asked. She offered a shrug in response.
I pressed her further, hoping to appeal to the one quality to which most of us succumb – vanity (duh). “Because like… you know it really won’t work, like the sun damage you’ll be exposing your skin to will likely invite further pigmentation, which means the serum is pretty pointless? So…yeah like essentially you’re just pouring those serums down the drain… and they’re expensive! Or there’s the possible cancer, you know. So...”
A vacant blink, followed by a simple “I just don’t like wearing it” was all I got in reply. I glanced around hopefully at the other young women on the team – who just minutes earlier had also been pumping me for recommendations on the best retinol. “But you guys… yeah, you guys all wear it right?” All of them shook their head – no.
“Well, not everyday,” placated one. “At the beach I usually will,” offered another. A couple of them looked sheepish, but the majority remained unperturbed by my reaction. One even laughed and nodded towards the brunette closest to me. “She spends her whole weekends tanning!” The brunette rolled her eyes skyward. “Obviously, I still wear sunscreen when I’m sun baking – my accelerator has SPF in it.”
Sun baking? Accelerators?! Jesus. I was horrified. These women worked in cosmetics. Didn’t everyone my age know better? Know that sunscreen was really the only beauty product that mattered? Seen all those ‘this is your skin cells in trauma’ ads on TV? They had, of course. It just hadn’t really resonated, clearly. If these women, who seemingly scrolled the same social media timeline as I did, weren’t wearing sunscreen… was I just kidding myself that everyone else was? Apparently so.
To borrow a hackneyed phrase, I was reminded of the limitations that come with living in a bubble, surrounded by those with similar views and experiences to mine. At the time, my feed was full of influencers spruiking proper sun protection (the TGA had yet to adjust its legislation on the matter). There were highly covetable, next-gen sunscreen brands flooding the market with formulas that rejected all the connotations of old-school SPF; that it was thick, greasy, gross, that it stung the eyes, or that it was clinical and boring.
My friend Lisa Patulny (a fellow beauty editor and very clever woman) had also started the Call Time On Melanoma initiative in tribute to her friend Natalie Fornasier. Nat was battling with Stage III metastatic melanoma, having been diagnosed at only 20 upon the discovery of a mole on her toe. Thanks to Lisa’s dedication and Nat’s incredible generosity, the campaign went relatively viral on Australian Instagram. Together, their plea for sun safety and educational efforts reached hundreds of thousands of people.
Metrics aside, I would consider Call Time On Melanoma to be the most successful campaign of its kind for my generation. I observed conversations IRL and online between people far outside my own sphere, consciously investing in the first sunscreen that they’d ever wear daily. From what I could ascertain, it was because there were real people behind this message (relatable, inspirational) and it had been packaged for the platforms they were already on (authentic, accessible). It was organic, it didn’t feel contrived and it was intra-generational, with an intuitive understanding of the audience’s collective reality.
There hasn’t been anything like it since, despite the national health body’s best intentions. Its latest campaign, in partnership with the Cancer Council Australia, is called End The Trend. It’s very tellingly targeted at gen Z (side note: why do all generational elders reference the same innocuous codes for this specific cohort? We have the full Bingo card here with bucket hats, hashtags, a stutter house soundtrack and graphic coloured eyeliner) but it’s a noble, important premise.
The problem with this campaign – which cost $7.3 million and expanded across platforms with 50 content creators, as well as fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands and music festival Laneway, according to the ABC – is that it feels a little disparate from its intended audience. Gen Z has grown up overly conscious of inauthentic advertising narratives, and while they largely trust influencers they’re also very sceptical of ads. And this campaign, despite its genuine intentions, doesn’t feel like it hits the mark. Unfortunately, there’s nothing less cool than the government trying to tell you what’s cool – even if your fave creator co-signs with a sponsored Reel.
End The Trend also appeared to target the youth of major cities. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, between November 2023 and February 2024, Australians were less likely to use sunscreen on most days in the last month if they were:
born in Australia
living in Outer Regional and Remote Australia
unemployed
living in areas of most disadvantage
It occurred to me that perhaps sun safety discourse of this nature is largely taking place in an echo chamber. The young women I worked with in that Melbourne office were from very different socioeconomic backgrounds, both to me and to each other. If we’re being honest, sun safety content often comes with a distinctly urban lean that assumes a level of disposable income and access. A cultural disconnect might mean that certain messaging feels patronising and out of touch with the tough realities that many are facing.
Look, I’m not trying to beat up on the efforts of national organisations. After all, what are they supposed to do? Tanning culture is all over TikTok, as reported by the Herald Sun recently. The publication noted that the hashtag ‘sunburnt tan lines’ has more than 200 million views and that gen Z are ‘sunburning tan lines into their chests as part of a trend’. In a country that has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, this is not just a problem – it’s a public health crisis. Two in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime, and one person dies from the disease every 6 hours.
Mark Nevin, the CEO of Cancer Council Australia, told News.com.au that End The Trend had a positive impact, but anecdotally, I haven’t found anyone outside of my bubble who clocked it. Everyone is doing their best, but let’s be so for real right now – as it stands, the current approach doesn’t appear to be enough. Per recent research from the Department of Health, ‘74 per cent of young Australians did not think they were at risk of skin cancer… Almost 1 in 3 young Australians believe it’s fine to suntan at their age and fewer than 1 in 10 are consistently using all five forms of sun protection’.
So yeah, considering all that – what else can we do? I don’t really know the answer, but I do have a few thoughts as a ‘yes, and’ to what’s currently out there. Social media platforms banning dangerous tanning content in its entirety would be a wonderful start. The TGA lifting restrictions on first-person testimonials about sunscreen would be another. I’d also love to see less sun safety ads informed by focus groups and creative agencies, and more collaborative content created by and for the target demographic, designed specifically for the platforms that are native to them.
Sun safety has always had a bit of a PR problem, as it holds strangely paternalistic and authoritative associations for many (a parent forcibly applying a greasy lotion to your skin at the beach, school teachers enforcing ‘no hat, no play’, government campaigns that feel like finger-wagging). Just as with political discourse, aggressive messaging about sun protection often backfires, as people tend to retreat further into their existing positions when they feel judged or shamed.
To continue an analogy of political devision, we’ve also recently learned another very painful lesson: when it comes to our decisions, influencers and celebrities sharing their opinions doesn’t do a whole lot to move the needle, especially for a vast majority that don’t connect with their position. That doesn’t mean that those with a public profile shouldn’t speak up about sun safety or share their sun protection practices (please please please do); we just need to be conscious that such content definitely isn’t effective enough to be branded a solution.
A couple of years back, there was also a persistently snarky tone around sunscreen on social media. If you didn’t wear it, you were swiftly judged and branded as ‘dumb’ – but I don’t think such a condescending air is actually helpful or necessary. Normalising safe sun practices requires open arms, not alienation, and certain discourse can come off as patronising. It takes the audience right back to their days as a petulant child, refusing to put on that broad-brimmed hat. Think about it: no matter how hard mum tried, did it ever make you want to wear it?
When sun protection is delivered as a reprimand, it becomes something to reject rather than embrace, which is the opposite of what we want. So on a personal level, be gracious to your sister-in-law who hasn’t liked the sunscreens she’s tried in the past – it only takes one good formula for it to be worn forever, and ‘calling her out’ about it doesn’t get anyone anywhere. On social media, Australia’s regulatory body has made it tougher to talk about sunscreen, but they don’t monitor your DMs (peer-to-peer recommendations are often more powerful anyway, particularly for gen Z).
I guess day-to-day, it’s about setting an example in a way that feels a little less preachy. Offer, don’t lecture. Request the shady side of the park at the next family gathering, or take your own umbrella (please, I draw the line at a Cool Cabana). When you’re talking about your skincare routine, include the sunscreen that you’re using and explain why you love it. I know it sounds like I’m instructing the recruiters of an MLM on nefarious manipulation tactics, but honestly? If more of my loved ones wear sunscreen as a result, I’ll take it.
I’d also suggest supporting SPF brands that invest in innovation where you can, as they’re the ones who are continually converting the non-believers with original formulas that push the entire category forward. And save your scolding and shaming for the people and brands glorifying tanning or spreading misinformation (I certainly have).
On that note! Here are a bunch of sunscreen recommendations. If you ever want more, please do drop a comment here or in The Vanity subscriber chat and I’ll come back ASAP.
Good gets: SPF
Ultra Violette Future Fluid SPF 50+ Superlight Mineral SKINSCREEN™
Disclaimer: I work with the UV team, but I can say with absolute certainty that this is the lightest (and best!) SPF 50 mineral sunscreen I’ve ever tried. The fluid texture is so hydrating yet doesn’t feel heavy (often insurmountable for a zinc sunscreen) and it gives a soft, natural finish with no white cast. If you’ve tried the Summer Fridays Shade Drops SPF30, this formula has a similar texture with preferable levels of protection. If you like, I’ve also got a 15% discount code for you that’s valid on the entire Ultra Violette range – KATE15.
Cancer Council Face Day Wear Moisturiser Matte SPF 50+ Invisible
Cheap, cheerful and effective, this is a great budget sunscreen that mattifies the skin, making it ideal for oily skin types. It’s no-frills, but it’s very functional with SPF50+ protection and hydrating and soothing ingredients like Vitamin E and Aloe Vera.
Emma Lewisham Sunceutical SPF 50 Mineral Face Crème
Another new mineral sunscreen that I have really loved using over the past month or so. I’ve clearly been on a bit of an Emma Lewisham tear lately, and this cream formula is hydrating, soothing and gives the skin a soft glow without making it look oily. If your skin is on the drier side, you’ll really love it. It is a little heavier than I would normally select for my acne-prone skin, but crucially, it hasn’t broken me out and there’s no white cast.
Bondi Sands Sunny Daze Hydrating SPF 50+ Face Fluid Drops
Bondi Sands’ skincare range is so underrated IMO, particularly if you’re conscious of cost. This chemical sunscreen feels so nice and soft on the skin, which is likely due to the Vitamin E, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Fruit Extract and Aloe Vera. I recommend this one for dry skin types in particular, but I also find it suitable for my skin. It’s lighter than a lotion, but denser than a fluid.
Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+
My favourite budget sunscreen for the body, I first discovered this formula back in 2017 and I’ve repurchased it many times. It’s super silky on the skin – enough that you could ditch your regular body lotion, if you’re not too dry – and best of all, it doesn’t leave your limbs feeling all sticky. I used to catch a really, really old train through Sydney’s City Circle line with sweltering leather seats, and this passed the ‘no slip and slide’ test in high summer.
Go-To Skincare Nifty Fifty Mineral
I recommended this one to a friend recently during Go-To’s free SPF promo, as it has a cushy cream texture with a lovely natural finish. I tried the Nifty Fifty Fluid in tandem to this formula, which I didn’t love for my combination skin (too shiny! Better suited to dry types, I say) but this one is excellent.