--- title: SPF 30 Sunscreen May Cut Cancer Risk by 80% description: The latest research shows that when SPF 30 sunscreen was applied prior to UVB exposure, it significantly reduced the risk of melanoma. canonical: https://time.com/4297623/spf-sunscreen-melanoma-cancer-risk/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-18T15:31:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:50.102Z article:section: Health og:title: SPF 30 Sunscreen May Cut Cancer Risk by 80% og:description: It significantly reduces the risk of melanoma og:url: https://time.com/4297623/spf-sunscreen-melanoma-cancer-risk/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: SPF 30 Sunscreen May Cut Cancer Risk by 80% twitter:description: It significantly reduces the risk of melanoma twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # SPF 30 Sunscreen May Cut Cancer Risk by 80% > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=de193fdd-f1f9-4eb4-aa74-1105ff728814&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Know Right Now: Melanoma Rates Have Doubled in 30 Years [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: Melanoma Rates Have Doubled in 30 Years](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Jrs2Lzbh.m3u8) (1:01)  _Published 2015-06-03. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has been on the rise in the past 30 years. Watch Know Right Now to find out more._  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Apr 18, 2016 3:31 PM UTC  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Apr 18, 2016 3:31 PM UTC If you aren’t a regular[ sunscreen](http://time.com/4082272/coral-reefs-sunscreen-oxybenzone/) user, you may want to think twice and lather up when you go outside this summer; a new study found that [applying sunscreen](http://time.com/3715036/sunscreens-after-dark/) drastically [reduces the risk of skin cancer](http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/04/18/wearing-spf30-sunscreen-has-strong-ability-to-prevent-deadliest-skin-cancer-study-finds.html). The latest [research out of Ohio State University](http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/4/12/1418.abstract), which was done on mice, showed that when SPF 30 sunscreen was applied prior to UVB exposure, it significantly reduced the risk of melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer. “We have developed a mouse model that allows us to test the ability of a sunscreen to not only prevent burns but also to prevent melanoma…. We hope that this model will lead to breakthroughs in melanoma prevention,” Christin Burd, assistant professor of molecular genetics at Ohio State University, said in a statement. The study tested multiple different SPF 30 sunscreens, and found that they all delayed the onset of melanoma and reduced the incidence of tumors. The study had some limitations. Besides the fact that it was done on animals, it also looked only at a short but intense dose of UVB rays—UV rays across the spectrum can contribute to cancer risk, and the average person is not exposed to that much UVB in one sitting. The lead researcher says that she is currently seeking funding to conduct more studies to explore additional scenarios. The research was presented Sunday at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2016. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4297623/spf-sunscreen-melanoma-cancer-risk/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4297623/spf-sunscreen-melanoma-cancer-risk/"},"headline":"SPF 30 Sunscreen May Cut Cancer Risk by 80%","datePublished":"2016-04-18T15:31:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:55:50.102Z","description":"It significantly reduces the risk of melanoma","url":"https://time.com/4297623/spf-sunscreen-melanoma-cancer-risk/","keywords":["Cancer","Disease","sunscreen","melanoma"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/cancer/","name":"Cancer"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4297623/spf-sunscreen-melanoma-cancer-risk/","name":"SPF 30 Sunscreen May Cut Cancer Risk by 80%"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: Melanoma Rates Have Doubled in 30 Years","description":"Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has been on the rise in the past 30 years. 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