By Mo SHEHU
What kills African beauty brands isn’t just competition. It is false claims.
In March 2025, a viral TikTok video in Zimbabwe claimed that sunscreen disrupts hormone balance. The creator didn’t cite any studies or science, but it blew up anyway.
Dermatologists publicly debunked the claim, noting that widely used sunscreen ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are safe and well-studied. Still, the false narrative spread faster than the corrections.
This isn’t unusual, nor is it limited to Africa. In the West, anti-sunscreen influencers have gone mainstream. Many promote sun exposure as “ancestral” and call sunscreen toxic, despite having no medical background. These posts often go viral, even though there’s no credible evidence behind them.
In the UK, over 17,500 melanoma cases are diagnosed each year, and most (86%) are preventable. Yet, 13% of UK adults say sunscreen isn’t important. Misinformation spreads fast when trust is low and guidance is unclear.
Across Africa, the beauty and wellness industry is booming, but so is misinformation. According to DataReportal, TikTok is the second most-used social media app in Africa, reaching 189 million users, or 11.9% of its global audience. Facebook leads the pack with over 291 million users on the continent.
These platforms reward content that feels urgent, emotional, and simple. That makes them perfect for spreading half-truths and health scares, especially in categories where people are still forming...
On social media platform X, a claim is going viral. An account named ‘TacticalTribun’ posted the viral claim on 1 August 2025. The user claimed “Khalistani sources say Sukhi chahal, an Indian RAW ...