I was really reluctant to get TikTok. To my 29-year-old eyes, I already had enough social network platforms: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Nike Run Club. It wasn’t till I was repeatedly sent dance tutorials from the app during the pandemic that I began to reconsider. Now, I have an account and partake in the weird, but fun dance crazes.

For the most part, that is the jist of my life on TikTok. But every now and then, I’ll see a TikTok star post a video about a trend, that is either too intriguing or outlandish to look away. Enter: the TikTok sunscreen contouring trend.

The ridiculous trend shows users (men and women) applying sunscreen only on parts of the face they want to brighten. After sitting in the sun, they hope to achieve a contoured look via sun lines, where they avoided the sunscreen. Not only does this not work but it could be extremely damaging.

It’s important to note that direct contact with UV rays is the leading cause of premature aging and some skin cancers. Aka, this trend is really not your best move. On another note, tans are not actually good for you. Although it might give you a golden glow, a tan is really a defense mechanism that aids in the damaging of your skin.

Instead of getting after the latest TikTok hype, apply sunscreen all over the face and body – under your mask and while indoors. For your face, you can use a quarter-size dollop and rub sunscreen all over till you get to the hairline. Reapply every two hours or after sweating or swimming.

In case it wasn’t clear: the sun does not discriminate. Any area of your skin that is exposed if up for grabs. We recommend applying sunscreen properly and liberally. Just please, leave the contouring out of this.

And if you’re on the hunt for sunscreen, we laid out plenty of options for you and broke down the best sunscreen for your skin type.