John Cena Reveals Past Skin Cancer Diagnosis as He Teams with Neutrogena on a Sun Care Campaign (Exclusive)

John Cena is nothing if not authentic.

In the 23 years since he made his Smackdown debut in 2002, the actor and WWE superstar has built a legion fans — his Cenation — and an unmatched wrestling legacy thanks to his awe-inspiring talent, his super-positive attitude (the athlete, who lives by the mantra “Never Give Up,” holds the Guinness World Record for Longest Face of WWE before turning heel), his crowd-rousing entrance theme “The Time is Now” and his iconic “You Can’t See Me” hand gesture.

While the WWE legend’s sorry opponents might not in fact see Cena in the ring, Neutrogena did.

That’s why for the debut of its Ultra Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 70, a lightweight formula with an invisible finish, it called on Cena to partner. 

The move resulted in the ‘Sunscreen You Can’t See’ campaign starring the 16-Time World Champion (who’s known for being invisible) the new sunscreen (which doesn’t need to be seen to perform) and dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon Dr. Neera Nathan, who helps to underscore the importance of sun safety, as well as just how innovative the formula is.

However, Cena, who’s laugh-out-loud funny in the campaign, is also doing his part to reinforce how critical it is to use sun protection.

“I grew up in a small town next to Newburyport and Salisbury Beach. The Massholes call it the North Shore,” the Massachusetts native explains. “Some of my earliest memories of summer are of small carnivals and people walking the beachside.”

Cena also remembers not wearing sunscreen. “Never,” he says. “My mom [Carol] raised five boys and I'm pretty sure she just wanted to just keep us alive and healthy. She had her hands full for sure, so I certainly do not blame her. And me being born in '77, this was kind of all new knowledge.”

In his early twenties, Cena moved from New England to Florida where he “fell in love with the sun,” but admittedly “neglected” his skin. “I was stubborn. I didn't want to have a routine and I also thought the problem would never reach me. And it's one of those things where I had a ton of exposure with minimal protection and it caught up with me,” he reveals.

That neglect would have consequences, Cena tells PEOPLE. “It wasn't until I went to a dermatologist and got a skin checkup and had a cancerous spot removed from my right pec,” he shares of the startling moment when he first started wearing sunscreen.

After having the spot removed, the New York Times bestselling author remembers the ominous call: “You got to come back in.”

“I was very lucky to have a great dermatologist who kind of, I guess for lack of a better term, held me by the hand and let me know that I wasn't alone,” Cena continues. “The stats on this are overwhelming, but as much as I learn about them, those numbers don't mean anything. I think the best way to hammer home a point is human-to-human connection. And I as a human can tell you: Man, that phone call's not what you want to get because it is unpredictable and you don't know how bad it's going to be.”

Cena continued, “A year later I went back and had another spot removed close to my right shoulder. It shows up like a white polka dot on the side of my chest and on my shoulder. If you watch WWE, you'll be able to see them.”

Though the actor’s Twitter feed is full of uplifting quotes, when faced “with some uncomfortable stuff,” he says, “my mind always goes to the worst-case scenario.” 

With his dermatologist “coaching” him through this tough time, and armed with another mantra — ”How can we be better today than we were yesterday?" — the record-setting Make-a-Wish granter put self care and sun care first.

“I'm at a great space in my life where that's now important to me. And I'm so grateful to be able to dodge those two bullets, but I wear them as a reminder of, ‘Hey man, you need to take the extra few seconds to protect yourself every day,’” he shares.

Cena is also “grateful to be an advocate now,” he tells PEOPLE. 

“The crazy thing is that's not why Neutrogena came to me in the first place,” he says in reference to his skin cancer scare. “Neutrogena came to me because they developed this Ultra Sheer sunscreen that goes on easily and is invisible and they wanted somebody who the world knows as invisible.” Cena says.

“They were like, ‘Hey, would you mind leaning into the “You Can't See Me” joke?’ And I'm like, ‘Would I?!’ I'm already doing it anyway and the world kind of understands it. I'm in Budapest, and I walk the streets here and people put their hands in front of their face. So it's something that has global reach. And I really appreciate Neutrogena wanting to lean into it. The spots are very funny, and if you can make people laugh and send a message at the same time, that's great.”

It wasn't until about halfway through filming the campaign that Cena says he “was brave enough to share my story” with the team. Unbeknownst to them before this moment, for Cena it was important that the partnership have a deeper meaning. “I'm very fortunate to hopefully be a mouthpiece to get people to use sunscreen,” he says.

As for his approach to sunscreen, Cena says went from “neglect” to “mass protect.” After he got
“some unfortunate news” he “wanted the highest SPF number” that he could get hold of. “That stuff, it's great for you, but it [leaves] a very white cast. It's like you're wearing medicine.” He credits Neutrogena with helping him find the right formula. “The Ultra Sheer line has a lane for everyone,” he explains.

“When I'm home in the Florida sun, I will apply Ultra Sheer lotion in the morning, and then I will have Ultra Sheer spray close by because I like the convenience and the reapplication process.” Once he’s covered, “I know that I'm not putting myself in jeopardy. And other people don't know that I'm wearing sunscreen, which is a bonus,” he adds of the elevated experience.

Cena has some sage advice when it comes to wearing SPF: “I would say just get out of your own way.” 

“If you're out there and you brush your teeth, at a young age you learned that going to the dentist when your teeth are in bad shape is bad because it's painful. The same thing will happen if you don't take care of your skin, and it's actually easier than brushing your teeth. Because it's not something you should exercise to just make you look more beautiful. It's something you should exercise to allow you to be who you are for a longer period of time. We all love to get out there on a sunny day and enjoy what the world has to offer. Gosh, just take that one extra step and brush your teeth and put on some Neutrogena Ultra Sheer, and you'll be able to get a lot more days of doing that.”

The star, who's winding down his wrestling career, reflects on his campaign being seen in a different arena. 

“Never once did I picture myself as the go-to person for a skincare campaign,” he says. “And just because I love what I do and have passion for what I do, and I'm so grateful to have the backing of such a dedicated audience for so long, a very unlikely spokesperson has been able to be a spokesperson for a skincare campaign. You never know who you're going to reach, right?”

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