Sunscreen for Skin of Color
Do I need sunscreen as a person of color?
My colleague, Dr. Adewole Adamson, has written on the topic of sunscreen in skin of color, especially dark skin. He argues that persons with dark skin have frequently been left out of clinical studies. He says: “There exists no study that demonstrates sunscreen reduces skin cancer risk in black people. Period.”
Can sunscreen still be helpful?
Preventing skin cancer is only one reason to wear sunscreen. Sunscreen can help prevent sunburns and also protects against aging (wrinkles) and damage from visible light (hyperpigmentation or dark spots on the skin). Our bodies produce natural sun protection, called melanin, and the darker your skin, the more melanin your body naturally produces. This video shows how amazing natural melanin is:
I want to wear sunscreen, what do you recommend?
My sunscreen preference is a physical blocker (also called mineral blocker). Read more here. These are either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (just remember zinc or titanium when looking for these as active ingredients). But, physical blockers often leave a white film that is harder to rub into the skin. For this reason, I like zinc spray sunscreen (also by Sun Bum). It rubs in much better than zinc lotions.
I also really like this alcohol-based gel sunscreen by Solbar. It goes on like hand sanitizer and dries clear within seconds without a film.
Another great option that blends in well is Black Girl Sunscreen.
Finally, most companies now have a great daily facial moisturizer with sunscreen in it. They make it so that it feels and goes on more like a moisturizer than a sunscreen. My favorite is Aveeno. When we’re feeling fancy, we splurge for Elta MD.
European Sunscreens:
Sadly, Europe is far ahead of the US in developing new sunscreens. Europe classifies sunscreen ingredients as cosmetics, and the US classifies them as medications. So, the newest sunscreen ingredient was approved in the US nearly 20 years ago.
Two key sunscreen ingredients (TRIAZINE and TRIAZONE) are in nearly all European sunscreens because they 1) rub into the skin much easier, 2) do not leave a film, and 3) last longer without needing to reapply. I recently bought several sunscreens in Amsterdam – all of them (even the $2 store brand) are nicer and work better than any sunscreen I have tried in the US. I have not found an affordable way to get European sunscreens to the US (high shipping costs). If you have any friends, family, or neighbors going to Europe, give them $30 or so and ask them to pick you up a couple of sunscreen bottles from a local drugstore or the airport. My favorite has been La Roche-Posay Anthelios Milk SPF 50+ Eco Tube, but make sure it has TRIAZINE and TRIAZONE in the ingredient list.
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