Me: Hey, V, do you use sunscreen?
Her: No
Me: WHYYYYYYYYY NOT!
If you’re reading this and you’re not incorporating sunscreen into your daily skin care routine, stop everything you’re doing and pay attention, please! There is a common misconception that us melanated folks don’t need sunscreen and that repeated misconception is not only untrue, but very dangerous.
While the natural pigment, melanin, found abundandly in darker skin does protect against the dangerous rays of the sun, it does not completely block all of the harmful UVA & UVB rays. Darker skin tones, like all skin types, can still develop skin cancer, can burn, can wrinkle and can severely dry out and become damaged due to sun exposure.
So, what next? You never knew you needed sunscreen, and now you need some help on choosing the correct one. The first thing you should know is that you need to invest in sunscreen that protects the skin from both UVA & UVB rays, this is known as “broad-spectrum” sunscreen. You should ensure that your sunscreen’s sun protection factor (SPF) is 30 or higher and is waterproof. Remember, sunscreen isn’t for selective days like beach days and sunny days, it is to be used every single day. Sunscreen should always be the final step in your skin care routine.
Truthfully, there was a time when I never knew I needed to wear sunscreen, until I went to my aesthetician in my early 20’s and she preached on how important it was. I always thought that sunscreen was filmy and left a terrible white residue on my face. But, through trial and error, I found products that worked for me and so can you!
Are you of the darker hue not wearing sunscreen? Let me know why not in the comments!
