Contrary to popular belief, darker complexions need daily sun protection just as much as their fairer counterparts. No matter your skin tone, sunscreen should be used every day regardless of the weather. With that being said, as important as sunscreen is, they’re not all created equal.
A lot of options available tend to feel heavy, oily and greasy on the skin. Not to mention the chalky finish it leaves. On Black and brown people, especially, they can look really chalky. But there’s hope for us yet. Here are a few great products that leave us feeling protected without the mess.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40
This clear sunscreen is great if you have oily skin. The antioxidant-rich formula applies smoothly on the skin and has a matte finish that sits well underneath makeup.
It dries to a matte finish within a few seconds and has a very faint herbal-citrusy scent. Those who usually hate sunscreen would be hard-pressed to find something to complain about with this formula.
It defies every negative SPF cliché you’ve ever heard: It’s lightweight, non-greasy, and completely sheer—even on dark complexions. And the scent is totally devoid of the obnoxious fruity scent that usually wreaks of coconuts, bananas, and every other tropical-cocktail flavor generally associated with sunblock.
The only drawback: It’s pretty runny (expect the product to run out as soon as the tube is open!).
It’s so great, you can actually look forward to applying it from head to toe every day, which is how sunscreen should be used, anyway.
RELATED: Black Folks Need Sunscreen Too: 5 Sunscreens for Your Skin Type
Black Girl Sunscreen
Aside from foundation, sunscreen ranks pretty high up on the list of things that Black women are always struggling to find.
It either adds a gray cast to the skin, making our face look like it’s covered in chalk, or is filled with