Growing up, I was always faced with ignorant comments like "you don't need sunscreen, Black people don't burn or tan." I can personally attest from past experience that both of those statements are highly false. I have had sunburn before, and I can also easily catch a lovely tan. Of course, because I have more melanin, it takes a lot more for me to burn than my fairer skinned friends and family. Nevertheless, I can burn baby. Additionally, anyone who has skin, regardless of how much melanin is present, can be subject to early aging (dark spots, wrinkles) and skin cancer, which can also come from omitting sunscreen.
In my personal experience, one reason why I feel a lot of Black people don't wear sunscreen is because, historically, sunscreen hasn't been made with us in mind. What do I mean by that? Streaking. No, not running around naked, but those unsightly white marks that stay on skin after applying sunscreen. It can happen to anyone, really, but the darker your skin is, the more noticeable it is. I'm not going to lie. I feel it's unsightly and, in the past, I've certainly ditched sunscreen to avoid looking like Casper (which is how I ended up with sunburn). In an effort to protect my skin, I have very specific sunscreens that I reach for and I'm sharing with you all to encourage you to do the same. I must note that none of these are sponsored. These are just my 6 personal favorites based on what I've tried over the years.
Comentarios