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By now we all probably know that sun protection is essential to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. But we also know that not every sunscreen is suitable for dark skin tones. Just because you have darker skin doesn’t mean you have to deal with sunscreens that leave white marks behind, all for the sake of skin health. Luckily, there are many sunscreens that provide complete sun protection without the white cast. To find out the best sunscreen for dark skin and answer all your burning SPF questions, we spoke to a dermatologist. Dr. Karin GrossmanCelebrity clients include Gwyneth Paltrow, Linda Evangelista and Molly Sims.
Do people with darker skin tones need to regularly apply sunscreen?
“All people, regardless of skin tone, should wear sunscreen daily,” Dr. Grossman urges. “People with darker skin tones often feel they don’t need protection because they are less susceptible to sunburn than, say, very fair-skinned redheads. However, people with darker skin tones can still get burned, and they often get burned. tanning, which is also a sign of sun damage.”
But it goes even deeper. “In addition to protecting against burns and sunburn, SPF is also very important for protecting the skin from pigmentation problems, which are more common in people with darker skin tones,” says Dr. Grossman.
Why do some sunscreens leave behind a white cast, especially on medium to dark skin tones?
“There are two main categories of SPF “active ingredients.” There are physical blocks, like zinc and titanium, and chemical blocks, which are essentially everything else,” Dr. Grossman tells us. Essentially, physical sunscreens (also called mineral sunscreens) physically block UV rays, while chemical sunscreens prevent sun damage, well, chemically.
“Some SPFs may leave a white cast on the skin if they contain zinc or titanium as active ingredients,” says Dr. Grossman. So if you have dark skin, one way to avoid white spots is to use chemical sunscreens.
Which sunscreen is best for dark skin?
According to Dr. Grossman, you have several options. “The best option is to use a tinted physical sunscreen. In this case, pigment is added to the physical sunscreen to give it tint. This reduces the white/gray cast that can be seen on darker skin types,” she says. “[Tinted] sunscreen is created by adding iron oxide to the formula. This is a very important ingredient for people who are trying to combat pigmentation or melasma. Iron oxides help block visible light, which also promotes pigmentation. For patients who want to improve pigmentation, it is best to use an iron oxide sunscreen.” If you’re going to choose a physical sunscreen, tinted or otherwise, “Whichever option you choose, always look at the ingredient list on the product packaging to check the active ingredients.”
Second, “The second option is to use a mixture of physical and chemical sunscreens, which reduces the grey/white cast by reducing the amount of physical sunscreen on the skin,” advises Dr. Grossman.
Whatever sunscreen you choose, you can guarantee that these dermatologist-approved products will provide sun protection without the white cast.
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