The best SPF for face to wear every day
March 21st 2022
Skin
April 15th 2021 / 0 comment
We spoke to two doctors about the risk of skin cancer in darker skin tones and the SPFs they wear
It’s common knowledge that no matter your skin tone, you need to wear SPF all year round no matter the weather but when it comes to SPF for dark skin there’s still a lot to learn, say GP Dr Aziza Sesay and dermatology specialist GP Dr Sonia Khorana who teamed up on Instagram to talk about skin cancer in darker skin.
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"There's a common misconception about dark-skinned people being immune to sunburn, tanning and skin cancer," says Dr Aziza Sesay. "The majority of these beliefs stem from the fact that those with dark skin have a higher proportion of melanin, which gives some natural protection (photoprotection) from UV radiation from the sun.
"This baseline SPF is not enough, in my opinion, to provide adequate sun protection," says Dr Sonia Khorana. "I would advise using sunscreen indoors, outdoors, rain, shine, winter and summer. Yes, we have more melanin but it isn’t stronger than the sun!"
Far from being immune to skin cancer, according to Dr Aziza, darker skin tones are more likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer at a later, more advanced stage when it is more difficult to treat, meaning prognosis is much poorer and death rates higher. "The reasons for this include symptoms being less easily visible/distinguishable on darker skin tones, unusual areas of skin cancer including palms, soles, fingernails, the inner surface of mouth and genitals, so they are often missed and a lack of awareness and continued misconceptions about the occurrence of skin cancer in this group."
People with dark skin can overproduce melanin which develops into pigmentation. "I see my patients with darker skin tones developing dark patches over time resulting in uneven skin tone," says Dr Sonia Khorana. "Many also notice worsening of existing pigmentation, melasma and more prominent dark circles."
Dr Aziza recommends sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum and water-resistant while Dr Sonia recommends chemical sunscreens for darker skin tones because they don't leave a white cast on dark skin.
"I would like to stress that both chemical and mineral sunscreens are okay and safe to use but I personally find chemical sunscreens better suited to darker skin tones if you want to avoid the white cast of mineral sunscreens," says Dr Sonia. "Having said that, more and more brands are now focusing on making mineral sunscreens that won’t leave a white cast."
"This is very reasonably priced and my favourite go-to," says Dr Aziza. "I use the kids’ version on my daughter, especially on high-temperature holidays. It’s lightweight, easy to apply and my daughter doesn't resist having it put on her body like some others."
"This is another favourite of mine because it's ultralight but you do need to apply small amounts at a time to reduce the white cast that can occur in quite dark skin tones," says Dr Aziza.
"This is great for darker skin tones; it has minimal white cast and promises to reduce wrinkles and ageing effects from the sun. It's lightweight and very matte as well as easy to apply plus it has a very high SPF protection," says Dr Aziza.
"This has a really nice texture, no smell and sits really nicely under makeup as it’s velvety and works well as a primer," says Dr Sonia Khorana
"Applying this over your makeup doesn't disrupt your foundation and it's such good value for money and there's no white cast at all," says Dr Sonia.
"This is a mineral SPF with a really good matte finish. Definitely a great SPF for oily skin in my opinion," says Dr Sonia.
"I was introduced to this brand by my mum who swears by them," Dr Sonia tells us. "This leaves no white cast at all it gives such a nice dewy glow."
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