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Good daily sunscreen can be such a struggle for those with dark skin, especially mineral sun protection. Over the years I have tried so many, but I always come back to the same two. The Elta MD UV Clear Broad Spectrum Spf 46 is a favorite to protect my face from daily sun exposure. Second is the Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen spf 50 for my body, which works like a moisturizer as well!
The Best Sunscreen for Dark Skin
When it comes to physical or mineral sun protection I qualify its greatness by five criteria:
- Scent
- Consistency
- Cast
- Ingredients
- Price
Usually my struggle concerning sun protection is cast and scent. I find that its not incredibly hard to find products that have a consistency that spreads easily and plays well with other products. Also, the price of sun protection varies, but there are options from low end to high end. Plus, over the years ingredients have become pretty standard.
However, scent is ALWAYS a struggle. No one wants to go into the world smelling like sunscreen, and some scents are hard to mask with perfume. Then, every dark skin girl knows how difficult it is to find a mineral sunscreen without Titanium Dioxide that doesn’t leave a grey or white cast on the skin. Let’s not even talk about tinted products…
Top Picks
Of all the products I have tried, the Elta MD UV Clear Broad Spectrum Spf 46 is the best mineral sunscreen for my face at the price point. It truly has hardly any scent at all, and is the consistency of most facial moisturizers. It doesn’t leave my skin looking greasy, and thanks to including Zinc Oxide as the sunscreen agent, looks Clear on my chocolate skin. Plus it is absolutely great for the health of the skin with ingredients like niaminicide, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin E.
Elta MD UV Clear Broad Spectrum Spf 46 can be purchased at many online retailers, but I prefer to purchase from a local approved dermatologist. You do not need a prescription, and I find that my local dermatologist sells the product at a cheaper price than many online retailers. Trustworthy retailers can be found through the Elta MD website.
It has been established that one of the most important anti-aging products is sun protection, so we cannot forget to protect the body. I have used the Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen on and off, but it wasn’t until I spent Summer 2016 Interning in Colorado that I truly came to value this product.
Want a great testing ground for sunscreen? Try anywhere in Colorado. I spent my summer at 10,000 feet and witnessed many sunscreens fail those around me. One product that worked for EVERYONE each and every time is the Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen spf 50. Now that I am off the mountain, and back in sunny Florida I truly appreciate the value that is this product.
The Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen spf 50 has the scent of your typical body sunscreen mixed in with extracts of basil, citrus, and rose. This combination gives the product a pleasant scent that doesn’t linger and layers well with perfume or other scented body products. Supergoop is a chemical sunscreen, which means it works great for darker skin tones. Plus, it comes in an 18 fl oz size with a pump, so I can simply purchase once a year.
Summer is ending, but don’t forget that UVA and UVB rays are present year round, so continue to protect your skin daily. In the Winter months I tend to apply sunscreen only to parts of my body that are not covered, and continue to apply sunscreen to my entire face and neck daily……cause Florida 🙂
