by Sherrell Dorsey of OrganicBeautyVixen
There’s a whole lot of hoopla going on around sunscreen safety and
regulation and while we’re waiting on the FDA to get their act together,
the EWG has hooked us all up with great research and studies on the
best and safest sunscreens.
Though black doesn’t crack, protecting our brown from harmful UVA and
UVB rays that can lead to skin cancer is a serious issue ladies. You
don’t have to panic. Just apply your daily layer of sunscreen and check
out my list of great sunscreens that won’t break the bank.
Aubrey Organics SPF 30 with Green Tea
EWG Skin Deep Hazard Score: 2
Climb On! Mineral Sunscreen
EWG Skin Deep Hazard Score: 1
Desert Essence Organics Age Reversal Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 30
EWG Skin Deep Hazard Score: 1
Jason Natural Cosmetics Pure Natural Sun: Mineral Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30
EWG Skin Deep Hazard Score: 2
Alba Botanica Hawaiian Green Tea Sunscreen, SPF 45
EWG Skin Deep Hazard Score: 2
Additional resources:
EWG’s 2012 Guide to Safer Sunscreens
Sherrell
Dorsey is an eco-glamour expert, writer, speaker, social entrepreneur
and creator of the blog OrganicBeautyVixen.com – “A Brown Girl’s
Guide to Eco-Glam Living”. Sherrell believes that going green with
your beauty routine doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your fierce and
fabulous style. Connect with her on twitter and facebook for all things beauty, green, eco-friendly, organic, sustainable and of course… Eco-glam.
Dorsey is an eco-glamour expert, writer, speaker, social entrepreneur
and creator of the blog OrganicBeautyVixen.com – “A Brown Girl’s
Guide to Eco-Glam Living”. Sherrell believes that going green with
your beauty routine doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your fierce and
fabulous style. Connect with her on twitter and facebook for all things beauty, green, eco-friendly, organic, sustainable and of course… Eco-glam.
What sunscreen do you use? How does it rank on the EWG guide?
Kiss My Face also has a sunscreen line.
Thanks for the article and also thanks folks for the other informative articles. I am a fan of taking Vitamin D supplements. I am upset though that access to this kind of health info and products is not easily accessible to the black communities.
Vitamin D deficiency causes hair loss too.
@TheTruth Big Pharma won't tell you:
You have a point. With that said, health issues in the communities of color and/or low-income communities in the US are more structural in nature (health care access, grocery stores [or lack their of], enviromental toxicity of local environment, etc.)
If your going to be rubbing sunscreen on everyday, you better be taking large doses of Vitamin D3. The only time I use sunscreen is when I'm going to be out on the beach for long periods of time…to prevent sunburn. I am over 50, Med/Dark skin and I don't have a bunch of wrinkles. You can also protect you skin from free radical damage by taking anti-oxidant supplements, fish oil and eating a healthy diet…plus take at least 2000mg of D3 everyday.
AVOID SUNSCREEN LIKE THE PLAGUE.
BLACK PEOPLE LIVING FAR FROM THE EQUATOR ARE ACTUALLY VITAMIN D DIFFICIENT.
FACT: DARK SKIN NEEDS UP TO 10 TIMES LONGER THAN WHITE SKIN TO PRODUCE SUFFICIENT LEVELS OF VITAL VITAMIN D FROM SUN EXPOSURE.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2009-04-19-your-health_N.htm
THE ABOVE USA TODAY ARTICLE EXPLAINS THAT RESEARCHERS ARE DISCOVERING THAT LACK OF VITAMIN D MAY BE INDICATED IN THE HUGE HEALTH GAP BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE AMERICANS AS WELL AS BLACK TENDENCY TO DEVELOP MORE PROSTATE, BREAST AND COLON CANCER. AND TO GET MORE AGGRESSIVE FORMS OF THOSE CANCERS.
WE NEED MORE NOT LESS SUN.
DON'T LET THE WHITE/CORPORATE AGENDA SELL YOU THEIR FALSE BILL OF GOODS.
I think this a great post! I just have problems finding a sunscreen that doesn't turn my face white and ashy. Can someone suggest a sunscreen that doesn't do this?
I use Trader Joe's
Hey LM! You can get some of these at Rite aid (Alba botanica is certainly there), whole foods and walgreens. Hope you're close to either one of those!
Where can I find these products on the ground? I can't really purchase products online. I will look around for them, but it seems as though none of the good stuff is sold in stores lol. That's just my personal experience.
I only use sunscreen on my face and neck, and that's just because I'm working on hyperpigmentation. I have been using Clean and Clear's Morning Glow Moisturizer with SPF 15 mixed with shea butter which I read has an SPF of around 6. I couldn't find it on the EWG website.
Thanks for this!
Thanks for this!
I didnt really think that black people needed it, my especially being from africa and being rather dark skinned
For my daughter's and my super-sensitive skin we rely on Alba and Vanicream sunscreens. Recently tried the Kiss My Face mineral one for kids and didn't really care for it…just too much whiteness. This is the second place I've seen the Jason product, might have to give that a try next as Alba is always sold out at Whole Foods and Vanicream is only available online in my area.
Thanks for sharing.
@Anonymous May 31, 2012 12:04 PM:
I have read that elsewhere as well. It really puts the sunscreen thing in perspective for me as dark brown-skinned women of Nigerian descent. Skin cancer is at the bottom of my list when it comes to health care conerns.
Lovely!
If I wore sunscreen, I'd have to go with one of these brands.
The vast majority of my personal care products [hair care, skin care, make up, etc] rate 2 or lower on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep® Cosmetic Database [http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/].
My face is super oily and I bronze red easily and burn after a few so I prefer physical as opposed to chemical SS. So for non-greasy, non-comedogenic, minimal white-cast:
BurnOut Eco Sensitive SPF 32 – face AND body
Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 18.6%.
Other Ingredients: Deionized Water, Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides, Vegetable Glycerin, Sorbitol, Imperata Cylindrica (Root) Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Lecithin, Arabidopsis Extract, Plankton Extract, Aloe Vera, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Citric Acid.
For lips AND eyes
BurnOut Zinc Oxide Lip Balm – Natural Coconut
Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 18.6%. Other Ingredients: Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Virgin Hemp Seed Oil, Natural Coconut Flavor, Simmondsiz Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax.
An equally lovely but sheer, lightweight, easily spread, no-whitecast at all, MU friendly physical, facial SS option is:
Devita Daily Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30
CONS:
Not eye friendly, can be a bit dry as I sometimes need a moisturizer underneath.
ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Micronized Zinc oxide 19%. INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Aloe barbadensis (organic aloe vera gel), Purified Water (aqua), Capric/caprylic triglycerides (derived from coconut oil), Glycerin (vegetable), Hyaluronic acid (vegan source), Glyceryl stearate SE (derived from vegetable oil), Stearic acid, Lecithin phospholipid, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Allantoin, Vitis vinifera (grape) seed extract. Ingredient labeling adheres to international INCI standards.
Go on MakeUpAlley and check the reviews. I like the ingredients and when purchased through Lucky Vitamin or Vitacost the discount can be nice. I admire EWG's mission but have found their rating system lacking.
Thank you for the list of sunscreen. I will be getting some these for me and my kids when I get enough cash. 🙂
Melanomas in African Americans, Asians, Filipinos, Indonesians, and native Hawaiians most often occur on non-exposed skin with less pigment, with up to 60-75 percent of tumors arising on the palms, soles, mucous membranes and nail regions……I guess we need sun-screen for our hands and feet.
Right on time. Just reminded myself this morning that I need to purchase some sun screen….looking for something different this year however. Might go with the Aubrey Organics 🙂