Image: @jesseltaank

For decades, sunscreen was treated as an afterthought in brown beauty routines - the thing you only reached for on beach days or skipped altogether because “we don’t burn.” But melanin isn’t a natural SPF, and brown skin isn’t immune to damage. We’ve simply been left out of the conversation.

Most commercial sunscreens were formulated and tested on lighter skin tones. The result? Chalky residues, white casts, and the persistent myth that darker skin doesn’t need protection. The irony is that deeper skin tones can experience more stubborn hyperpigmentation and unevenness precisely because they go unprotected.

For melanated skin, sun exposure doesn’t always show up as a burn - it shows up as dullness, dark spots, and premature ageing.

Then there’s the cultural nuance: many brown women grew up being told to stay out of the sun altogether - not to protect their skin, but to preserve fairness. SPF wasn’t about health; it was about colourism. The modern shift towards sun care as empowerment - as skincare, not shame - is both overdue and deeply political.

The good news is, the industry is finally catching up. Brands like U Beauty, Asteri Beauty, and Fenty Skin are formulating mineral and hybrid SPFs that blend invisibly into deeper tones without residue or irritation.

The takeaway? SPF isn’t optional. It’s skincare’s most universal step - the one that keeps your glow consistent, your tone even, and your skin barrier strong. Protecting melanin isn’t about fear of the sun, it’s about honouring it, intelligently.

Here's a list of the SPFs that are kinder to brown skin:

U Beauty - Multimodal Defender Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 30

Fenty Skin - Hydra Vizor

Dr. Sheth's - Ceeramide & Vitamin C Sunscreen

COSRX - Shield Fit Snail Essence Sun SPF 50 PA

ColoreScience - Total Protection NO-SHOW Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50

Asteri Beauty - Sunset Queen SPF 50 Primer

Beauty Of Joseon - Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF30