S U N S C R E E N : Protect Your Melanin
By Chelsea Woody
The tides are shifting on how people of color protect their skin from sun damage. For the longest time it was thought a dab of cocoa butter and some baby oil and we’re good to go. As kids most of us weren’t slathered in sunscreen before we were sent outside or told the importance of checking our own skin for signs of melanoma. Due to this misinformation, melanoma in the African American community often goes undiagnosed until its in late stages. As a rule we should check in between our toes, the soles of our hands and feet for new or suspicious moles and ulcerations and even our toe nails where melanoma can be mistaken for fungus. If you notice something strange see your doctor to get it evaluated, don’t wait! After all Bob Marley did die of *acral letigenous melanoma (ALM).
For those of us who spend more time in the outdoors, we now know the need for sunscreen is a reality. Lack of protection leads to sunburns and skin damage for folks with melanin, but it doesn’t always manifest itself in the same manner as it does for folks with pale skin. We rarely peel, but it does happen. Our sunburns usually consist of stinging, redness and we often encounter dark spots, discoloration and *melasma. This trauma to our skin can have long lasting effects and even be a source of depression.
Some of the worst sunburns vacationing surfers receive are on their calves, upper backs , shoulders and for ladies on their bums. This is due to intense sun exposure and increased time spent paddling. Always apply sunscreen to these areas. One thing our sisters with braids often don’t think of is their scalps exposure to the sun. The flaking and pain is not always just from tight *protective styles, but sometimes it’s a sunburn. Our scalp is sensitive to the sun, given it’s usually covered by our hair. This can be alleviated by applying a sunscreen to parted areas as if you were *greasing your scalp. Ideally we should give any sunscreen we apply 30 minutes to do its thing before we hop into the sea. Do not forget the hands, neck and ears for wetsuit dwellers. We still haven’t come up with any good ideas for avoiding the wetsuit tan lines! Sorry, it’s a cold water surfer’s markings!
Picking the right sunscreen/zinc is often a daunting task, especially when the current market does not cater to folks with different skin tones. It can be completely demoralizing to show up to a surf break with white zinc on your face. Hopefully more companies will begin to see the benefit of offering different shades of sunscreen/zinc to the increasing market of people of color in the outdoors.
The textured babes are obvious ocean lovers, so it is important to use sunscreens that are not harmful to the reef. Lets protect the environment we play in and check the ingredients! Things we like to keep in mind as we search for sunscreen are the length of protection it will provide in the water, is it reef safe, will it sting our eyes as it inevitably comes off in the water, and also does it closely reflect skin tone. We have listed some of our favorites in the column to the right.
If you have suggestions we are always open! Keep in mind we are surfers so we focused on zinc that will stay on in the water! Look for a future post on sunscreens for beach going and daily use! FYI this is not a paid endorsement for any of these sunscreens, they are just the sunscreens we as surfers of color have found work well for us.
Happy Surfing!
Our Favorites
Coco Aloha
(created by a WOC, will color match to skin tone, all natural ingredients)
Ava Sol
Raw Elements
Beautycounter (clear)
Surf Mud
The Good
Reef Safe
Mineral based. Think Zinc!
The Bad
UV Filters such as Octinoxate, Octyl-methoxycinnamate, benzophernone, oxybenzone, PABA and padimate
Terms defined:
*Acral Letiginous Melanoma- typically found on palms, soles and under nails. Most commonly found in African Americans and Asians.
*Protective Styles- Hairstyles black women use when they desire low manipulation of their hair to decrease breakage. For example, buns, braids, cornrows, and wigs.
*Greasing Scalp-a technique used to apply moisture/oil to parted sections of scalp
*Melasma- Hyperpigmentation seen in darker skin tones triggered by UV exposure/hormonal influences
