It never fails. Every summer the conversation comes up. A bunch of us mom and our kids will be unpacking beach bags after lugging everything from the parking lot; spreading out blankets and towels, putting up umbrellas and, finally, wrangling little faces and bodies to lather with sunscreen before letting them loose into the sun and plopping our butts down to enjoy a beautiful afternoon. It’s a ritual every California mom knows well. Except, as soon as I pull out the sunscreen (especially if my husband is there and I start lathering his dark skin), it’s the same ol’ song and dance: Do black people need sunscreen????
For sun worshipping families like ours, understanding sun safety for kids is always important. And as an ambassador for Know Your OTCs, I’m sharing their Guide to Sun Safety with fantastic tips to keeping our loved ones sunburn-free.
Do Black People Need Sunscreen?
YES! While it’s true our melanin helps to protect us compared to friends with pale or white skin, black people can get sunburned. I’ve found that if not extra careful the first few outings into the sun, we all get sunburned. Yes, even the darkest skin among us – my husband.
Take a minute to read the statics below. Like, really read them. The evidence is eye-opening and makes me want to forever lather my black babies with sunscreen! According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD):
- Skin cancer is now the most common form of cancer in the United States.
- One person dies from melanoma every hour, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
- Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer in females ages 15-29.
Also, AAD notes that skin cancer can affect anyone, regardless of skin color. Actually, because our skin cancer is less obvious than those with white skin, we catch it later and die more often! READ THAT STATS, my friends!
- Skin cancer in patients with skin of color is often diagnosed in its later stages, when it’s more difficult to treat.12 Research has shown that patients with skin of color are less likely than Caucasian patients to survive melanoma.1 24% of melanoma cases in African-American patients are diagnosed at the regional stage, while 16% are diagnosed at the distant stage.7
- People with skin of color are prone to skin cancer in areas that aren’t commonly exposed to the sun, like the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, the groin and the inside of the mouth. They also may develop melanoma under their nails.12
Related: Eczema Tips for Kids Dry Skin
Sun Safety for Kids
The AAD states that even one blistering sunburn during childhood or adolescence can nearly double a person’s chance of developing melanoma! Experiencing five or more blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20 increases your melanoma risk by 80% and nonmelanoma skin cancer risk by 68%! Parents of all children should be aware of these skin cancer statistics, which is why sun safety for kids is so important.
The sun safety guide from KnowYourOTCs.org recommends a handful of great practices to remember. The first two are super important for young kids and toddlers since sunscreen for babies is not recommended until after 6 months of age.
- Seek shade from 10am-2pm when sun rays are strongest
- Wear protective clothing, such as a lightweight long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, when possible. Great steps for how to protect face from sun. This rule should always apply to babies and kids, who are more sensitive to the sun and sunscreen lotions.
- Sunscreen. Generously apply broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Broad-spectrum sunscreen provides protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Make sure to apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.
Sunscreen for Dark Skin
Can black people get sunburned? Yup – that’s true too! I’ll never forget how bad I felt when my son’s face started peeling after a long day at the beach. I had put our favorite sunscreen for dark skin all over his shoulders, but I had forgotten to slather some on his face before he wiggled free. Talk about mom guilt!
The thing to remember about what does sunscreen do to your skin is protection. The sun rays come in two different rays. Broad spectrum sunscreen will protect skin from both UVA rays, which pass easily through our ozone layer, and UVB rays, which make up less of our sun exposure but are also more intense and affect our immune systems.
How to Wear Sunscreen
Can we be honest though? Sunscreen for black people is a real pain in the butt. Have you ever tried to rub white sunscreen lotion into dark skin? NOT fun! I always carry a face sunscreen stick to make the application much easier, but the best sunblock for dark skin comes down to one thing.
While sunscreen might prevent tanning for some people, the best sunscreen for African American skin are mineral based products. These sunscreens are easily absorbed into the skin without a bunch of residues. Many brands now carry this kind of mineral-based sunscreens in addition to the traditional sunscreen lotion so now we all have easy to use and effective sunscreens to keep our gorgeous melanin free from melanoma.
This story is sponsored and I am a blogging ambassador for the CHPA Educational Foundation’s KnowYourOTCs program. All opinions are my own.
