Sunscreen is your friend
Wear sunscreen! (Yes I'm talking to you!)
I was a teenager in the 1990s and early aughts in the suburban South. Why do you need to know this? So that you can fully understand what a pariah I was for refusing to pluck my bushy eyebrows into twin, pencil-thin dolphins and for failing to combat my extreme paleness in a world where going to the tanning bed was a totally normal afterschool activity.
And while my eyebrows are still bushy and I am rarely seen outdoors without head-to-toe UPF clothing, a lot else has changed since I was in high school — especially when it comes to how we think about the sun and its impact on our health.
Cue the expert
That’s why I called up Dr. Angela Lamb, a New York City-based dermatologist to talk about how we should be thinking about sunscreen and skin health as we age.
The first thing that Lamb told me: It’s important to remember that 80 percent of visible signs of aging are due to the sun, or photo aging.
So what does excessive sun exposure really mean?
“If you’re going to be outside longer than five to 10 minutes, particularly on the face and any other exposed areas, wear a layer of sunscreen.”
Sweating, exercising or doing anything where that sunscreen might drip or be wiped off? Then reapply at least every two hours.
“Sunscreen is FDA-approved — even the ones that say ‘sport’ — to be good for either 40 or 80 minutes,” Lamb explained. “Even the most sporty, best sunscreen will only last up to 80 minutes — you really have to reapply after 80 minutes.”
Done and done.
Label hunting
Lamb said when it comes to buying sunscreen, knowing what to look for is easier than you may think.
First, buy anything that says “broad spectrum” on the bottle — that means it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are responsible for aging, and UVB rays cause burns.
She added that sunscreen in the United States requires approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so every product on shelves has gone through rigorous testing and evaluation. (In Europe, sunscreen is categorized as a cosmetic — so that’s why they have more options for sunscreen than we do.)
And that’s why it’s a really big deal that last month the FDA approved a new sunscreen active ingredient for the first time in over 20 years.
The new ingredient is bemotrizinol, which is also known as BEMT or Tinosorb S; the ingredient will be available in the United States under the brand name PARSOL Shield. And it’s what Lamb says is referred to as a “true broad spectrum.”
Often, sunscreens that bear that label designation combine two different active ingredients to protect against both kinds of ultraviolet radiation. But bemotrizinol does everything in one ingredient that also happens to be photo stable, meaning it doesn’t start to break down quickly when exposed to sunlight, the way many older ingredients do.
Chemically speaking, it’s also a large molecule — which means it does not absorb deeply into the bloodstream. It also doesn’t leave a white cast and has a consistency that really melts into the skin, giving it a luxurious feeling, Lamb said.
Not your mother’s sunscreen
When Shontay Lundy founded Black Girl Sunscreen almost 10 years ago, a few major factors made the conversation about sunscreen very different than they are today.
First, she said, was the lingering belief that sunscreen was meant to be worn in the summer and the summer alone — something she saw mirrored in how sunscreen was covered in the media.
“Even in 2021, there was no writer that would pick up a story after August — and even that was pushing it — talking about why people should wear sunscreen, the daily benefits of sunscreen usage and all that.”
The second major change? “Inclusivity — who is wearing it and how they’re wearing it.”
Essential to building her brand, Lundy said, was the messaging work to healthcare professionals, legacy brands, consumers, marketers and retailers alike “that Black and brown people do in fact have a need for and the money to spend on this product and are in a space where we have been underserved and ignored.”
Two big developments helped her company grow. First, work went into communicating that people with melanated skin need sunscreen. And second, developments in cosmetic chemistry have yielded new sunscreen formulations that are better for daily use for more people.
The work was fueled by Lundy’s own frustration at not being able to find a sunscreen that didn’t leave a white cast. Developing a product that worked for her skin tone helped her reach an even bigger market.
“We’ve said to this world that this is to honor Black and brown skin, but it doesn’t even have to just be for Black women,” Lundy said. “We also have allies of the brand, non-Black people, because it works on their skin, too.”
The message is resonating, as well.
“Many of our customers tell us they’ve never worn sunscreen before discovering Black Girl Sunscreen, and that’s one of the things that, you know, makes us most proud. We didn’t just create a product — we created a new habit around sun protection.”
Beyond aesthetics
It’s not just about aging, Lamb said: “We really do know and convincingly show scientifically that it is ultraviolet radiation that causes skin cancer of all types.”
In the past few years especially, though, Lamb says she’s seen a cultural shift — one moving away from a general acceptance of the fact that forgoing sun protection can cause cancer.
“Now you’ve got influencers and little TikTokers going around talking about using their UV filters, deciding how you know that the UV is going to be that day and then they go out when it’s highest so that they can get that exposure and this concept of a ‘base tan.’ I think that’s unfortunate because we really do know that — period — excessive exposure to the sun does create photo aging as well as skin cancer.”
Beyond sunscreen
Still holding out because you just hate how sunscreen feels? Lamb has great news for you: You can always wear UV-protective clothing!
Lamb stressed how important it is to especially keep your face, neck, and head protected — which is a great opportunity to lean into an accessorizing moment.
“Hats, hats, hats,” Lamb said — they really help (and are so fun to wear).
Shop around
If you want to not hate sunscreen but just haven’t found one you like yet, Lamb says to just keep trying.
If it feels good on your skin, you’re more likely to use it — so keep looking until you find something you actually enjoy applying. Have sensitive skin? Look for products that are fragrance-free — they’re more likely to be less irritating.
She said most people are getting more sun exposure than they think. For your day to day life, wear SPF 30 sunscreen. On vacation and outdoors 24/7? Then go ahead and opt for something with at least an SPF 50 on it, she recommends.
“Sunscreens have really evolved — they’re trying to meet the consumer where they are. If you want an organic sunscreen, if you want a fragrance-free sunscreen — there are just a lot more options than what we used to have,” Lamb said.
And most importantly, she said, “it’s never too late.”
“If you used to smoke, that doesn’t mean it’s a wrap and you definitely should just continue. Any change you can make for you to better your health and wellness is really important,” Lamb said. “Don’t just continue not using sunscreen because they didn’t always use it.”