My Family Never Hits the Beach Without Black Girl Sunscreen

Jun 07, 2024

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Everyone needs sunscreen, regardless of skin tone. My family loves this odor-free, broad-spectrum sunblock that doesn’t leave a white cast.

Regardless of your skin tone, you need to practice proper sun health. But for many of us with lots of melanin, we’ve been flooded with misinformation. Since I was a kid, I’ve heard that I didn’t need sunscreen because I was visibly dark—people said my natural skin tone would protect me. However, this is incorrect, and it’s a potentially harmful narrative.

I’m happy to stand on my sunscreen soapbox and burst this bubble. Anyone can get sunburned, and the melanated crew can also get skin cancer if we routinely flout sun health recommendations. While Black people—and anyone else with deeper skin tones—are less likely to get skin cancer than those with fairer skin, our outcomes are worse due to delayed detection and misdiagnosis, since docs don’t always know how to recognize skin cancer on darker skin. I’m not trying to give you a “Scared Straight: Dermatology Edition,” but you need to know the reality: Melanin-rich doesn’t make us invincible to the sun.

After one too many blistering sunburns (read second-degree burns) in my 20s, I decided that enough was enough. These days, I still slather sunscreen on myself and my daughter. You can catch me poolside or at the beach with a dramatic coverup and oversized hat, because yes, even with sunscreen, my skin is that sensitive to the sun. For my daughter, who’s significantly lighter than I am, I opt for mineral sunscreen and a rashguard swimsuit with built-in SPF for added coverage.

I know many of my melanated comrades have qualms with sunscreen because of the dreaded white cast it creates, but keep in mind, excessive sun exposure also ages you. So if you want to be the rule, not the exception, to “Black don’t crack,” you and your children need to start rocking sunscreen faithfully. Luckily for me and you, I stumbled across an incredibly affordable ($18 and less!) Black-owned sunscreen brand that provides plenty of sun protection no matter your skin tone.

Target

To buy: Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 Broad Spectrum $16; target.com and ulta.com

For me to pick a go-to sunscreen, it needs to be three things: non-greasy, unscented, and have no white cast. Black Girl Sunscreen checks each box—plus, it’s vegan, clean, and cruelty-free. My preferred pick from the brand’s catalog is the SPF 30 Broad Spectrum, which is just $16 for a large three-ounce squeeze tube. It protects the skin from UVA and UVB rays and is water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, so it’s great for the beach or pool. While this specific product is a chemical sunscreen, it’s free from oxybenzone, as Black Girl Sunscreen is a clean beauty brand.

The SPF 30 sunscreen applies easily and doesn’t feel heavy on my skin. The fact that it’s unscented means it’s not cloying and won’t potentially trigger my migraines (always a concern for me with scented products). However, the biggest appeal is its clear application—there’s no ghostly white cast. And of course, knowing that I can walk into pretty much any Target and find this brand in the main sunscreen aisle—not just the ethnic beauty care aisle—makes it accessible for all.

While I have yet to try the brand’s other products, Black Girl Sunscreen actually has a complete range of sun protection picks for the whole family, and for different uses. If you prefer mineral sunscreen (it offers more protection than chemical sunscreens), consider the Make It Hybrid Sunscreen, which incorporates 5% zinc oxide for mineral sun protection. Note that this one does have a scent since it contains lavender essential oil, but more importantly, you won’t get that dreaded white cast.

Target

To buy: Black Girl Sunscreen Kids Spray & Play SPF 50 Sunscreen $12; target.com and ulta.com

Keep the little ones safe in the sun with the brand’s Kids’ Spray & Play SPF Sunscreen that’s just $12. If you want a matte or glow finish, Black Girl Sunscreen has you covered with the brand’s Make It Matte SPF 45 Sunscreen and Make It Glow SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray. And don’t forget that your lips need sun protection, too—so the brand offers Make It Pop SPF 50 Sun Gloss.

Black Girl Sunscreen is for anyone that needs sun protection, regardless of skin tone. And I love that they’re carried in most Target stores from coast to coast, making them incredibly accessible. But just in case you want to do a little comparison shopping, here are a few more quick picks that are affordable, accessible, and melanated crew-approved.

Target

To buy: Solara Suncare Mineral Defense Sport Sheer SPF 30 Sunscreen Mist $18; solarasuncare.com and target.com

Target

To buy: Thinksport All Sheer Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen Spray $19; amazon.com and target.com

Target

To buy: Neutrogena Beach Defense SPF 70 Sunscreen Spray $10; neutrogena.com, target.com, and amazon.com

Target

To buy: Sun Bum Original SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray $17; ulta.com, amazon.com, and target.com

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