If you have brown or Black skin, you may have heard this before:
“You have enough melanin. You don’t really need sunscreen.”
For a long time, this idea has been passed around as though melanin were our built-in sunscreen.
And there is a little truth hiding inside the misconception.
Melanin does give deeper skin tones some natural protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. But some protection isn't the same thing as enough protection.
The sun can still affect brown and Black skin—even when we don't burn easily and even when we can't immediately see the damage.
So let's make sunscreen simple.
No fear. No complicated skincare routine. Just a better understanding of what the sun does to our skin, why sunscreen matters, and what to look for when choosing one.
First, what is the sun actually doing to your skin?
Think of sunlight as containing different kinds of rays.
Two that matter particularly when we're talking about our skin are UVA and UVB rays.
UVB rays are strongly associated with sunburn and directly damage DNA. They're one reason your skin might become red or painful after spending too much time outside.
UVA rays penetrate more deeply into the skin and contribute to premature skin aging, pigmentation and skin cancer. UVA can also reach you through window glass.
An easy way to remember it?
UVA → think aging.
UVB → think burning.
It's a simplification—both types can damage the skin—but it's an easy starting point.
And here's something important:
Not seeing a sunburn doesn't mean your skin wasn't affected by UV radiation.
But doesn't melanin protect darker skin?
Yes—to a degree.
Melanin is the pigment responsible for much of the color in our skin, hair and eyes. It can absorb and disperse some UV radiation, which means darker skin generally has more natural protection against UV damage than very fair skin.
That's one reason people with deeper skin tones tend to burn less easily.
But melanin isn't an invisible bottle of SPF.
Brown and Black skin can still experience sunburn, DNA damage, premature aging and skin cancer.
And there's another reason I think sunscreen deserves much more attention in deeper skin tones:
pigmentation.
If you've ever had a pimple disappear but leave a dark mark behind for weeks—or months—you already know how frustrating pigmentation can be.
Inflammation can encourage our pigment-producing cells to make more melanin. This can lead to what we call post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH.
Sun exposure can make those dark marks more noticeable and harder to fade.
So you could be spending money on serums, treatments and brightening ingredients while repeatedly exposing the same skin to something that encourages pigmentation.
Sometimes the missing step isn't another treatment.
It's protection.
Sunscreen is skincare, too
We often think of sunscreen as something separate from skincare.
Cleanser. Serum. Moisturizer.
And then sunscreen gets thrown into a completely different category called “something I wear at the beach.”
But I want you to think about it differently.
Imagine spending months repairing a beautiful wooden table, then leaving it outside every day without protecting it from the weather.
You can keep treating the wood—but you're also continually exposing it to the thing you're trying to protect it from.
Our skin isn't wood, of course, but the principle is similar.
If we're investing time into supporting our skin barrier, managing pigmentation and keeping our skin healthy, protecting it from excessive UV exposure makes sense.
So, what SPF should I use?
For everyday protection, a good starting point is a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, but this of course depends on your skin.
Let's translate that label.
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and primarily tells you about protection against UVB.
Broad spectrum means the sunscreen has been tested to provide protection across both UVA and UVB wavelengths.
So rather than looking only for a giant SPF number on the front of the bottle, look for:
Broad Spectrum + SPF 30 or higher.
And remember: SPF isn't a force field.
Sunscreen needs to be applied generously and reapplied, particularly when you're spending extended periods outdoors, swimming or sweating. Follow the directions on the sunscreen you're using; many U.S. sunscreen labels direct reapplication at least every two hours.
And don't forget the areas we somehow always forget:
Your ears.
Neck.
Chest.
Hands.
Hairline.
How to read a sunscreen bottle in 30 seconds
Next time you're standing in the sunscreen aisle, don't let the front of the bottle make the decision for you.
Turn it around.
Start with these questions:
1. Does it say Broad Spectrum?
This tells you the product provides tested UVA and UVB protection.
2. Is it SPF 30 or higher?
That's a good baseline for everyday sun protection.
3. What are the active ingredients?
If you're specifically looking for a mineral sunscreen, look for zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide in the Active Ingredients section.
4. Is it water resistant if I need it to be?
If you're swimming, exercising or sweating heavily, look for a water-resistant sunscreen and check whether the label states 40 or 80 minutes.
And remember: water resistant does not mean waterproof.
5. Will I actually wear it?
This question matters more than people realize.
If your sunscreen feels awful, leaves you looking grey, pills underneath makeup or irritates your skin, chances are you'll start skipping it.
A technically wonderful sunscreen sitting untouched in your bathroom cabinet isn't protecting anything.
And no, sunscreen doesn't mean hiding from the sun
I don't want sunscreen to become another thing we're afraid of getting wrong.
The sun is part of life.
We go outside. We walk. We garden. We travel. We sit on patios with people we love.
Sun protection isn't about becoming afraid of sunlight.
It's about being intentional with prolonged exposure.
Sunscreen is also only one part of sun protection. Shade, hats, sunglasses and protective clothing can all help reduce UV exposure—especially during long periods outdoors.
One final thought
At RAAH, I talk a lot about doing less—but doing it well.
Skincare doesn't need to become a 10-step project.
You don't need another product simply because someone on social media told you that you do.
But there are certain things that protect the progress you're already making.
Sunscreen is one of them.
And if you have brown or Black skin, please don't let the fact that you don't burn easily convince you that your skin doesn't need protection.
Your melanin is beautiful.
It gives you some natural protection.
But it doesn't make your skin immune to the sun.
So cleanse gently. Nourish your skin. Protect your barrier.
And before you walk out the door—
don't forget your SPF.
Healthy Skin. Your Way.
— Rehana
Founder of RAAH | Certified Skincare Formulator
