The best sunscreen for dark skin, The Best Sunscreens for Your Skin

Skin care

The Best Sunscreens for Your Skin

Hate every sunscreen you've ever tried? You're not alone. But trust us when we say there is one on this list you'll love

May 16, 2012 | by Dawn Davis | 45 COMMENTS

The best sunscreen for dark skin

"Even my patients from West Africa who are very dark need sunscreen," says Downie. "The lowest SPF you can wear is 15, which will protect you from 93 percent of the sun's rays." However, Downie still recommends using SPF 30. "You get four percent more protection for the same amount of effort," she says. "You will age slower by wearing 30."

SPF Rx: Sonya Dakar MicroVenom Daily Defense SPF 30 for Body, $57

SEE NEXT PAGE: The best sunscreen for sensitive skin

8 of 10

products mentioned

Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Lotion Sunscreen...

8.9

L'Oréal Paris Sublime Sun Advanced Sunscreen...

7.5

Supergoop! SPF 50 Antioxidant-Infused Sunscreen Day...

10.0

Coola Mineral Sport SPF 30 Citrus Mimosa Sunblock

0.0

willa Face the Day SPF 30 Tinted Face Protection

0.0

Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector SPF 42

0.0

Raffia braid sunhat in natural

0.0

Sonya Dakar MicroVenom Daily Defense SPF 30 - BODY

0.0

Dermalogica Ultra Sensitive Tint SPF 30

0.0

ReVive Filtre de Soleil Visage SPF 45

0.0

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Can you recommend a sunscreen that contains UVA/UVB and IRA?

by Debb42 Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 07:34AM Report as inappropriate

thanks for the options. it is very difficult to find a sunscreen that works for your skin indeed.

by venenumletalis Monday, April 8, 2013 at 07:19AM Report as inappropriate

Sunscreen is a MUST have for everyone, no matter what time of year. 90% of aging factors are due to the sun and things we do to ourselves, only 10% is from natural aging process.

by jlb88 Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 08:55AM Report as inappropriate

Superb list of sunscreens. I'm loving Neova; it has a great matte finish and photodamage reversal!

by GigiSD Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at 10:59AM Report as inappropriate

good info

by LittleBunny Monday, January 7, 2013 at 11:43AM Report as inappropriate

I don't have a favorite sunscreen yet.

by EricaF123 Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 01:56PM Report as inappropriate

I will definitely be trying Loreal's sunscreen!!! Total Beauty has the most insightful articles.

by MizzPink Monday, December 17, 2012 at 02:21PM Report as inappropriate

The sun does not discriminate, it does not see if you are a fairer tone or of a darker tone. Diseases like skin cancer, sunburn and other sun or heat related conditions can be caught by anyone exposed to too much sun. It becomes more important for darker skin toned people to wear sunscreen for protection against the sun as darker tones have a higher risk of developing Melanoma. So it is advised to be always protected against harmful UVA/UVB rays, no matter your skin tone .I’ve used ExtraShade sunscreen and love it’s lightweight, moisturizing and doesn’t leave white streaks on my skin! I LOVE IT!

by extrashade Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 03:18AM Report as inappropriate

I am a sunscreen freak, never leave the house without it on

by kimihavens Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 02:42PM Report as inappropriate

I prefer physical sunscreens so Coola sunscreen sounds like a great option!

by BeautyTidbits Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 10:55AM Report as inappropriate

Might have to try the L'Oreal one!

by Chris213 Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 06:53AM Report as inappropriate

Why are most of these so expensive...?

by rachaellh13 Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at 03:06PM Report as inappropriate

BTW--my favorite sunscreen for my face is MAC Prep+Prime Face Protect SPF50. Good even for oily skinned people and no benzenes. I usually use the spray on kind (bad for you to breathe in, but easy to apply).

by LipglossandSpandex Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at 02:13PM Report as inappropriate

I'll try to remember to put sunscreen on my scalp

by jaye_tyler Monday, August 20, 2012 at 01:22PM Report as inappropriate

interested ewith the loreal sunblock..it looks elegnt!

by yun_yuwa Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 11:50PM Report as inappropriate

I'm gonna try something on my scalp

by asiagirl4ever Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 08:41AM Report as inappropriate

most of them will kill my monthly budget. will try aveeno baby though. i love baby products. i feel they make my skin baby soft

by cantsay Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 08:29AM Report as inappropriate

Great article! I have to remember to reapply every 2 hours...

by WiccanLady Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 02:00PM Report as inappropriate

Great information perfect for summer. I love Aveeno baby!

by yestfl Thursday, June 21, 2012 at 10:22AM Report as inappropriate

Oh sunscreen! Love the baby/kids sunscreen! It tends to work better but leaves white streaks if not blended in!

by sweettpea29 Monday, June 18, 2012 at 03:51PM Report as inappropriate

I will definitely be taking a look at those sunscreens for kids! My little boy is very fair skinned, so we need to be extra careful about sunscreen. I usually get the spray on kind for myself, because it's super easy to apply, and I can spray some on my hair/scalp/part too.

by LipglossandSpandex Friday, June 15, 2012 at 11:15PM Report as inappropriate

if it doesn't have titanium dioxide and SPF ingredients.. then what ingredients they use to protect the skin?

by LiLing Friday, June 15, 2012 at 12:22AM Report as inappropriate

ive never heard of or even thought of using suncsreen on my scalp before! strange, but interesting!!

by LeSucre Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 01:59AM Report as inappropriate

Great info, and a couple of products that have benefits I never knew about!

by LAGlamRGrl Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 08:21PM Report as inappropriate

Thanks for including a product for dark skin women, because we rarely wear sunscreen.

by Stacy_gapeach Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 09:41AM Report as inappropriate

I have never heard of Sonya Dakar but I will search for it and get it... thanks for the tips!

by teema Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 12:08AM Report as inappropriate

I will try the organic sunscreen.

by Sari Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 06:16PM Report as inappropriate

Informative article! Def some new products that I will try out this summer. I am a little confused, however, as I read a few articles on here that stated different info regarding SPF protection & number variations. I am OCD when it comes to skin care & protection, so I will continue to research the subject. This article is going to help spread the word about protecting our skin from the harmful rays out there!

by jojohnson21 Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 08:40AM Report as inappropriate

The best for sensitive, dry skin that I've found is MyChelle's Solar Defense. I've had no negative reaction. In fact, it seems to make my skin healthier.

by sandi_tinker Wednesday, May 30, 2012 at 01:18AM Report as inappropriate

Important info and some new products to check out. Thnx! E

by Elita7 Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at 12:07PM Report as inappropriate