September 2026
For years I skipped sunscreen — every formula stung, burned my eyes, or broke me out. I also grew up hearing what a lot of Black women hear: that melanin is protection enough, that SPF isn’t for us.
It’s not true. Melanin helps, but it doesn’t stop sun damage, hyperpigmentation, or skin cancer — which gets caught later and hits harder in Black patients precisely because people don’t think to look. Everyone needs SPF.
Once I found formulas that didn’t fight my skin — mostly Korean, plus one from Paula’s Choice — it became non-negotiable. Six years, every single day, rain or shine, whether I leave the house or not. I’ve gotten my sisters wearing it, and recently my husband too.
My top three: Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun: Aqua-Fresh Rice + B5 (SPF50+ PA++++) and Paula’s Choice RESIST Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 for makeup days, and Tatcha’s The Milky Sunscreen SPF 50 (the softest finish) for bare skin. A couple of stick sunscreens round out my reapplication — ask if you want those too.
Six years, zero misses. If you’ve been putting this off, this is your sign.
