Dawn Images

“You wear sunblock every day? What a white person thing to do!” This is the exact statement that gets rearranged and regurgitated by most brown people I know when I tell them that I use sunblock every single day. At this point, I have a steady spiel in my mind that I rearrange and regurgitate in reply — what I consider a modest act of social activism. I write this from my desk after having reapplied my sunscreen for the first time today, so I’d say believe me and take this seriously.

Let’s start from the beginning, like every story (or letter of warning) should. Sunscreen is generally a cream that, when applied, sits on the skin and protects it from both UVA and UVB rays from the sun. These rays from the sun provide Vitamin D to the body and increase melanin production, causing tanning — the really cool thing that white people love to do and the really horrible thing we avoid. However, take whatever these rays do with a pinch of salt because they also do some really evil things to the body.

SPF, more commonly known as sunblock, stands for Sun Protection Factor, which is a value that denotes a sunscreen’s ability to protect the skin from UVB rays, prolonged exposure to which can cause sunburn and skin cancer. A sunblock that is broad spectrum protects from both UVA (which also cause premature ageing and skin cancer) and UVB rays.

The sun essentially bakes us. It causes inflammation and tanning, premature ageing of the skin with folds and wrinkles, worsens present skin conditions like hyper-pigmentation, active acne, scarring and environmental damage and here’s the big one — prevents skin cancer, especially if you’re genetically pre-disposed to it.

As if that wasn’t enough science, sunscreens are generally formulated in two ways — the cheaper, more common ones are mineral or physical sunscreens which contain active ingredients such as zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide that sit on the surface of the skin and act as a mirror by deflecting the sun’s rays. While they work great with dry and sensitive skin, they are more likely to leave a white cast, unless they’re tinted, which is difficult for us brown folks thanks to godforsaken colour ranges in such products. The other are chemical sunscreens that contain one or more of oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate, absorbing the sun’s rays and leaving no white cast. They’re also more expensive.

Undeniably, some of the best sunscreens are made abroad and imported. However, with the dollar skyrocketing, these sunscreens have become ridiculously expensive and while I do advocate strongly for sunscreen, I do not recommend choosing it over three meals a day. However, the skincare gods have blessed us brown folk and a lot of local skincare brands now make good and affordable sunscreens, perfect for everyday use. And I’ve done the labour for you. You’re welcome.

Vince Sunblock SPF 40

Price and quantity — Rs840 for 75ml (Rs11.2/ml)

SPF — 40

Type — Hybrid

Broad spectrum — Yes

White cast — No

Fragrance — Yes

Suitable skin type — Dry and dehydrated

Jade Mineral Sunscreen Helio Pro

Price and quantity — Rs695 for 50ml (Rs13.9/ml)

SPF — 50

Type — Mineral

Broad spectrum — Yes

White cast — No

Fragrance — Yes

Suitable skin type – All

Entice Sunfix SPF 50+ Sunscreen

Price and quantity — Rs2,350 for 150ml (Rs15.6/ml)

SPF — 50+

Type — Mineral

Broad spectrum — Yes

White cast — Slight (Very runny if not applied enough)

Fragrance — No

Suitable skin type — Normal, Dry, Combination

U-Veil Forte

Price and quantity — Rs495 for 30ml (Rs16.5/ml)

SPF — 60

Type — Hybrid

Broad spectrum — Yes

White cast — Slight

Fragrance — No

Suitable skin type — Normal, Combination

Sabbskin Ohh Sunny! Sunscreen

Price and quantity — Rs3,160 for 127ml (Rs24.9/ml)

SPF — 42

Type — Mineral

Broad spectrum — Yes

White cast — No

Fragrance — No

Suitable skin type – All

Jenpharm Spectra Block Max 100

Price and quantity — Rs998 for 40g (Rs24.95/ml)

SPF — 100

Type — Mineral

Broad spectrum — Yes

White cast — No (Tinted)

Fragrance — Yes

Suitable Skin Type — All

Fuzed Screen UV 60 with Aloe Vera

Price and quantity — Rs1,500 for 50ml (Rs30/ml)

SPF — 60

Type — Mineral

Broad spectrum — Yes

White cast — No

Fragrance — Yes

Suitable skin type — All

While brown folks can hardly thank the beauty industry for anything, bringing sunscreen to the public eye has been its most gracious move yet. I consider this the golden age of sunscreen because we now have sunscreens available in a variety of bases and finishes with a variety of functions. There are creams for dry skin and gels for oily ones, sprays for easy application and sticks to make reapplication easy (yes, even over make up).

It is advised to wear at least an SPF 15 or higher when indoors and an SPF 30 or higher for outdoor activities at least 30 minutes before sun exposure for the sunscreen to start to working. And in order to get the full protection of the given SPF, it’s important to apply at least two fingers worth of sunscreen to your face, neck and ears — because your neck and ears are yours and not borrowed.

And here is the most important part: sunscreens are not contingent upon weather. Come rain (I wish) or shine, summer or winter, sunscreen is your best friend. So the best sunscreen is financially sustainable and one you’ll reach for every day.

With this, I bid you farewell and wish you good luck on your sunscreen journey. I promise you that your skin will thank you in a few weeks right until you’re 60.