The quest for the perfect sunscreen has long been a stressful one. The memory of a parent heavy-handedly slathering thick, fragment Factor 50 on your face is still enough to make you shudder all the way into your adult years. But one of the biggest annoyances of the sun block game has always been that streaky residue that's often left behind on application . A plight that many women with dark skin in particular, have forever been frustrated by.
With the standard thick, white creams on the market, women of colour often find their skin to appear grey and ashy. There is a (relatively expensive) solution, though. A reddit user who goes by the name khaleesidee posted a thread about finally finding a good sunscreen that works with darker skin tones.
She wrote on Reddit: 'Hey guys! I’ve spent a lot of time lurking around here and on r/asianbeauty, looking for the perfect sunscreen. And I think I finally found it! It’s called Black Girl Sunscreen and I believe it’s the best sunscreen for POC. It feels lightweight, moisturizing, has a natural finish and leaves absolutely no white cast or stickiness.'
'It sinks in the skin in a minute or so and feels smooth but not silicony. It is basically like putting on a very lightweight moisturizer. It does not peel either. I’m absolutely in love, and I highly recommend it! It cost $18. I hope this will help anyone looking for a sunscreen right now!'
Since posting her comments on the website her post has gone viral, which only tells us how wide the demand for streak-free and skin tone complimentary sun cream really is. It's a refrain that's all too common when we're talking about beauty and skincare products, but the concern is still painstakingly valid: why does so much of what's on offer exclude the needs of women of colour? And why, when darker skin is catered for, is it so much more expensive?
The fact that Black Girl Sunscreen exists is obviously a good thing. It's made by a brand called BLK and GRN who sell ethically sourced products made by black artisans. It's an exciting (and very Instagram friendly) brand doing what so many other beauty outlets could, and should be providing - although sadly they only ship in the US at the moment. The dream, of course, would be for local shops and products to actually reflect the ever diversifying customer clientele, but the just excitement and relief over this newly viral 'black girl' specific suncream, is sadly another example of how black women continue to be either left or priced out of high street beauty offerings and instead having to search for skin tone-friendly product elsewhere, particularly here in the UK.
Follow Jazmin on Instagram @JazKopotsha