What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Your Dark Skin

"Knowledge and Wisdom and Understanding... Knowledge is King!" ~ Kool Moe Dee

The Beauty Of The Nile team just got back from a really great event where we met tons of people interested in our products and mission.

We love engaging with people and had lots of meaningful conversations about skin care concerns, how our products can help care for skin, the power behind our goal to help all to Love Your Brown Skin®, to eliminate colorism, to build relationships, family, parenting, and life, in general. It was great!

The one thing that struck us was the number of people who wanted to get control of their dark undereye circles, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, melasma, uneven skin tone, and moles who did not wear sunscreen AND did not know that not wearing sunscreen can both cause and exacerbate these conditions.

"They convinced those of us with dark skin that we don't need to wear sunscreen. They lied."

Most of the folks we spoke with did not know that you, me, all of us - - need to wear sunscreen every single day - even if you are going to be inside all day.

Yes, you read that right...even if you are going to be indoors.  

Are these people dumb? Absolutely not!

But what they did not know was definitely hurting them and frustrating their skin care efforts.

So many people that we spoke with (at least 90%!!) were unaware of the damage that not wearing sunscreen was doing to their skin (and their skin care efforts) that we decided to write about it here.

We want everyone to know how important sunscreen is... even though we don't sell sunscreen... yet! Stay tuned! ;-)

Sunshine is wonderful, but overexposure to the sun can cause and exacerbate some of our biggest skin concerns - dark undereye circles, hyperpigmentation, dark spots, melasma, uneven skin tone, aged skin of the neck, crepey skin on the lower neck & upper chest, moles, and skin cancer.

The sun's rays trigger our skin to create the excess pigmentation that characterizes many of our biggest skin concerns.

Your Computer Causes Dark Spots to Form on Your Face

The blue light from electronic devices - our cell phones, TVs, computer screens, and other electronics also cause our skin to produce excess melanin.

Let me say it again for those at the back of the room: the blue light that comes at you from your computer screen and cell phone screen trigger your skin to form dark spots, dark under eye circles, melasma, and uneven skin tone.

So, if you don't wear sunscreen every day - both indoors and outdoors - you may be encouraging formation of the skin concerns you are trying to fix.

Sitting Inside May Not Protect Your Skin from UVA

UVA rays pass through your home windows. UVA rays are the main cause of premature aging of the skin. And UVA rays contribute to the development of skin cancer. And one final scary fact, if you’re within several feet of the window, the UVA rays will reach you.

What About Cloudy Days?

Don't make me laugh!

Even if it's so cloudy that you can't see the sun... You still need protection from UVA rays because they penetrate through rain, clouds, and fog.

The Bottom-Line

So, to Love Your Brown Skin® each day, apply a mineral based, physical sunscreen every morning after washing your face and applying your serums and moisturizer.

A mineral sunscreen is a physical sunscreen that contains active ingredients like zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. The protective minerals (in mineral sunscreens) absorb UV rays and reflect them away from your skin. Mineral sunscreens are also unlikely to irritate sensitive skin. 

On the other hand, chemical sunscreens have chemicals that actually sink into your skin and then absorb the UV rays. There are also many reports that these chemicals irritate your skin. The primary active ingredients in chemical sunscreens are oxybenzone, homosalate, avobenzone, octisalate, octinoxate, and octocrylene.

Contact Us with Your Questions

If you have any questions about sunscreen, please do not hesitate to CONTACT US with your questions. We want everyone to look and feel their best and to protect and Love Your Brown Skin®

And, always Love Your Brown Skin®.