SUN PROTECTION AND
SKIN OF COLOUR
By Dija Ayodele
T
his summer, the UK aired its first ever
advert for sunscreen that directly tar-
geted those with deeper skin tones. One
of the women behind this campaign, aesthetician
and founder of the Black Skin Directory, Dija
Ayodele, hopes this is the beginning of an impor-
tant shift in the way SPFs are marketed. In our
exclusive article, she debunks the biggest myths
surrounding black skin and the sun, and reveals
the shocking consequences that poor representa-
tion in the marketing of sunscreen can have for
people of colour.
Despite skin colour, all ethnicities have the same
number of melanocyte cells that produce the
pigment melanin. These melanocytes transfer
melanin granules into the melanosomes to be
transferred to other cells within the skin, thereby
giving depth of skin colour.
In skin of colour, the melanosomes are larger
and more evenly distributed throughout the
epidermis compared to Caucasian skin which
allows darker skins to filter almost double the
amount of UVB rays than Caucasian skin can
absorb, giving darker skin tones a natural sun
protection factor (SPF) of approximately 13. It
is this intrinsic factor that makes darker skin
tones less prone to sun-induced skin cancers
than Caucasian skin.
When skin suffers damage and trauma such as
cuts or wounds, inflammation follows and the
melanocytes react by increasing the production
of melanin which floods the area affected.
Excessive unprotected sun exposure also causes
trauma to the skin, in the form of burning,
and this causes the skin cells to activate their
defence mechanism and produce more melanin.
This is why tanning isn’t a sign of health, but
a sign that skin is defending itself from UV
rays and damage.
Can skin of colour develop skin cancer?
Just as Caucasian skin tones can develop skin
cancers like Melanoma, so too can dark skin
tones. Major research studies have concluded
that darker skin tones can develop sun-related
skin cancer. Cancer can also develop in non-sun
exposed sites such as the soles of the feet and
nail bed; the jury is out on whether there is some
degree of UV influence on these skin cancers due
to the ability of UV to down regulate the
immune system. In fact, the skin cancer mor-
tality rate for the skin of colour population is
1.5 times higher than Caucasians because darker
skin tone patients often present their symptoms
to health professionals much later, when sadly
the cancer is at a more advanced stage.
Although melanomas are rare among the non-
white populations, they are often diagnosed at
an advanced stage, which leads to a poor prog-
nosis. It is crucial to improve melanoma awareness
and promote prevention by reducing exposure
to modifiable risk factors such as sun exposure
as well as improving early recognition.
Obscure brand marketing and health messaging
Historically, it is also the case that sunscreen
brands have traditionally marketed to the white
demographic, leaving skin of colour out of the
narrative. Naturally, the assumption is then
made that sunscreen is for white skin, not brown
or black. Again, fueling a dangerous miscon-
ception. It’s very alarming when you consider
ISSUE #12 | 2019 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 30