Best Black-Owned Brands With Sunscreens For Melanin-Rich Skin

Now that summer is upon us, we can’t afford to slack off on the sunscreen. Designated by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention to remind everyone about sun safety and taking those extra measures to protect your skin, National Don’t Fry Day takes place annually on the Friday before Memorial Day.

For years, it was assumed that Black and Brown skin was immune to sunburn and that melanated-rich skin did not need to use sunscreen. Since the myth has been dispelled, individuals have sought out sunscreens and quickly found out that many are not made with deeper skin tones in mind. One of the the telltale signs of this is the white cast several sun protection products leave on the skin.

Slowly but surely, over the years, more inclusive sunscreens have been created. Keep scrolling for 8 Black-owned brands that will keep your skin covered this summer!

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1. Black Girl Sunscreen

Black Girl Sunscreen was launched in 2016 by Shontay Lundy. She was frustrated with running into sunscreen brands that left a white cast on the skin, making it unsuitable for melanated-rich tones. The brand quickly rose to success, and by 2019, it was the first Black-owned sunscreen brand available in Target. In addition to its lotion, the brand also carries spray, lip gloss, and lotion for kids. 

2. Buttah Skin

Dorion Renaud founded Buttah Skin after dealing with similar struggles to Lundy of not being able to find a skincare products that work for him. He did his own experimentation and founded Buttah in 2018. The brand offers a range of skincare products like toners, serums, and cleansing products. Buttah has a sunscreen called Invisible Tinted Mineral Facial Sunscreen SPF 30 that is tinted to promote a seamless blend on deep skin tones and avoid a white cast.

3. KINLÒ

Naomi Osaka isn’t just a popular tennis player; she’s also an entrepreneur. After years of competing outside on the court, Osaka quickly learned the importance of sunscreen despite false myths that melanated skin was immune to the sun. She started KINLÒ to educate Black and Brown people about the importance of keeping their skin protected outside. Her products include jojoba seed oil, hemp seed, and green tea, and are cruelty-free and reef safe. The product lineup includes a sun spot brightening moisturizer, a sunscreen stick, and so much more. 

4. Mèlasun

Marina Camu launched Mèlasun in 2022 with the intent to respond to the needs of people of color when it comes to sun-care. With over 20 years in the beauty business, Camu knew she wanted something of her own to bring to the table. Her Le Glow brightening face cream not only protects from the sun, but it also works to hydrate skin. It’s lightweight and melts into the skin with no white cast.

5. Undefined

Dorian Morris is democratizing beauty with her brand Undefined. This brand has plenty of products that serve different needs, from brightening to cleansers, to hair, to hydration and more. The focus of Undefined is conscious capitalism, inclusivity, and a clean-ical approach by using plant-based products with active ingredients. Morris offers tinted sun serum, sunscreen, an SPF sun glaze lip tint, and sun elixir.

6. Fenty

It’s no secret by now that Rihanna took the cosmetic game by storm when she launched Fenty Beauty in 2017. She provided dozens of different shades that made everyone feel seen when it came to picking their beauty products. For so long, melanated-rich people felt ignored when it came to makeup, but Rihanna put that cape on and gave us so many more options. Though it’s a bit pricier, she’s got a few selections for sunscreen moisturizers and even tinted moisturizers.

7. Bolden Skincare

Bolden Skincare was started by two friends who lost touch in boarding school in Nigeria, but reconnected years later in NYC after finding out they were dating two men who were brothers. Chinelo and Ndidi discussed creating a skincare brand that would cater to the needs of women of color. They started Bolden Skincare in 2015 and now have some products that can help with several needs, including dryness, acne-prone skin, discoloration, and puffiness. They, of course, also have cleansers, moisturizers, toners, masks, and sunscreen. Their sunscreen is both brightening and has vitamin C in it. 

8. Cay Skin

If you want skin like a model, you might want to try Winnie Harlow’s brand Cay Skin. Harlow’s known for being a pioneer in the model world as she gained notoriety for embracing her skin disorder called Vitiligo. She was taught to keep her skin protected with sunscreen since she was a child. But during one photoshoot in the Bahamas, she suffered a sunburn that altered her vitiligo pattern, and that is what led to Cay Skin. The brand has SPF sunscreen sticks and lotion as well as lip balms with UVA/UVB protection.

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