Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Besides protecting against skin cancer, sunscreen really does help your skin to look younger, more radiant and even toned. For many women, one of the first signs of aging skin is developing blotchy and uneven pigment. It turns out that just one simple step, wearing sunscreen, can help to even out your skin.
Suncreens for Even Complexion
Besides aging, and conditions like melasma, any sort of inflammation or irritation can cause your skin to develop unsightly dark spots. Acne is one of the worst culprits! Long after your pimple disappears, there can be a dark spot reminding you that it was there. Wearing a sunscreen, each and every day, can help make these dark spots less likely to form, and help them to fade more quickly!
Bleaching Creams and Sunscreen
If you’ve ever bought a bleaching or fade cream, you know that it’s not cheap! Many of us shell out a lot of money for bleaching creams and skin lighteners to help fade our dark spots. Prescription bleaching creams and over-the-counter products like Ambi can be super helpful for evening out your skin. However, if you’re not regularly using a sunscreen too, you’re likely to be wasting your money. Skin brightening and fade creams won’t work nearly as well if you are not also wearing a daily sunscreen.
Sunscreen Helps Fade Dark Spots
In case you’re wondering, there is scientific data to back up the claim that wearing sunscreens can help fade dark spots and make your skin look brighter and more radiant. In a 2019 study, participants wore two types of sunscreen for 3 months. After three months, the authors found an improvement in not only dark spots, but also radiance of the skin. In one study in which subjects with dark spots wore SPF 30 sunscreen with soy and antioxidants, after 8 weeks of sunscreen use, an improvement in skin brightness and dark spots was seen.
Sunscreen Recommendations
There are literally hundreds and hundreds of sunscreen products out there, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. You’re going to have to figure out what works for you. Many sunscreens, especially physical sunblocks, can cause darker skin to have a gray or white cast to it. Check out this post from Refinery 29. The authors try several sunscreens on dark skin and show you what it really looks like!
In general, you should look for a sunscreen that is at least SPF 30. Looking for a product with antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E can also be helpful in protecting your skin from environmental damage. Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair Moisturizer contains SPF 30 sunscreen, vitamin C, and retinol, all of which are very helpful for fading dark spots and keeping your skin even. Another sunscreen to try is Neutrogena Face Pure Screen sunscreen with SPF 50. This is a nice choice if you’re concerned about chemical sunscreens. This is a physical (non chemical) sunblock.
