Found: Sunscreen That Doesn’t Make Dark Skin Look White or Ashy

Farmacy Green Screen.
Farmacy Green Screen. (Photo: Farmacy/Yahoo Beauty)

Yahoo Beauty would like to introduce you to The New-New, a column by Beauty Director Dana Oliver on the latest products, tools, and treatments that she’d happily spend her hard-earned money on.

Sunscreen is one of three beauty products, along with eye cream and brow growth serum, that I apply religiously. My motivation to keep it consistent is largely influenced by recent studies, which conclude people of color are less likely to survive skin cancer and that melanin-rich individuals like myself do get sunburned.

Sorry, Dad, but your advice to simply “sit in the shade” doesn’t work!

Finding sunscreen that doesn’t make my dark skin look white or ashy the very second I smooth it on hasn’t been easy. I have a few bottles and jars of sunscreen tucked inside my medicine cabinet that do an OK job. But I decided to throw a new sunscreen from Farmacy into the mix after reading the brand’s convincing claims of protecting against harmful UVA/UVB rays and ambient blue light, as well as “quickly and seamlessly” blending onto skin.

Green Screen boasts a broad spectrum SPF 30 formula that is formulated with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, as well as chokeberry and marigold extracts. I typically prefer mineral-based sunscreens, so the ingredients alone ticked off an important box on my must-have list.

I also love a good pun, and the product’s name is a clever play on words, which evokes the “green screen” barrier its patented blend of echinacea provides against potentially harmful blue light emitted from cell phones, computer screens, and other mobile devices. I’m sure that’ll pay off as I grow older, considering I spend a lot of time scrolling through Instagram and watching YouTube beauty tutorials — and wearing sunscreen during these leisurely acts rarely crosses my mind.

A popular skincare brand's tinted sunscreen that didn't blend with my complexion. (Photo: Yahoo Beauty)
A popular skincare brand’s tinted sunscreen that didn’t blend with my complexion. (Photo: Yahoo Beauty)
Farmacy Green Screen practically disappears into my skin. (Photo: Yahoo Beauty)
Farmacy Green Screen practically disappears into my skin. (Photo: Yahoo Beauty)

It’s only been two weeks since I started using Green Screen, but I’m impressed by the immediate results. It goes on silky when applied to freshly cleaned skin and dissolves within five seconds without making me feel sticky or greasy. Unlike most mineral sunscreens, this formula doesn’t leave behind gray streaks, dry out my skin, or cake up after reapplication hours later. It also provides a smooth base, which makes applying liquid foundation or powder blush a breeze.

The days of patting sunscreen on while whispering a prayer are now behind me.

Green Screen ($36) will be available mid-March on sephora.com and farmacybeauty.com.

Read more:
Here’s What MAC’s Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolours Look Like on Dark Skin
This Moisturizer Kicks Dry Skin to the Curb

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