CARIBBEAN WOMEN & SUNSCREEN: FACT VS. FICTION, ACCORDING TO A LEADING DERMATOLOGIST
Dr. Carolyn Merritt is board certified by the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Her training and experience also include a fellowship in basic science research of autoimmune blistering diseases of the skin, which resulted in several publications in peer-reviewed academic journals. Photo courtesy of Dr. Carolyn Merritt.
St. Croix Dermatologist Dr. Carolyn Merritt says black women living in the Caribbean should wear sunscreen to protect their skin against signs of premature aging and hyperpigmentation, not as a way to fend off skin cancer.
Dr. Merritt says this finding was announced at a 2024 pigmentary exchange symposium, an educational conference she attends each summer. She says hyperpigmentation is one of the top skin problems facing black women.
“The real reason people are advocating sunscreen in women of color is not to prevent skin cancer, it’s really to prevent hyperpigmentation and we would have some degree of aging, if you’re in the sun a lot,” she explains. “Because even though the UV light can’t go as far and as fast in very deeply pigmented skin, it does contribute overtime to aging, especially in Caribbean women, because we live almost on the equator.”
Hyperpigmentation is the existence of “darker areas on your skin from an injury or some inflammation that remains after the skin disorder is gone,” Dr. Merritt explains. For instance, in the case of acne, she says “after the legion is healed up, you’re left with months and months of trying to deal with the dark spots that are left on the skin.”
Initially, sunscreen was not created for nor marketed to black women because the product “was really to prevent skin cancer,” Dr. Merritt explains, pointing out that the deadly skin disease is “a medical issue mainly seen in Caucasian people who don’t have the melanin protection that we [Black people] have in our skin.”
Now that the science has shown that sunscreen can help stave off signs of premature aging in darker skin, as well as safeguard against hyperpigmentation, more and more companies are making and marketing sunscreen products to women of color.
Caribbean women should wear sunscreen containing iron oxides to protect against hyperpigmentation and premature aging of the skin.
“You get companies creating sun block mainly directed to women of color now,” Dr. Merritt says. “What we found out is the reason we hyper-pigment so easily is not because we’re in the sun, but because of the visible light that we are exposed to.”
She went on to say that the quality of the pigment black women have in their skin “is more sensitive to visible light than other people who have a different quality of pigment in their skin.”
“We hyper-pigment very easily from being in front of computers, phones, and in florescent light,” she cautions.
Best Sunscreen Products for Darker Skin Tones
Dr. Merritt says the best sunblock for women of color are those that contain iron oxides. “I advocate this new discovery about using sunblock specifically for women of color that not only has the other physical sun blocks like titanium dioxide, but also they should contain iron oxides because that’s the only mineral that’s going to block the rays that we get from visible light,” she explains.
The respected dermatologist recommends the elta MD brand, a line of broad-spectrum sunscreens that contains iron oxide and comes in a variety of tinted shades ideal for deeper skin tones. “This particular brand of sunblock is for women of color, not that other races cannot use it, but we need it specifically because of what it shields us from.”
Keeping in compliance with Virgin Islands’ reef-safe laws prohibiting the sale of sunscreens that negatively impact marine life, Dr. Merritt carries the TiZO sunscreen brand for purchase in her office, describing the product as “lightweight, doesn’t look ashy on the skin, and does not leave the skin oily.”
Where To Apply Sunscreen
Dr. Merritt recommends wearing sunscreen on all sun-exposed areas of the skin, this includes the face, neck, chest, and forearms for the best results. “Of course, we emphasize the face, but I would recommend using it all over,” she says.
Dr. Merritt, who has been practicing in St. Croix since 2003, says when she first moved to the island, she met women whose “facial skin was sometimes four shades darker than the rest of their bodies. I couldn’t figure it out. But it must have something to do with their susceptibility to that visible light.”
While some locals tend to look for ways to beat the heat and humidity that comes with island life, often staying indoors or seeking out air-conditioned spaces, Dr. Merritt says humidity is good for the skin.
“Humidity is good for our skin. If you take a trip to Arizona or Nevada, [where it’s hot but not humid], your skin looks dry,” she says. “It’s completely different because you’re not putting moisture back into the skin. I love the humidity here because it keeps the skin supple and moist.”
In fact, the doctor says she relocated to St. Croix to escape the frigid temperatures and long winters of Chicago and tries to be outside as much as she can. “First thing in the morning, I go outside when it’s nice and cool and quiet. It’s hot right now, but I may go back to the beach later today. I love outside and the heat.”
In hot climates like ours, Dr. Merritt recommends refreshing the face with Neutrogena facial wipes or a cooling mist of water and reapplying sunscreen, plus wearing a hat, when spending extended time outdoors. Also, wearing sun-blocking clothing, such as rash guards, will get the job done.
Vitamin C, Water & The Myth of Coco Butter
In addition to soaking up the humidity that’s available in large supply in our tropical environment, Dr. Merritt says eating Vitamin C-rich fruits is “a must” to keep skin soft and supple. “Vitamin C is a great, water-soluble antioxidant that gets into the skin and other organs very quickly,” she says.
And while “water is essential for life,” Dr. Merrit says H2O is not the end-all, be-all for glowing, healthy skin.
“Yes, you should drink a lot of water. However, it is going to a lot of other places like your brain and muscles before it’s going to make a difference in your skin,” she says. “If you want to get water into your skin, the best thing to do is to get a mist or regular water and spritz on.”
She continues, “Drinking water doesn’t make this big leap into beautiful, moist skin, as advertised. You just need to drink water period. It is important, but it has a thousand other places in the body that it needs to go before it gets to your skin.”
The longtime dermatology leader, who completed her residency in the mid-80’s, says one of the biggest myths prevalent among black women is that coco butter is a cure-all for nagging skin discolorations. “I wish they would put that coco butter down. Whatever!,” she says with a friendly laugh.
While Dr. Merritt admits that coco butter is a great product for keeping skin moisturized, she says it does nothing for clearing dark spots and other skin issues.
Coco butter, such as this brand, is popular in many Caribbean households and is believed to be good for treating skin ailments. Dr. Merritt says the product won’t remove dark spots and skin discolorations but is great for moisturizing the skin.
“It is not going to do it. People with scars tend to put coco butter on it. It does not do anything,” she says. “It keeps your skin nice and moist and lubricates the skin, but it doesn’t make dark spots go away.”
To properly treat hyperpigmentation, Dr. Merritt recommends seeking professional dermatology services to first address the root cause of the issue causing the hyperpigmentation. She uses a variety of treatments customized to meet each patient’s unique needs.
“I have to have so many different levels of treatments for hyperpigmentation because that’s just if you have a simple, common, everyday universal skin disorder like acne or eczema, which are not race-related, once we have the disorder under control, then you’re left with sometimes years of hyperpigmentation [to deal with],” she concludes.
Dr. Merritt is accepting new patients at her office, located in the 5 Corners Plaza in Estate La Grande Princesse on St. Croix.