Imagine you're at the beach

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There's is a gentle breeze

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You hear the sound of seagulls and waves lapping on the shore.

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You feel the sun, warm on your face.

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You decide to put on sunscreen on to protect yourself from the sun's rays.

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What feelings does this scene conjure for you?

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Do you think about happy memories?

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And relaxtion?

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Are you uncomfortable?

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Do you worry about the damage the sun could be causing to your skin?

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If this worry crosses your mind, you're not alone.

Humans have been searching for protection from the sun for centuries.

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Ancient Egyptians used jasmine, rice bran, and lupine to protect themselves.

The ancient Greeks used olive oil to protect their skin from the sun.

At some point in history having light skin became desirable.

Now in addition to protecting one's skin from the damage of the sun, there was interest in preventing the skin from becoming darker as well.

Perhaps this was an effect of colonialism.

But colonialism didn't stop there.

Some people still report using sunscreen to prevent their skin from darkening.

Worried about consequences of colorism.

Just in the past decade have sunscreens specifically developed for people of color been more widely available.

Skin of color is less represented in sunscreen research.

Some darker skin tones are not represented in the research at all.

Maybe this isn't a day at the beach afterall.