INTRODUCTION
Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis and there are several preventative measures aimed at reducing its prevalence such as photoprotection.1 Photoprotective behaviors help prevent sunburns, skin cancer, and skin damage. However, individuals with skin of color (SOC) are less likely to use sunscreen due to misconceptions regarding its benefits and patients’ susceptibilities to skin cancer and sunburns.2 Further, cosmetic elegance and cost have been described as deterrents for patients with darker skin when deciding to use sunscreen.3 Several studies have found that social media outlets and dermatologists recommend more expensive products to patients with SOC.4 This discussion aims to analyze the cost and SPF level of sunscreens marketed toward patients with darker skin.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sunscreens were identified through a TikTok social media analysis following hashtags: “sunscreen for skin of colorâ€, and “sunscreen for dark skin.†For each hashtag, the 10 most popular posts were selected, based on TikTok algorithms. Sixteen sunscreens were identified. Their price in U.S. Dollars, price per fluid ounce, and SPF were reported. Prices were obtained directly from the company’s website for eleven out of sixteen sunscreens. For the remaining four sunscreens that could not be purchased directly from the company’s website (CeraVe Hydrating Sunscreen Face Sheer Tint, EleVen Unrivaled Sun Serum, Mele No Shade Sunscreen Oil, and Neutrogena Purescreen Mineral UV Tint, and Biore UV Aqua Rich), the price was obtained from online retailers such as Target, Amazon, Credo Beauty, and Walmart. The lowest price available from an online retailer was used for these four sunscreens.
