Make Sunscreen a Priority
Sunscreen comes in different levels of sun protection. For each level of SPF, you can be in the sun five times longer than if your skin were bare. So, if it takes 10 minutes for you to burn with no protection, applying SPF 5 sunscreen would keep your skin safe from damage for 50 minutes. Dr. Wu advises everyone, regardless of skin tone, use at least SPF 30 or above because the average person doesn’t apply enough sunscreen.

One problem is the titanium and zincs in many sunscreens leave a whitish residue that can make you look pasty, so people tend to use less. The minerals offer great protection, but they don’t absorb well into the skin. The solution: Choose a sunscreen without titanium and zinc, many of which are just as effective. Dr. Wu recommends Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock Lotion or Aveeno Continuous Protection Active Sunblock Spray. “Spray once, let it dry, and spray it again,” she says.

Your daily moisturizer should have an SPF, but if not, use sunscreen first, and then apply your lotion and makeup on top. If you walk outside for lunch or drive a lot during the day, make sure you wear sunscreen, reapplying as necessary.

“If you are a woman of color, it’s so important to put sunscreen on your hands and feet," says Dr. Wu. "They don’t typically burn, but they can.” Wearing lip balm with SPF – or lipstick with zinc or titanium – should also be a part of your daily beauty regimen.

Take a Peek at Your Skin
Examine your skin, especially your hands and feet, about once a month. Look for new or changing moles, and any skin that is itchy or bleeding. “Anything that’s new deserves to be looked at by a dermatologist,” says Dr. Wu. That being said, the majority of moles and blemishes she sees are not skin cancer. They are either harmless or pre-cancerous, which isn’t dangerous if the growth is removed before it progresses.

Every inch of your skin should be checked out once a year by a dermatologist. The best way to remember to schedule an annual dermatological exam is to remember to “be in your birthday suit on your birthday.” So, every year around your birthday, schedule a checkup, and make sure your doctor looks at your hands and feet, in between your toes and on the bottom of your feet.

When any skin cancer is found and treated early—including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma—it has a very high rate of survival. If you suspect something is wrong with your skin, see your doctor immediately.

Jessica Wu, M.D. is a practicing dermatologist in Los Angeles, the skin and beauty expert for EverydayHealth.com and a clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Southern California. She has her own skin-care line, Dr. Jessica Wu Cosmeceuticals.

Dr. Susan Taylor is a BeWell.com expert and the director of the Skin of Color Center at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. She is also the creator of RX for Brown Skin, a line of skin-care products developed to treat the concerns unique to darker skin.