skincare
If you thought your darker skintone was exempt from sun damage, think again. Stylist’s Billie Bhatia makes a fair case for factor 50 at all times
I have a small Rolodex of talents that I like to make everyone aware of. Some are skills that I’ve worked on, and others are my genetic make-up that I’ve rebranded as talents (see double-jointed thumbs and strong nail beds). It’s this latter category that my biggest talent flex belongs to: an ability to tan my Indian skin in a matter of minutes. “Look, £28). Anything over factor 20 never made the basket – I was convinced brown skin didn’t need anything so serious and that it would actually prevent me from tanning. (This is a total misconception by the way, the texture of the lotion is what will aid tanning, not a low SPF. And in fact, the worst thing you can do if you want a mega tan is not put anything on your skin at all because sun loves moisture, so slather on.) In a bid to flirt with someone on the beach in my early 20s, I took a dollop of their factor 50, and after minutes of trying to blend this thick, white lotion into my brown skin I was left without a date and with a strange purpletint to my skin that gave me an air of Violet Beauregarde. That sealed the deal, there was no way factor-50 sunscreen was made for me. So, whenever anyone asked if I wanted any sun protection, I would tilt my head and look at them as if they were stupid before indignantly replying, “I don’t need that, I’m Indian!” One summer that line failed me. After years of neglect, I finally burnt. I fell asleep in peak Dubai sun with nothing more on my shoulders than a skimpy smattering of low-factor sunscreen and woke up cindered.
