In this episode of Skin Anarchy, award-winning cosmetic chemist and clinical researcher AJ Addae joins Dr. Ekta Yadav for a science-driven conversation that challenges one of skincare’s biggest blind spots: why sunscreen still fails so many consumers—especially those with deeper skin tones. What unfolds is a deeper look at formulation chemistry, particle optics, and the gap between sunscreen marketing and how these products actually perform on real skin.  AJ shares how her own experiences growing up as a dark-skinned daughter of immigrants shaped her relationship with beauty and science. Long before becoming a cosmetic chemist, she was already questioning why products weren’t designed with melanin-rich skin in mind. That curiosity eventually led her into formulation science, where she began investigating the physical behavior of mineral UV filters like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.