About EXTRASHADE: Protection Before Correction
EXTRASHADE was born from a simple observation: people of color were skipping sun protection and then spending hundreds of dollars trying to fix the damage. The white cast. The grease. The ashy look. The misconception that melanin is enough. All of it led to one outcome—reactive care instead of preventive care.
In 2011, founder Anthony Clarke decided to change that.
Making the Best Sunscreen for Dark Skin
EXTRASHADE was launched by Anthony Clarke in 2011 after three years of scientific research aimed towards developing a formula that would give exceptional sun protection and at the same time provide nourishment for darker skin complexions.
While vacationing on the beach with his family in Ft Lauderdale, Florida he noticed his young nieces became very sun burnt. This prompted him to question friends and family about their use of sun protection products and he discovered that none of them used sunscreen. The primary reasons: they were not concerned with getting skin cancer because of their dark skin tone and the unpleasant experience of the ashy or chalky look from traditional sunscreen.
Anthony’s passion for marketing and preventive care motivated him to create EXTRASHADE. The inspiration is to provide sun care for a rapidly growing community to maintain their health and appearance.
That beach day in Florida revealed a larger problem: the sunscreen industry wasn’t serving people of color. And when people of color tried to fix sun damage after the fact, they spent far more than prevention would have cost.
Anthony saw a market void and a community need. He built what was missing—sun protection that actually works for melanin-rich skin, not as another treatment option, but as a maintenance solution. Because the best way to treat hyperpigmentation, uneven tone, and premature aging is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Our Philosophy: Prevention Over Treatment
At EXTRASHADE, we believe in Rich Complexion Maintenance—protecting healthy skin so it stays healthy. We don't promise to erase years of damage or transform your complexion overnight. Those promises belong to treatment brands.
We make a different promise: protect what you have before damage occurs.
We're not anti-treatment. We're pro-prevention.
For people who've already experienced sun damage, hyperpigmentation, or uneven tone—of course, seek treatment. But once your skin is where you want it? Maintain it. Protect it. Stop the cycle of damage and repair.
That's what EXTRASHADE does.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
What We Protect
EXTRASHADE protects more than just skin—we protect:
We formulate for melanin-rich skin first—not as an afterthought. Every ingredient, every texture, every benefit is designed with rich complexions in mind.
Our Mission
"Empowering the skin of color community to make sunscreen an everyday use for optimal skin health."
Join the Prevention Movement
For over a decade, EXTRASHADE has served a community that deserves better than white cast and empty promises. We're here for the people who want to maintain what's right, not fix what's wrong.
Stop fixing. Start protecting.
That's not just our tagline—it's our commitment.