When it comes to black skin care products there is a lot of mystery and a lot of misinformation about what products really work well for African American skin. But first let’s talk about African American skin care in general. African-Americans have special needs for their skin primarily because of their skin tone and it’s proneness to dryness,discoloration and hyperpigmentation. Over all black skin doesn’t age as rapidly as white skin because it’s pigment resist the damage from sun rays. Although “black don’t crack” it does droop so products that work for elasticity.
Other ethnic specific skin problems include razor bumps and ashy skin. Some traditions in black culture are to use natural products including shea butter and coca butter. These products in their raw form have natural healing abilities however when heated and processed shea butter and cocoa butter loses a lot of be natural healing ability.
So what should a consumer look for when finding the best face product? The first rule is to know your skin. Identify your specific skin issues do you have dry skin or oily skin rough skin?
If you have oily skin avoid products that use mineral oil in their formulation. In turn if you have dry skin finds products with key ingredients mineral oil and a moisture sun screen should be a part of every African American skin care regime. Sun screen as well as products that help stop discoloration. Also avoid products with a high percentage of alcohol and peroxide that drys ethnic skin.
We also recommend a product that has sunscreen in it because hyperpigmentation is a huge problem in the African-American community. Very few black skin care products address it effectively. These are some basis rules of thumb when choosing black skin care products.
Black skin care is unique, it presents its own issues, and its own good thing too! Black men for example suffer two of the most well known issues with black skin. I’m talking about “Razor bumps” and “Ingrown hair”, both of them related.
Pseudofolliculitis barbae, also called by its common name “razor bumps” present on faces who have coarse, wiry or curly hair, like… You guess black men! Did you know that around 85% of men have to deal with razor bumps everyday? Yes and this number increases everyday.
Razor bumps appear after shaving. The recent shaved hair curls back and burrows into the skin adjacent to the hair follicle. Right after shaving, the hair ends are very sharp and this facilitates the appearing of the bumps, and penetration of the skin. Then comes the nasty part: the razor bumps start itching, burning, possibly causing scarring and making shaving a next-to-impossible task. To end razor bumps many men shave tried depilatory creams, but these creams will often leave the skin with lots of irritation. Some “razor bumps cream” seem to help but on the long term the side effects catch up.
How Ingrown hairs begin
Although it is true that both men and women suffer from ingrown hairs, men tend to have it more acute because of their facial hair follicle’s coarseness and thickness
Ingrown hairs build after the hair has been recently cut. As your hair grows, it curls over inside the follicle and doesn’t make it to the surface. The result is an unsightly, “bump” on the black skin. A few razor bumps moreover form when a growing hair exits the follicle and bends back towards the skin surface. When these sharp, shaved edges of coarse hair reach the skin surface, they grow back into the skin, producing these bumpy spots.
The Way to Solve Ingrown Hair on Black Skin
The best solution for most men is the simplest one: the use of tweezers. However it is good notice that nowadays there are good products out there destined to prevent ingrown hair and thus razor bumps.
A proper shaving technique is also needed to prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Here we leave you with 5 tips to star today with your black skin care for men.
1. Be sure to use a clean blade at all times. If you have a bad case of razor bumps we recommend that you use a new blade every week. Be sure to throw away safely the used ones. If you use an electric shaver, replace the rotary blades accordingly.
2. Shave following the direction the hair grows. This is very important around the neck areas since shaving against the grain is one of the main causes of pointy, sharp hairs that can grow back into the skin.
3. Avoid stretching your skin to “shave better”. This may cause darkness and discoloration of underlying skin.
4. Avoid skin irritation by eating well. Foods that contain lots of fat, oil, cholesterol or sodium make your skin prone to damage.
5. Depilatories work fast, but can produce even more irritation and redness. Remember to use an alcohol based cream to put on your face after you depilate.
When it comes to black skin care, simple face washing and moisturizing just wont do. African American skin needs more attention because of the various conditions that are prominent in the black community such as eczema and acne. To effectively protect your skin while promoting a healthier appearance, consider the following tips for black skin care:
Tip #1
Eat a diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (Trout, Salmon, Tuna and Herring). Couple that with drinking plenty of water and your skin will be more hydrated and supple. Drinking water alone will not keep your skin hydrated from the inside. Omega 3 is required. If you don’t like fish, consider taking a daily supplement of Omega 3.
Tip #2
To combat severely dry, cracked skin, exfoliate first and then moisturize. This will yield better results. Before applying a moisturizer, you must get rid of old/dead cells, which can no longer be moisturized.
Tip #3
Black people tend to have dryer skin during the winter months due to being exposed to harsh outdoor temperatures and then indoor heat. This is a real problem at night when you lose the most moisture. Turn down the heat indoors and use a humidifier in your bedroom to add moisture back into the air.
Tip #4
Opt for using a cream moisturizers or body balm versus a lotion based moisturizer if your skin is severely dry. Creams prevent your moisture from evaporating.
Tip #5
When purchasing a moisturizer, be sure to check the ingredient label. For your moisturizer to be effective, it MUST have water as the first ingredient followed by an oil which will help seal in the moisture without clogging the pores. Avoid mineral oil and petroleum as these only sit atop of the skin and cause your pores to be blocked.
Tip #6
Last but certainly not least, make sure you are following a daily regimen for your skin type: Oily, Dry, Normal, Combination or Sensitive.
Effective ethnic skin care does not come without cost. Environmental factors, bad habits and the natural aging process can keep you from looking your best. By following these tips for black skin care, you will greatly improve your naturally beautiful black appearance.