Caring for African-American skin does not have to be complicated or costly. With the variety of product information available, its important to do your own independent research before investing in any expensive skin care lines. When choosing African- American products, there are several important considerations for creating and maintaining healthy skin.
For the most part, African-American skin has more similarities than differences to an other type. Because skin is the largest organ in the human body, it needs the essentials, such as fresh food and water, in order to stay healthy. Effective African- American skin care products should have similar formulations as any other quality product.
The main difference with African-American skin is its tendency to hyper-pigmentation. This refers patches of grey or darker discolorations on the surface. Because people of color have a higher amount of melanin in their skin, these melanin protectors can become discolored over time, often because of age, or because of harsh skin care regimens. African-American skin should be treated gently, and any type of treatment, such as peels or acne removal, needs to be used with caution, ideally by a qualified professional who specializes in delicate care.
A skin care routine for African American skin does not have to be elaborate in order to be successful. Dry skin is common for darker skin tones, and there are several successful steps to combating dryness. The first is to drink plenty of water, usually six to eight glasses a day, as this will give the skin a firmer and more youthful appearance. Shorter showers will also help combat dryness. In addition, using a moisturizer is essential in keeping skin soft and supple.
A final consideration when evaluating African-American skin care products is the inclusion of an effective sunscreen. Although there is more melanin to protect itself, skin cancer is still a possibility. Regular use of sunscreen can also help protect against hyper-pigmentation and lead to a more even skin tone. An SPF of at least 30 for the face and body is recommended.
By keeping these essentials in mind, you will be able to make effective decisions about your skin care regimen. African American skin care products are becoming easier to find and evaluate than ever before. These products can often be expensive, and it pays to educate yourself on the type of products that are appropriate for your skin before purchasing.
By: Amy Wells
Black skin is not only beautiful, but it also needs special skin care in order to keep it healthy and looking great. There are some black skin care tips to keep in mind in your everyday life. In this article we will take a look at black skin and how you can start with skin care.
Black skin has that color because of an increased amount of melanin, the pigment that protects the skin from the harmful rays of the sun. This means black skin gives more protection and at the same time it helps looking younger! That’s because sun exposure is one of the factors that promote aging in the skin.
However one of the main problems black people have to face is the appearance of dark spots. These are dark patches on the skin that leaves the area with irregular pigment. Irregular pigmentation can also be caused by other factors such as inflammation, a scar or acne.
Other of the main problems that affect primarily black men, is ingrown hair. Ingrown hair is hair that grows and curls back to the skin, penetrating it. Ingrown hair causes in turn razor bumps. This problem brings pain and itchiness and be infected if not treated.
With these problems, you start to see why black skin is different. It is then important to also use special black skin care products. These are products that take into account these differences, starting with the amount of oil needed. Black skin needs a heavier amount of oil to penetrate the skin and keep it healthy – adding elasticity and keeping off from lack of moisture.
These are just the basics on black skin. Black men and women need to learn all about it in order to keep it healthy, strong and beautiful.
African Americans and other ethnic groups possessing dark skin, have some skin care challenges with uneven skin tone. Many black skin care products identify these challenges and target their effect at evening out the troubled skin tone. Having an even-out skin tone element in a black skin care product is a major selling point.
Skin tone comes from melanin, the skin pigment that colors your skin. Light-skinned people may have uneven skin tone because of uneven distribution of melanin under their skin. If the melanin is concentrated you have freckles. Sunshine starts the production of melanin and this may darken your skin color all together.
As well, black skin is not very elastic and this means that it can scar quite easily and be irritated more easily than lighter, more elastic skin. The low elasticity is related to the high pigmentation, which basically makes the skin thicker. What happens is that scarring or irritation can create hyper-pigmentation or darkened skin. Irritation sometimes activates the production of melanin and this creates dark patches on the skin where the irritation occurred. Even the irritation caused by shaving can darken the skin. Read the rest of this entry »