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.
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.
African American Skin Care Products must have the right ingredients to really work. Some ingredients should be avoided for black skin or any other type of skin. Using the right ingredients will give you the healthy radiant skin you want.
In this article I will show you which ingredients work and which ones to avoid. Some ingredients, for example, will cause hyper pigmentation while others will cause de-pigmentation.
Here is what all skin types should avoid and what all skin tones need.
Ingredients to Avoid
-Sodium methyl paraben (all parabens)
-Petroleum-based products
-Chemical bleaching agents
*Sodium methyl paraben can be found in many skin care products. It can affect the pigmentation of skin. Also parabens have been discovered in patients with breast cancer. So it is best to avoid these ingredients. Parabens, and there are many different kinds, basically are in a product as a preservative. There are safer ways to preserve a skin care product. I’ll come to that in a minute.
*Petrolatum (petroleum jelly) is not skin friendly as it is often promoted. It clogs the pores of the skin. Also it can result in hyper pigmentation of skin. Other related ingredients to strictly avoid are propylene glycol, wood-based alcohols, mineral oil and any petroleum-based product. There are other safe ingredients you can use. Keep reading.
*Chemical bleaching agents - Chemical bleaching compounds should be avoided because they can damage skin. If you want a lighter skin tone or to even out skin spots, use a whitening agent that is safe. I would be happy to recommend one that I found that is very effective and very safe. See my website listed below.
Ingredients to Look For
Extra Pone Nut Grass
Natural Vitamin E
Nut grass is a very effective ingredient that is safe and will even out the tone of your skin. Interestingly, it doesn’t take very much to do it.
Natural vitamin E is an antioxidant. Since it is an antioxidant it will usually help get rid of hyperpigmentation of skin. In other words, skin spots.
Sebum is our skin oil that also is our skin moisturizer. However, some of us have either too dry skin or too oily or some range in between. So skin problems can vary from one person to the next. But skin problems in general have nothing to do with black skin or any other tone. Skin is skin. What the problem usually is, is the product being used on the skin. Especially if it is petroleum based. Petrolatum feels good but it can do a lot of subtle harm. If you use a good moisturizer, like the one I use, you will have 90% of your skin problems solved.
Sebum comes from the sebaceous glands. All skin regardless of the tone have sebaceous glands. Some just produce differently in some individuals. Sebum is the natural moisturizer for our skin. Using alcohol on the skin can cause it to produce too much, resulting in oily skin. Jojoba and passion fruit extract are two ingredients you will want to include in your skin care regimen if you have dry skin.
Anti-Aging Ingredients
Anti aging products such lotions and creams are very popular right now. Many companies are promoting anti-aging products. But beware most of them don’t work and could even make your skin worse. So what does work?
Functional Keratin is the most successful and effective of all the antiaging products I have researched. Functional keratin combined with Wakame kelp extract and antioxidants CoQ10 and natural vitamin E promotes the increase of new skin fibers and skin cells. Wakame helps prevent sagging by increaing skin firmness.
What causes harm to skin cells and other body cells is what is called free radicals. They basically go on a rampage and hurt other cells. The antidote is antioxidants found in compounds like vitamin E.
Important-Please Read
Remember this please, avoid any ingredient ending in paraben, (for black skin especially Sodium methyl paraben). Avoid all skin care and other products that list petrolatum as an ingredient. Don’t even think about using a chemical bleaching agent. Use the ones I recommend because they work and are safe to the skin. See my website listed below for my personally tested skin cream. – Margaret Bell
By: Margaret Bell