Black Skin Care

Take a look at various skin care issues faced by women of color. Let us outline black skin care essentials. We examine certain makeup tips that can be useful for women of African American origin. There are many skin care and makeup products that are targeted for black skin so that they blend well and bring out the best.

Black skin care

Black skin is darker due to the increased amount of melanin in the skin. Melanin pigment protects the skin from sunlight and slows down the aging process. This keeps black women looking younger than white skinned ones. However, black women need to be very conscious of hyper-pigmentation (darkening of skin) since their skin scars so easily.

As black skin ages, it becomes irregularly pigmented, marking dark patches on the skin. Similarly black skin can be irritated and may at times result in producing more melanin, thus creating dark spots on skin. Generally black-skinned women tend to have oily facial skin, which can be compounded by more than just the skin's natural oils. Ironically, although black women are prone to excessive facial oils, they also have dry, ashy body skin.

African American skin tends to lose elasticity very easily resulting in loose skin, stretch marks and fat globs around the waist, thighs, stomach, breasts and face and neck area. Black skin is prone to getting irritated quickly, be it with plucking, squeezing blemishes or shaving. This can result in dark spots. Pregnant women may develop hyper-pigmentation around the neck due to pregnancy.

Black skin care involves understanding the undertone and finding out what suits it best. Black skin requires heavy oil to penetrate deep into the skin. It must leave the skin well hydrated but not overly oily. Daily use of sunscreen is an essential ritual for black skin care. This can prevent irregular pigmentation. Avoid using skin lighteners or bleaching creams. You might find your skin streaked with thinning blood vessel streaks. Creams containing Tretinoin are recommended for tackling hyper-pigmentation.

Black skin product

It is important to recognize your own skin tone and choose shades that best complement your natural tone. Black skin care is easy once you learn what products work best on darker skin. You can find a wide variety of black skin care products in the market, most of them made of shea butter. Black skin care products include soaps, face creams, body lotions and moisturizer. Most black women use shea butter for to keep their skin healthy. Shea butter, widely found in the tropics of Africa, is considered best especially for black skin.

It nourishes the skin with Vitamins A, E and F. Vitamin A and E are vital for a healthy and clear skin. Shea butter is best for sun damaged skins and they are also widely used to prevent premature wrinkles and facial lines. Vitamin F acts a skin protector and rejuvenator. It soothes rough, dry or chapped skin and helps soften dry or damaged hair. All the more, shea butter has high level of Cinnamic acid, a natural sunscreen. Women of color must be careful before using skin peeling agents. It might leave their skin with pigmentary changes.

Choose black skin makeup products carefully or you might be left looking ashen when you want to sport your best face. Each tone of black skin needs careful and deft makeup products to bring out its rich hue. Camel brown complexions have warm golden overtones while rich ebony skins have cool overtones. Match your foundation with your skin tone. Set it off with loose translucent powder.

A hint of color at the cheeks can complete the entire look. Go in for caramel, honey or apricot to complement the skin color or else go in for currant or mauve. Accentuate your eyes with a rich palette of colors if your skin has a deep dark shade. Soft oranges and rust work well for warm brown skins. The best mascara would be in brown or brown -black.