African-American Skin Care – What Skin Care Products Do You Need To Use?

Even though the title of this article may seem to suggest that African-American women need a specialized skin care routine quite different from Caucasian women, the truth is far from it.

Women with darker skin color do not have very different skin care needs from that of women with lighter skin. . In fact, the perception that there needs to be different skin care is more of a marketing strategy than reality.

The truth is – Skin care doesn't differ for different skin colors or ethnic backgrounds. In fact, all types of skin face relatively the same problems and have the same skin concerns. Whether it is dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin or normal skin, the skin care routines are the same for all men and women regardless of their skin color or ethnic background.

Difference in Skin Care Options

Even though, skin color and ethnicity aren't prime factors when it comes to skin care, there are some subtle distinctions between different ethnic groups when it comes to skin problems and skin care products that they should use that cannot be ignored. It is important to realize that your skin is the largest organ of your body, and just like other organs, it needs the same ingredients and formulations to be healthy and prevent various skin concerns irrespective of its color.

Here are some things that you need to know:

Different Skin Colors have Different Levels of Melanin

The amount of epidermal melanin (the pigment that is responsible for the dark color of skin) content and melanosome dispersion varies among people with different skin colors. People with darker skin have more melanin in their skin than fair skinned people. This indicates that they are better protected against incidence of skin cancer in addition to cases of photo-aging (premature aging caused by prolonged and unprotected exposure to the sun), pigmentation disorders etc. than the latter. But don't let this dissuade you from applying sunscreens. Make sure you use a broad spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15.

However, the greater melanin content in people with darker skin only guarantees better protection against sun damage. Their skin is just as prone to other forms of skin concerns like skin dryness as are women with fairer skin. Therefore, it is imminent to use a state-of-art moisturizer that supplies nourishing ingredients to the skin and keeps it well-hydrated.

Darker Skin Tones need to be Treated Gently

In case of skin irritation, darker skin tones can stimulate hyperpigmentation thus leading to patches of dark or grayish skin discolorations. In order to prevent this, darker skin tones need to be treated very gently. This is because the skin becomes highly vulnerable when it is irritated. And as a result, it cannot protect itself from environment stressors because of which the collagen and elastin fibers within the skin cells begin to break down. It hurts the skin's immune response and make the skin dry and flaky.

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