Black Women & Skin Care: Reveal Your Best Skin
By: Lauren Francis-Jackson
My mom always talked about my soft baby skin, and how you want to keep it as long as possible! Well, one way to keep that going is by good, quality skin care. With so many skin care systems and products on the market, it can be challenging to know what do I need, what does it do, and why do I need it! Here is a basic breakdown on skin care basics, for any age group:
Cleanser
Every woman needs a basic cleanser that is going to remove dirt and makeup, and clean the skin without drying your skin out. You do not want that sqeakly clean feeling on your face-- that cleanser is way too drying. Something that is rather gentle, but does the job of cleansing is a better option! No need to break the bank with cleansers because there are quality
cleansers that are drugstore brand. Cetaphil, Neutrogena, and Aveeno make good cleansers for cheaper prices. If you can spend a little more on cleanser, I highly recommend Philosophy's Purity. This one-step cleanser leaves your skin feeling airy and light. I also recommend African Black Soap as a cleanser. I do not like the bar, because bars tend to be drying to the skin. Beauty.com recommends a creamy cleanser for dry skin, and a clear cleanser for oily skin.
Some cleansers also include exfoliation, which can be good and bad! Exfoliation removes dead skin which gives our skin a dull appearance, and has a scruffy, beaded feeling on your face. Then, exfoliation should reveal brighter, more vibrant skin. This should be done about once a week. If you have one of the combination cleanser and exfoliator, use this cleanser with less frequency. It is better to use an exfoliator as a seperate product.
Exfoliator
We know that sometimes our skin can look dull, so you might need to get an exfoliator in your life pronto! There are scrub-like products, exfoliator tools/brushes, and skin processes like a facial peel. A basic scrub really does get the job done! Mary Kay makes an excellent microdermabrasion set for $55. In addition to exfoliation, it also says that it reduces fine lines and wrinkles as well as reduces appearances of pores.a sunscreen The set includes a two-step product-- step 1 Refine, and step 2 replenish! Most exfoliators do step 1-- the scrub, or scruffy feeling of beads on your skin. Not many exfoliators also come with a cream to replenish the moisture that you are scrubing away. Other than Mary Kay, I also like Neutrogena's Deep Clean (cleanser/exfoliator), Philosophy's The Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash, The Body Shop Aloe Gentle Exfoliator, and St. Ives Scrub-Free Exfoliating Pads.
In the winter, you also need a mask-- which can also double as an exfoliator. This is the case sometimes and not always. The benefit of facial masks are smoother, brighter skin when done twice to three times a week. For DIY divas, you can make your own facial mask to include more natural ingredients such as bananas,olive oil, oatmeal, and eggs.
Sunscreen & Moisturizer
If you can find a moisturizer that has at least SPF 15 in it, that is an ideal moisturizer! You've killed two birds with one stone! Sometimes, you may have to find two seperate products. You always want to protect your skin from the sun and outside environmental debris we come into contact with as soon as you exit the door! A good moisturizer can also depend on skin type. Some moisturisers I like are:
Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer, EVOO, Almond Oil, and Mary Kay's Time Wise Age-Fighting Moisturizer.
Do you do all of these steps in your skin care routine? Do you use sunscreen daily to protect your skin?
~The Sisterlocked Diva
