Skin care tips for African American skin come a dime a dozen these days. But do they work? There are thousands of products on the market for African American skin, everything from oily skin to dry skin and all in between.

Caring for your skin becomes a lifestyle choice. You are required to be disciplined while putting effort into improving your skin. Watching what you eat, getting your rest and keeping your skin hydrated from within all play a role in how well the products you purchase respond.

Consider These Skin Care Tips When Caring for African American Skin

Oily Skin – Products that contain lactic acid (milk) have been known to gently remove dirt and oil while retaining moisture and minimizing the shine. The same is true for products that contain essential oils.  They too are known for removing excessive oil from your skin. Depending on the severity of the oiliness, Toners can be a better choice than Astringents. They are not as harsh as astringents that can often strip the natural oils causing even more damage.

Dry Skin – Hyaluronic acid and shea butter are great ingredients for moisturizing your skin and keeping it from getting chapped. A word of caution about shea butter … do not slather raw shea butter onto your skin. It is extremely oily. Look for shea butter as maybe the fifth ingredient in a face moisturizer and a shea butter cream for body products.

Some of you might consider this as rubbish, after all you’ve used shea butter for a long time.  You’re one of the lucky ones.  You might be the recipient of a good quality shea butter.  Not everyone is as fortunate as you.  In today’s marketplace, there are plenty of imposters and they are causing quite a bit of damage to skin seekers looking for relief.

Blemishes – You’ll see blemishes from time to time and they are often the result of too much oil or a pimple has been popped. Citric and glycolic acids are often used to remedy their appearance. You might also want to look for products that contain jojoba wax beads. In a product used for exfoliation, they are a more gentle way to help with blemishes than the shells of nuts.

Mature Skin – Your skin will naturally change as you mature. Opting for milk cleansers and rosewater toners will help to enhance your maturing beauty. Be mindful of dead skin cell buildup. A gentle exfoliant will aid in removing them. Left unattended, dead skin cells can often cause your skin to have a dull, ashy, gray appearance making you look older than your years.

When in Doubt …

Not quite sure of how to care for your African American skin? A visit to a “trusted” Esthetician specializing in caring for your skin will bring results and less stress to you about your skin. The skin care therapist will be able to provide a deep cleansing for you, as well as suggest a regimen and product use for home care.

It’s important that you provide a comprehensive history of any skin issues, medications and challenges you’re currently facing in your life. These “challenges”, be it personal or work related, can cause all kind of breakouts and discoloration to your skin.

Last but not least …

You are what you eat! Nutrition should really be placed at the top of the list. Not only do foods nourish your skin/body, they can also wreak havoc on your skin and your mood. Have you ever noticed how sluggish, tired or even angry you feel after eating certain foods?

Earlier I mentioned lifestyle and discipline. It takes discipline and lifestyle changes to have Beautiful Black Skin. For some of “Us”, it takes a lot of discipline to control what we put into our mouths. For the best outcome, take on the habit of eating more green foods, drinking more water than usual and getting your rest, even if it means taking a nap during the day.

These skin care tips for African American skin, are a way of getting you started, even if it’s just by way of a thought. Give your skin the care it deserves and your skin will give you the beauty you desire.

That’s it for this week. As always, I’m …

Dedicated To Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel
Esthetician/Author/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care