Skincare for Women of Color: The Basics

Black is beautiful and like all things of beauty, it should be afforded special care and consideration. Black skin, like all skin tones, has its own unique needs in terms of nourishment and hydration. After all, no two skin tones are exactly alike – how could they all have the same needs?

That is why black women need to and deserve to let their beauty shine with skincare for women of color. It has long been assumed that black women can reap the very same benefits as everyone else when they use any and all skincare products on the market today. However, that isn’t quite the case, as we best nourish our skin with products made specifically for our skin!

Today, let’s take a closer look at why women of color need (and downright deserve) their own skincare routine and what they need to look for when building one!

Why Skincare for Women of Color Matters
Women of color have more melanin in their skin than people with other skin tones. This is due to special skin cells called melanocytes, which are the cells responsible for creating melanin, a natural skin pigment. While everyone has both of these and even the same number of melanocytes, black women have a higher production and occurrence of melanin than people of other skin tones.

So what does that have to do with skincare? Why should melanin even matter in this instance?

Having more melanin in our skin provides us with several benefits, such as better protection against the sun and its harmful rays (including photo-aging), greater skin elasticity, and decreased signs of aging (not to mention it makes our skin beautiful!).

However, the increased level of melanin in our skin also has one major drawback: increased susceptibility to hyperpigmentation. What exactly is hyperpigmentation? It’s when patches of your skin become darker in comparison to other normal parts of your skin, which is caused by a sudden burst of melanin.

Some occurrences that can lead to hyperpigmentation include sun exposure, hormones, aging, skin injuries, and inflammation.

Because of these positives and this one shortcoming for melanin-rich skin, black women need to find skincare products that properly cater to what their skin needs to be nourished and not undernourished!

What Ingredients Should Women of Color Look for in Skincare?
Now that we have had a brief overview of what makes women of color require their very own skincare products, we need to take a look at what ingredients women of color should be mindful of when selecting new skincare products: both good and bad.

Let’s first look at the good.

Good ingredients should be all-natural, like natural oils and natural plant extracts. These ingredients provide you with the most beneficial materials, like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, for healthy and happy skin.

Moisturizing and moisture-retaining ingredients are especially ideal in order to combat dry and ashy skin as well, such as shea butter, coconut butter, baobab oil, aloe vera, and others.

You should also ensure that there are skin calming ingredients, as these will assist in relaxing any skin irritation and inflammation you may have. Some examples of these include aloe vera, chamomile, cucumber, honey, and green tea.

You should choose products that can even skin tone and complexion (remember what we said about hyperpigmentation), such as vitamin C, retinol, and retinoids.

We also highly recommend you do your best to opt for vegan products, as these don’t contain any synthetic ingredients, which can lead to countless issues for your skin especially for those with sensitive skin.

And now for the bad (which, unfortunately, can be found quite commonly in many other skincare products).

You want to absolutely stay away from phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrances, sulfates, artificial colors, silicone, petroleum, and mineral oil. These particular additives can lead to numerous issues in your skin and your body, ranging from skin irritation and allergic reactions to heart problems and cancer!

Simply put: look for them and, when you see them, drop the product and walk away.

Examples of Products Black Women Need in Skincare Routines
Needless to say, there is a lot to keep your eye on in terms of your skincare products and their ingredients. Fortunately, we have compiled a list of some of our skincare products that are specifically formulated for the use of black women so you know you are giving the TLC for your skin that it deserves!

Cleanser / Face Wash

One of the most integral parts of a successful skincare regimen is the cleanser/face wash. This will effectively dig deep within your pores, remove cumbersome clogging particles (dirt, dust, and others), wipe away dead skin cells, and have your skin feeling rejuvenated!

Our Pomegranate Collection Face Wash is perfect for doing just that. This face wash is infused with pomegranate, a nutrient rich fruit that can not only be helpful when ingested but also when applied topically. It also contains that desirable aloe vera for soothing your skin.

Moisturizing Toner

Regardless of if you have dry and ashy skin or oily skin, using moisturizer is extremely important. Our Pomegranate Collection Moisturizing Toner is the perfect combination of a toner and moisturizer. It provides you the benefits of a toner yet it won’t overdry your skin (which some do), as it is especially hydrating.

Body Lotion

Using body lotion could be one of the most vital parts of your skincare routine in order to best battle the occurrence of dry skin and protect your skin all day long. Our collection of lotions and body butters are formulated with your skin and its needs in mind.

These products contain beneficial ingredients like raw shea butter, chamomile, sweet almond oil, and jojoba seed oil.

Soap Bars

You should be taking good care of your skin both outside and inside the shower. Our Organic Vegan Bars are your perfect showermate as they are organic (meaning they’re toxin-free), gluten-free, soy-free, and even biodegradable. They contain nourishing ingredients such as lavender, coconut oil, olive oil, aloe vera, tea tree oil, and peppermint.

We hope that we could provide you with some clarity on skincare for women of color. As a black-owned business, we know all about it and have made it our mission to provide real, beneficial, and lovable personal care products to all of our customers. After all, you’ve waited long enough– and deserve it!