Black Skincare: What's So Different About Black Skin?
We've all heard the saying, "... Black don't crack!..." But how accurate is it?
People of African descent are renowned for having skin that doesn’t appear to age. This phenomenon is attributable to high levels of Melanin – a pigment producing substance that gives color to the skin, hair and iris of the eye. The benefits of Melanin-rich skin are plentiful, such as natural protection against the visible signs of UV damage and premature aging, but not without a few concerns.
Darkly pigmented skin tends to have larger sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands are the tiny glands that blanket the scalp and skin to secrete a thin layer of oil as lubrication. The larger the sebaceous gland, the greater the oil production. As such, many people with darker skin have oily skin. Unfortunately, oily skin is often acne-prone and acne-prone dark skin may suffer from post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (e.g. those dark spots that form and remain at sites of inflammation, typically after a pimple has cleared).
On a positive note, oily skin has a skin cell turnover rate that is 2.5 times faster than that of lighter skin. A faster skin cell turnover rate helps reveal younger, healthier-looking skin. Moreover, darker skin has a lower pH than lighter skin. A lower level of skin acidity means that darker skin is highly antimicrobial and capable of inhibiting bacterial, fungal and other parasitic infections of the skin.
To address the overproduction of oil, darker skinned individuals should utilize products that are oil soluble, such as Something Borrowed…Something BHA 2% Toner, a 2% Salicylic Acid exfoliant that penetrates through oil to clear pores. Additionally, to address hyperpigmentation and accompanying dark spots, For Better…And Even Better 20.5% Vitamin C Serum, Happily Ever After Eye Gel and With This Kiss…Lip Brightening & Volume Enhancing Balm offer enhanced skin brightening capabilities via Licorice Root Extract, Lemon Peel Bioferment Extract, Vitamin C, Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide), Turmeric Extract and Glycolic Acid (Alpha Hydroxy Acid).
