Most people assume that because we are of the black race there is no need to take special care of our skin. But they can’t be more wrong. The common saying, “dirty no dey kill African man”, is just a poor excuse to be lazy about our hygiene. The skin is like a canvas and what you do with it speaks volumes. The fact that we have increased the amount of melanin in our skin – which coincidentally happens to slow down our aging process compared to Caucasians – does not reduce the responsibility of paying proper attention to our skin. Easier ways to take care of our skin include drinking lots of water, eating more fruits and veggies, routine workouts like jogging, swimming, walking, riding bicycles or engaging in sports for the long haul. More deliberate steps involve:
- Cleansing your face thoroughly twice a day regularly. Using oil-free cleansers for oily skin and moisturizing cleansers for dry skin.
- Using water-based and oil-free moisturizers for oily skin. Use skin products that are highly recommended because they contain rich vitamins that promote healthy skin. It is better to apply vitamins in the form of a skin moisturizer directly to your skin topically than taking them orally).
- Using an exfoliating facial scrub that rid you of dead skin cells capable of blocking your pores.
- Protecting your skin against long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays that can cause skin cancer by wearing hats, sunglasses, wearing light-colored clothing and most of all a high-quality sunblock always.
- Taking note of changes in your skin, like discoloring, spots, sours or lumps and contacting a dermatologist immediately.
- Abstaining from alcohol which dehydrates your skin and smoking which causes premature aging.
The trick to achieving a healthy skin lies in understanding your skin type (from the many darker undertones found in the black skin) and knowing what works best for you. No matter how you look at it, the black skin is beautiful.
