How black skin care products work should be no mystery.  African american or black skin is really no different than white, tan or any other tone.  When it comes right down to basic facts: skin is skin.  Only with few possibly ethnic differences, all skin tones have the same skin problems. Let’s look at the ingredients that work and the ones to avoid.

Three Skin Care Ingredients to AVOID

1. Any Paraben (esp. sodium methyl paraben)

2. Any Petroleum Based Product

3. Chemical Bleaching Compounds

1. Parabens are mainly used in skin care products as a preservative.  They are unnecessary and potentially harmful.  Parabens have been found in patients that have breast cancer.  Sodium methyl paraben can cause skin depigmenting. To be safe avoid all words ending in paraben.  Read the label.

2. Petrolatum (petroleum jelly) is not skin friendly as it is often promoted.  It clogs the pores of the skin. Also it can result in hyper pigmentation of skin. Other related ingredients to strictly avoid are propylene glycol, wood-based alcohols, mineral oil and any petroleum-based product.  There are other safe ingredients you can use.  Keep reading.

3. Chemical bleaching compounds are dangerous.  They are sold to lighten skin but can do great harm. There are effective, safe ingredients that will lighten skin.  I’m coming to that in a moment.

Safe Skin Care Ingredients for ALL Skin

*Extra Pone Nut Grass

*Vitamin E (Must be natural vitamin E)

Extra Pone Nut Grass is a very safe and effective ingredient for lightening skin tones.  The nice thing about this ingredient is that it takes just a small amount to work.  Much better and safer than some chemical bleach.

Vitamin E (Natural) is a good antioxidant that battles free radicals that cause skin cell damage.  Vitamin E works well with hyper pigmentation of the skin otherwise known as skin spots.

Sebum – The Natural Moisturizer

Sebum is our skin oil that also is our skin moisturizer.  However, some of us have either too dry skin or too oily or some range in between.  So skin problems can vary from one person to the next. But skin problems in general have nothing to do with black skin or any other tone.  Skin is skin.  What the problem usually is, is the product being used on the skin.  Especially if it is petroleum based.  Petrolatum feels good but it can do a lot of subtle harm.  If you use a good moisturizer, like the one I use, you will have 90% of your skin problems solved.

Sebum comes from the sebaceous glands.  All skin regardless of the tone have sebaceous glands.  Some just produce differently in some individuals.  Sebum is the natural moisturizer for our skin.  Using alcohol on the skin can cause it to produce too much, resulting in oily skin.  Jojoba and passion fruit extract are two ingredients you will want  to include in your skin care regimen if you have dry skin.

Anti-aging Skin Care Ingredients

There are many anti aging skin care products on the market today that make false promises.  Many are just out to make a quick buck caring little about what it does to your skin appearance.  Remember this fact,  For African American Skin you DON’T need special ingredients to fight aging skin.  Let me tell you what you should do and what you need to get.

Be glad that you read this far.  Those that didn’t won’t know what you’re about to find out.

In my vast searching for some skin care products that really work I found one that I am ecstatic about.  The reason is that it is safe and it works on all skin types and skin tones.  It is called “Functional Keratin”.  When mixed with Wakame Seaweed (Japanese) CoQ10 and Vitamin E it produces new skin cells and fibers.  This results in a younger looking skin because of the skin firmness that is taking place. See my website for more information on this truly amazing skin care ingredient.

Free radicals are the culprit behind most skin care damage.  Antioxidants like natural vitamin E will help fight off these free radical rebels.  In conclusion, please avoid all paraben ingredients, petroleum based ingredients and chemical bleaching methods. Use the ingredients I mentioned in this article and visit my website listed below for more details.  Thanks, Margaret Bell.

 

There are now many options when it comes to cosmetic anti aging treatments. Cosmetic anti aging treatments could be surgical or natural. Skin resurfacing peels are surgical treatments that include chemical and laser peels. Non-surgical treatments now include microdermabrasion and herbal skin remedies.

Laser Peel Procedure:

The laser used in laser peel treatments is carbon dioxide. This laser eliminates wrinkled or damaged skin one layer at a time. The results are minimized lines, scars and discoloration. This procedure is good especially for removing wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. Laser peel treatment can be done on the face as well as other parts of the body.

On the other hand, the laser peel treatment is not always the best for everyone, even though it is a fairly accurate treatment. Those with brown, black or olive skin have a higher possibility of skin discoloration after treatment. Worse case scenarios include bleeding and bruising.

Chemical Peel Treatment:

Chemical peel treatments are often used to eliminate wrinkles, skin discoloration and blemishes. The procedure works by chemically stripping the outer layers of the skin to give skin a nice glossy finish.

The procedure utilizes either Alphahydroxy acid or Phenol. Alphahydroxy acid derives from fruits and is known to be kinder on the skin. On the other hand, Phenol is a more abrasive chemical, but also because it is used to treat worse skin damage and deeper wrinkles. There is a possibility of scarring on the neck and body after the procedure.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is another peeling procedure but is less harsh than chemical ones and can be performed at a clinic, spa or even at home. There are now microdermabrasion kits sold over the counter. During the procedure, the outer layer of the skin is peeled by exfoliation. The method clears pores and improves skin cell turnover. This method is therefore good for those who have acne problems and scars caused by acne.

One may apply crystals or crystal-free treatment on the skin. A microdermabrasion procedure can be rather abrasive, depending on the hardness, abrasiveness and type of crystals used. For example, sensitive skin can react negatively towards aluminum-oxide crystals. Thus, there is always some risk, as with most kinds of treatments. An individual undergoing microdermabrasion treatment may need to be treated every other week or every 6 weeks if he/she would like to maintain youthful skin.

Organic Skin Care

If you are looking for a more affordable alternative, get into an organic skin care treatment. The natural ingredients in organic skin care can get rid of sun damage as well as wrinkles. Essential oils, body butter and carrier oils are just some of the natural remedies found in an organic skin care treatment. Essential oils can come from tea tree, lemongrass, peppermint, jojoba and lavender.

There are two well-known anti aging treatments and they are honey and shea butter. Honey contains antioxidants that are good for sealing in much needed moisture in the skin. Shea butter has the ability to cure dermatitis, stretch marks and eczema and is clinically proven as a safe ingredient.

When searching for an organic skin care treatment, look for those that is more than 50% organic, as this type of treatment is known to be better on the skin.