© Michelle Howard Smith - All Rights Reserved

Skin care for women of color isn't all that different from skin care for caucasian women and women of other races.  Women (and) men of all races need to have a daily skin care regimen for their skin type as well as protection from the environment.

If you are a woman of color, what should differentiate your skin care routine from others is the type of skin care products that should be used on your skin.  Women of color tend to have dry skin and other conditions such is acne prone skin.  It is popular for women of color to have dry skin on the body and have combination skin on the face (dry to normal in some areas with oily spots...the dreaded T-zone).

As a woman of color, I've discovered that in the winter months, my skin can get particularly dry, especially my knees, heels and elbows.  My face tends to normalize in the winter months.  In the summer, my face tends to be oily but my body still has it's dry moments.  Moisturizing with cocoa butter right out of the shower and focusing on those areas that tend to be dry is most effective.

Since many of women of color battle with dry skin, our skin care producs should include super moisturizing properties...body & face products.

A few tips on skin care for women of color:

- When you have an acne breakout, do NOT pop or squeeze your pimples.  Our darker pigmentation results in a darker blemish that won't soon or easily go away (and you don't want speckles all over your face right?)

- Avoid skin care products with mineral oil in them. Mineral oil can clog the pores.

- Avoid products with sodium laurel sulfate.  It is a harsh chemical that dries out the skin (SLS is what causes soaps, shampoos and toothpaste to foam up).

Skin care for women of color should be consistent and different types of products may need to be used year round based on the condition of your skin during the season.

Determine your skin type (oily, normal, dry or combination) and how sensitive it is.  Then focus on using products for your particular skin type that do not contain harsh chemical ingredients.

You'll find that when you read the ingredient labels on your skin care products, most brands contain alcohol which is very drying to the skin.  You will also find that there are other ingredients you probably can't even pronounce.  Avoid those at all costs.  Especially if you have sensitive skin.