by Michelle Howard
Have you ever stopped to wonder why it is that after slathering on the moisturizer, your skin returns to it’s ashy state by (and sometimes before) end of the day? Well, wonder no more. It’s time to get educated.
As a woman of color, I’ve had to roll up my sleeves and engage in the “battle of the ash.” That’s because when you have darker skin, dry skin is much more visible. Hence, I’ve had to really figure out what it is that my skin needed to stay hydrated throughout the day. The answer may appear simple. Water!
Yes, that’s right. Water is the hydrator. However, water alone does not a moisturizer make. In order for your moisturizer to really do it’s job, it must contain certain skin moisturizer ingredients and omit others. It all starts with checking out your ingredient labels.
It’s not time to shop for your skin moisturizer. (face and body) The first thing you must do is read the ingredient labels. Here’s what you want to see:
- Water as the FIRST ingredient
- A natural oil like olive oil or hemp oil as the SECOND ingredient – It seals in the moisture
- Natural Humectants such as Hyaluronic Acid (also manufactured by the body) Vegetable Glycerin, Vitamin E, Collagen, Panthenol or Elastin – These help to attract moisture from the middle layer of the skin (the dermis) toward the top layer (the epidermis) which increases your skin’s overall moisture level. Humectants are especially beneficial to have as a part of your skin moisturizer ingredients when the temperatures are high. This is because they have the ability to draw moisture out of the air into the skin which further enhances your skin’s moisture levels.
Here’s what you don’t want to see:
- Mineral oil- While it does contain the word “oil”, mineral oil does not allow your skin to breathe. If you take a graham cracker and sit it in mineral oil for an entire day, you will notice that the cracker remains sturdy. Mineral oil does not penetrate the skin. On the contrary, it sits right on top.
- Petroleum- Another substance that just sits on top of the skin and clogs pores.
- Alcohol – To have this ingredient in your skin care product defeats the purpose. Alcohol is drying and you are trying to moisturize, not dry out
- Other non-natural ingredients that dry the skin out such as sodium laurel sulfate, propylene glycol and methylparaben (any word ending in paraben really) which can also irritate sensitive skin
Now that you know what to look for and avoid in a moisturizer, you can shop with confidence that your skin will receive the attention it needs to stay hydrated because you are well armed with knowledge.
Michelle Howard is the owner of Fresh Radiant Skin, an online shop and resource for women of color. Michelle offers a wealth of skin care and related beauty information on her site and in her monthly newsletter to help with many common conditions that trouble women of color. Subscribe to her newsletter and receive a Complimentary Basically Beautiful Tips Guide.
