Natural Ethnic Skin Care: What You Need to Know

Long overdue is the fact that there are very few natural ethnic skin care products in the mainstream cosmetics industry to address skin of color properly. Seems almost everything formulated for our skin in the ethnic market is either too drying, too irritating, too greasy, or just plain too ineffective. What makes some formulators of these products think these type of products are going to help our skin? One would wonder what they were thinking. Is there any hope? It is extremely pleasing to say 'indeed yes', there is. Start using natural ethnic skin care products. Stop using toxic products. We know just how sensitive our skin is, so the first thing we need to do is avoid chemical-laden skin care and personal care products like the plague. These types of products can prove to be devastating to our skin in many ways. Unfortunately, these products were saturating and even dominating the cosmetics industry for quite some time. In both the ethnic personal care market as well as the mainstream personal care market, there's a lot left to be desired. By now, you probably have a good idea why it is not recommended to use most mainstream personal care products for sensitive skin of color. Not to worry, natural personal care products are the answer.
Natural Skin Care: Herbs Make the Difference for Ethnic Skin
When it comes to natural skin care, herbs contained in products can have a very positive impact on ethnic skin. There is a fundamental difference in the way herbal skin care and conventional skin care works. Herbs themselves, comprise not only single bioactive constituents, but a whole lot of active constituents that provide many nutrients and trace elements to the skin. Most of all, these multiple compounds acting together, can more effectively address skin problems from every angle. Remember, plant cells and human cells are very compatible. What does all this mean? It means that herbals treat not just the symptoms, but the underlying cause of any existing skin or health condition more effectively. It is well-known that herbs are more gentle in nature, on not only the skin, but the body as a whole. This can be attributed to the fact that herbs have been extracted as naturally occurring substances. Gentle herbs do not produce any major, toxic side effects on skin. This is especially beneficial for skin of color, as it is more reactive by nature than most other skin types and needs both the gentlest, and most effective treatment. Make no mistake about it, herbal skin care may be gentler, but this does not mean it is less effective. You'll be pleasantly surprised! Remember, 60-70% of what you put on your skin has the ability to penetrate your pores and eventually end up in your blood stream. If you are going to use products to address your skin condition, why not use something naturally healthy as well? You only want your skin absorbing the good stuff, such as the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes that herbs are so richly endowed with. Natural products either purchased or home-made from natural ingredients, should be the preferred choice before conventional personal care products are sought after from the mainstream cosmetics industry.
Herbals vs. Modern Drugs in the Skin Care Industry
Modern drugs contained in mainstream or conventional skin care products(including benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, kojic acid, etc.) are manufactured in laboratories and then produced in mass quantities in factories. Before reaching the general public, these drugs are tested on a large number of users. The knowledge that forms the basis of the conventional or mainstream skin care industry is based on experimental findings and observations. To that extent, herbal treatments are also supported through years of experienced-based evidence that has accumulated over generations and across cultures, thus their value is well-known. The unfortunate fact is that the approach to testing herbal remedies has not been as thorough and rigorous as the testing that is seen in the mainstream beauty industry. So much money has been put into funding the analysis of modern drugs (also contained in skin care) that they should be able to produce evidence for the benefits of herbal treatments. In the modern drug and skin care industry, it's all about the money. It is much less cost-effective for mainstream cosmetic and skin care makers to produce active, natural and organic skin care products than to produce unnatural and even unsafe ones. Remember that herbal treatments are different in that they are a complex mixture of a variety of active compounds. These active compounds work together to heal skin more effectively and are difficult to separate making duplication and measurement a difficult task.
One Word of Caution
When selecting herbal ethnic skin care products for our dark skin, we must still be cautious for our skin's sake. Beware of companies who tout themselves as offering you so-called 'natural' and 'organic' skin or hair care products, and they really are not! When it comes down to it, there are only one, two, or maybe even three natural and/or organic ingredients in the entire product followed or preceded by a host of chemical ingredients such as coloring agents, preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, PH balancers, fragrance and such. Please read labels carefully. Avoid these products. Your skin will thank you. When it comes to conventional skin care companies who don't tout themselves as being natural and/or organic lines, they have their own share of issues with chemical-filled products as well.
The Bottom Line
Dark skin types should be treated with the thorough understanding of our skin's characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. Once we understand this, we can treat it more effectively with natural herbs and avoid the recurrence of excessive skin problems. We can start by becoming more educated about our beautiful dark skin (you are because you're reading this article). First, avoid unhealthy and unnatural skin care products, incorporate more fresh, nutrient rich foods in our diets, and use natural ethnic skin care products designed for 'us' (even if you have to make your own). You're on your way!