Beauty Tips for African Americans
Source: www.africanbeautytip.com
Skin Care
Myth #1: Black skin cannot burn
Despite popular beliefs, black skin is just as susceptible to elements of weather, sun and pollution, as any other skin type. As a matter of fact, black skin is very delicate and becomes damaged easily. Using sunscreen is important as black skin does burn. The melanin which gives black skin its color offers some level of protection, but like all skin types long exposure to the sun can result in painful burns.
Myth #2: Skin Cancer does not affect black skin
Excessive exposure to the sun can also result in skin cancer, so African Americans also need to heed the warnings on how to protect themselves from the sun’s rays.
Myth #3: Black hair is strong
Again this is not true; the natural curls of the hair of Blacks/African Americans make it weak and susceptible to damage
Face Cleaning/Washing
The first step is to have a good cleaning regimen as part of your daily beauty care routine. Firstly, you do not need wash your face more than two times or a maximum of three times per day, one of which should be at bed time. The more you wash your face, especially if you have oily skin, the more oil it will produce to replace that which was removed. It is important to remember to never use soap to wash your face. Soap dries the skin and leaves a film on it, giving it an ashy undertone. Whatever cleansing agent you use, read the ingredients and avoid any that is too alkaline.
A word of warning, black skin is very delicate and should not be scrubbed too harshly. Exercise caution when using exfoliation products as they can cause microscopic tears on the skin. The best exfoliation products for black skin are clay masks and gentle cleansers. Another simple cleansing option, which also serve to exfoliate is sea salt; this can be combined with cornmeal or oatmeal and a liquid such as water or milk to form a paste.
The following guidelines are particularly useful for varying skin types:
1. Oily skin is best cleaned with a gel cleaner
2. Normal skin can be cleaned with most facial cleaners
Once your face has been washed, follow up with a good toner and finish off with a moisturizer.
Moisturizer and sunscreen should be used everyday, even if you are at home.
Toner
Toning the skin helps to close pores which were opened during cleaning and prevent impurities from entering the skin. Good sources of low-cost and easily obtainable astringent are witch hazel, rose water, honey or lime juice. Do not leave the honey on your face; rub it into the skin until it disappears and then rinse. If you have sensitive skin, dilute the lime juice with water before using.
To apply toner to your face, use a cotton ball or a spray bottle that can deliver a fine mist.
NB: Do not use rubbing alcohol on your skin; it is not a good form of astringent even for oily skin. Furthermore, alcohol will only cause the skin to produce more oil to replace what was lost.
Moisturizer
Select moisturizers depending on your skin type, that is, whether or not your face is oily, dry, normal, or a combination of oily and dry. A shine control moisturizer is good for oily skin. Ensure that your moisturizer has a SPF 15 or higher for added protection. Do apply around your eyes and use both day and night.
To get the best results, practice applying the moisturizer with your hands.
Foundation
Before buying a foundation make sure to sample the product first to ensure that the color is right for your skin. Test the foundation on the inside of your wrist as this area is generally closest in color to your face.
A guide for selecting foundation for African American skin of whatever shade:
1. Very dark skin – use one with a bluish undertone
2. Medium brown skin – one with a reddish-yellow tone should work well
3. Light skin – use a foundation with a golden/yellow bas
Most African Americans have two skin tones, so have two foundations handy, one for the lighter areas and one for the darker areas, and blend them so as to achieve a natural look.
Foundation should also be selected based on whether or not you have oily or dry skin. If your skin is normal or a combination of dry and oily a moisture rich foundation is your best choice. If you have really oily skin, select a foundation that is oil-free. As with most make-up, ensure that your moisturizer is SPF 15 or higher.
Apply foundation for best results with your fingers, but if you find it difficult use a sponge. Do not use sponge made of nylon, select one as close to natural fiber as possible.
Finish off your face with powder as this sets your foundation. Keep the use of powder light as our skin can easily turn ashy-gray with too much powder. Also, excessive powder can accentuate fine lines around your eyes and lips. The powder used should be as close to the color of your foundation as possible.
Eyes
Use concealers to hide dark circles under your eyes. For best results use a concealer that is the same shade or lighter than your foundation. Home remedies for dealing with tired eyes include using cool tea bags, cucumbers and ice packs.
There are two main ways to apply eye shadow, namely rounded and winged. Winged shading tends to work better on younger women; rounded is good for older women as it does not accentuate sags and wrinkles. To determine where to begin the arch of your eyebrow, use a pencil to measure from your pupil to the lower tip of your eyebrow.
Eye Liner
Do not pull eye lids to apply liner; it is best to place your finger below your lower lid and exert a little pressure, this will push the lid out and you can apply the liner to the rim. Eyeliner opens up your eyes and is especially useful if you want your eyes to seem larger and brighter.
Eye Shadow
Select eye shadow based on the time of day and the effect you are trying to achieve. However, your eye shadow should ideally be feathered, thus subtly blending it into your skin. Place the darker color closer to your eyes and highlight with a lighter shade below your eyebrow line.
Lips
For best results lips should be lined using the appropriate colour lip liner. Not only does this help to define your lips, but it prevents the lipstick from bleeding onto your teeth or upper lip. Try to find a liner that is a little darker than your lipstick for contrast, or find one in a neutral color. Black lip liner does not go with every color lipstick; ideally your lip liner and lipstick should be the same colour just different shades.
For kissable lips, line the lips by following their natural contours. Once you have done this to your satisfaction, use a lip brush to help you blend your lipstick into the liner so that there is no obvious demarcation.
When buying lipstick look for one with sunscreen as you also need to protect your precious lips. It is also advisable to use a lip base before applying lipstick for added protection from allergic reactions to the lipstick.
Hair
No article covering African American beauty tips can be complete without mentioning the care and treatment of hair. Hair, the crowning glory, is an important part of any personal beauty routine and should not be overlooked.
The hair of the black woman is uniquely different from other races and as such cannot be treated the same way. An excessive use of oil is not necessary for black hair and as a matter of fact can exacerbate problems such as dandruff and acne. Black hair, whether processed or natural, needs to be regularly conditioned and treated to maintain its health.
Hair care tips
- For split ends, a problem especially for processed hair, the best treatment is to simply clip the ends.
- Do not brush processed hair too hard; however, if the hair is natural, brushing is important to help with the circulation of essential oils.
- To minimize flyaway and soften your hair, dampen hair brush with warm water.
- Do not weigh your hair down with excessive amounts of oil, especially since washing the hair every day is not an option.
Blush
To get the perfect blush, experiment with different shades to find which works best for your skin tone, but remember that black women do not have bright red rosy cheeks. For a natural look, select purples and browns. To apply blush properly, start on the cheek and gently brush out towards the temples. For added contouring, a little can be lightly added to the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin); this helps to highlight your face and draw attention to those features you consider most appealing. Use some of the same guidelines for choosing foundation when choosing blush.
Remember that bronzing powder can be used instead of blush for a nice healthy glow.
How to apply products to your face
1. Start at your throat and stroke upwards, that is, towards your chin
2. Stroke under your chin and continue with upward strokes
3. To apply to your cheeks, start from your nose and stroke towards your temples
4. To your nose, apply vertically in a north to south direction
5. For your forehead, apply straight across from hairline to hairline
6. For the sensitive eye area be extra careful not to damage the delicate skin surrounding the eyes. To do this use the ring finger which is less likely to exert excess pressure and do the following: start at the corner of your eye and move towards your nose and then above your eye and back to the corner. This minimizes the development of crows’ feet.
