Debunking 6 Skincare Myths Brown Skinned Women Have Been Repeatedly Told

With summer and the scorching heat just around the corner, it’s time to bust and debunk popular skincare myths that brown-skinned women have been told over and over in their lives.

Skincare is a myth. It does not really work for darker skin tones

Skincare is for everyone and skincare definitely works for everyone regardless of gender and skin tones. Therefore, do not get lured into the toxic community that keeps telling brown-skinned women how skincare won’t work for them and how they’re just wasting money because it won’t show on their skin.

Self-grooming makes you feel confident and is important. Every skin is beautiful and we should take care of it.

 

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Drinking enough water will clear your skin

While there has been scientific proof that links a person’s diet with the health of their skin, there has not been any scientific proof that links clear skin with water.

Although research has proved that drinking water is good for your overall body and health in general, drinking water and staying hydrated won’t automatically solve your problems and clear your skin.

You have to wash your face a lot if you have oily skin

Another skincare myth that we have yet to debunk is this. It is easy to repeatedly wash off the sweat and the oil that the skin produces especially during summers.

But note that over-cleansing the face, especially with scrubs or harsh cleansers is more harmful to the skin. Over cleansing strips off the essential oils that your skin produces thus leaving it dehydrated and even irritated.

Washing the face two times a day is enough and ideal for any skin type.

Darker skin does not need sunscreen

This skincare myth has been around for as long as everyone can remember. While sunscreen is the most vital step of skincare, brown-skinned women have been told for ages that they do not need sunscreen due to their darker skin color.

A darker skin tone does not mean the skin is immune to the sun and its ultraviolet rays. In fact, most of the skin problems that we face are due to the sun and the UV rays.

SPF should be worn not just on sunny and bright days but also on cloudy days. Just because you can’t see the sun does not mean the UV rays are not there. Not only is it important to wear sunscreen every day, it is also important to reapply it multiple times throughout the day.

Every skin needs sunscreen every day. Let that sink in.

Anything labelled ‘Natural’ or ‘Organic’ is good for you

Indian women do tend to try everything that is labelled ‘Natural’ or ‘Organic’ that they find in the market. While these ‘natural’ products may seem safe, according to the U.S Food and Drug Administration, this is clearly not the case.

It is important to note that a lot of these ‘natural’ skincare products that we find in India do not have the list of ingredients or components of the product for the consumers to see. Due to this, the product may even be sometimes too harsh and concentrated on the skin.

Therefore, think twice before you buy that ‘Natural’ product if there is no list of ingredients you can verify. Your skin might react badly to it.

Moisturising face is not necessary if the skin is oily

During the scorching hot Indian summers, brown-skinned women often leave out moisturisers thinking that they're preventing acne by doing so. But you're not doing your skin any favour by leaving out moisturisers. Having unmoisturized skin can destroy the skin cells from external factors like pollution and UV rays.

The sebum secreted by the facial glands helps hydrate the skin. This means that oily skin can also be dehydrated if it is not moisturized properly. Just like sunscreen, moisturiser is a must for any type of skincare.

It is best to opt for lightweight and oil-free moisturisers for people with oily skin.