The decades-old belief that people born with darker skin tones carry the ultimate weapon against the sun’s violent attacks on the epidermis has been proven to be a kind of false hope. While it is correct to say that higher levels of melanin does act as a natural sunscreen. The truth is higher levels of melanin may help slow down the onset of wrinkles, age spots and fine lines but won’t serve as complete protection against the sun nor prevent the primary challenge of skin of color-hyper-pigmentation. http://bcove.me/w3e74znd

Now is the time

Although people of color have more natural protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation because of the increased amount of melanin, the cells that make melanin pigment tend to be more reactive to inflammation and injury. So pigmentation problems are more common in skin of color. The most common condition in people of color is post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation (PIH). This refers to increased pigmentation or dark spots at the sites of inflammation. A study undertaken by the University of California identifies hyper-pigmentation as a major cause of concern for people of color. Several past studies have concluded that there is increased frequency of disorders characterized by hyper-pigmentation in darker racial ethnic groups such as Arabs, Hispanics, Blacks and South Asians. PIH can cause psychological and emotional distress and pose a negative impact on a person’s health and life style. A study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology in 2008, on the prevalence of pigmentary disorders and their impact on quality of life found that 47.3% of patients admitted being self-conscious about their skin to some degree, 21.8% thought others focused on their skin, 32.7% reported feeling unattractive because of their skin, 32.7% put effort into hiding pigment changes, and 23.6% thought their skin affected their activities.

The University of California study concluded that considering the serious effect that PIH has on quality of life for people of color, it is highly imperative that they adopt several effective sun protection strategies such as using tropical lightening agents, sunscreens, sun protective clothing and sun avoidance.

Preventative care and complexion maintenance

You will never have great looking skin unless you work at it. There is a saying an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. In other words why solve an issue when it’s easily prevented. Sunscreens are fast positioning themselves as cost effective preventive measures than high cost, after care treatments such as Chemical Peel and Laser.

Many other studies have further found that sunscreens are also effective in preventing skin conditions such as post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation and wrinkles. With their ability to perform multiple functions, innovative broad spectrum sunscreens occupy the center stage when it comes to products which offer both health and beauty benefits.

Regardless of skin color, Sunscreens have inherent anti-aging properties which benefit all skin types. According to a study published by the Dermatology Department of John Hopkins University, there are two general theories of aging. The first one suggests that aging is a preordained process that is genetically determined. However, according to the second theory, aging is largely due to cumulative environmental damage. The body has inherent defensive mechanisms such as antioxidant enzymes which protect it against the free radicals which contribute to the aging process. However external factors such as UV radiation can damage these antioxidants over a period of time, thereby accelerating the aging process. The study further suggests that sunscreens comprising of natural anti-oxidants can be used to not only prevent, but also reverse the effects of photo aging.

Generational Variations Cultural Misconception

For the most part people of color are more incline to cover-up or correct skin problems than to prevent them. Culture, age and other factors may impact the skin care decisions women make throughout their lives. Most African American women don’t start using sunscreen until they start to see sign of sagging skin because of the breakdown of collagen by the sun. Usually people of color, in particular, African American women were not taught to embrace any specific skin care regimen; they were taught to focus on a healthy diet and natural lifestyle to promote healthy skin.

Women with fair skin are often hyper-conscious about aging. The more fair the skin tone, the more conscious they seem to be. Women with highly fair skin often see no benefit in tanning, so they seek products that prevent sunburn and hydrate skin.

Fair-skinned Latinas or lighter skinned individuals with a European heritage were encouraged to use sunscreen from a young age. Conversely, Latinas with darker skin tones didn’t become concerned with anti-aging regimens or sun-damage until they were at least 40.

Many women with dark skin tones love spending time in the sun and never took time to protect their skin. They never worry about anti-aging regimens because their skin seems to hardly wrinkle. Today, many complain or notice that their skin has become incredibly uneven, for instance, the outer perimeter of their face is darker than the inner part. They have tan lines on their arms from 3 summers ago that still haven’t gone away.

 Facts

With the wellness lifestyle movement that is happening among the ethnic community, women will be spending a significant amount of time outdoors to become fit and well. On the other hand, naturally they will have to contend with the challenge of controlling hyper-pigmentation and prevent discoloration that comes with an active lifestyle outdoors. The multi-ethnic community is growing at a faster pace than the country as a whole. They cover up with  concealer as a quick fix instead of the daily habit of protecting and maintaining their complexion.

• The fact is 1 out 3 people belong to the multi-cultural community.
• People of color who wear sunscreen are less likely to experience scarring or hyper-pigmentation when acne or a rash fades.
• People with dark skin age a lot slower because they have more melanin in their skin but they can age even more gracefully with sun protection.
• Every hour of unprotected time in the sun can provide sufficient cumulative damage to destroy collagen, damage and age the skin, and raises the chances of contracting skin cancer. Because skin with more melanin is sensitive, fragile and particularly highly reactive, the sun will intensify dark marks, discolorations or uneven skin tone and make them more difficult to get rid of.
• Sun safety is essential to maintain the health of your complexion. The World Health Organization states: Up to 80% of solar UV radiation can penetrate light cloud cover. Haze in the atmosphere can even increase UV radiation exposure. Ground reflection: grass, soil and water reflect less than 10% of UV radiation; fresh snow reflects as much as 80%; dry beach sand about 15% and sea foam about 25%. As UV radiation can neither be seen nor felt, it is important to take prompt, appropriate, protective action on a daily basis.
• The use of sunscreen needs to be a daily habit of all those who venture outdoors. Sun safety should be considered year round, no matter what the climate. The misconception is that sunscreens do not need to be applied on cloudy days; however cloudy days are when up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can filter through the clouds and perform their damage.

Customize sunscreen for complexion maintenance

EXTRASHADE Daily Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion is a cosmetically elegant sunscreen for dark-skinned people without a white cast and is perfect for oily, acne-prone skin. Build on quality ingredients such as pomegranate for soothing and hyaluronic acid for deep hydration it has the right mix of natural ingredients and is uniquely photo stabilized to help people of color maintain healthy and great looking skin.

Most people desire clear and even skin tone. Along with the presence of the right ingredients, it is also highly imperative to ensure the absence of any ingredient which could adversely react with the dark skin tone. Hence, several ingredients commonly found in most beauty products in the market place have been consciously left out of the formulation. The primary ingredients to avoid are Propylene Glycol, Lanolin, Alcohol and Fragrance that may stimulate the production of excessive melanin and contribute to Post Inflammatory Hyper-pigmentation in the long term.

Looking for a sunscreen that also serve as an everyday lotion for darker skin tones. Take a look at EXTRASHADE.com