Regardless of skin color or ethnic background, all skin is subject to a range of problems. Almost always these skin problems have nothing to do with skin color or ethnic background. Whether it is dry or oily skin, blemishes, scarring, wrinkles, skin discolorations, skin disorders, skin sensitivity, or even risk of sun damage, all men and women of all colors and ethnic backgrounds share similar struggles and require the same products to improve the situation. So, while there are some distinctions between varying ethnic groups when it comes to skin problems and skin-care options, overall these differences are minor in comparison to the number of similarities.
Think of this in relationship to diet. Despite differences in ethnic backgrounds what constitutes a healthy diet is the same for everyone. As humans, all of us need a diet high in antioxidants, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, whole grains, lean protein, and on and on.
The same is true for your skin: What is healthy or helpful for skin is the same regardless of skin color or ethnicity. (Sources: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October 2007, pages 1225-1231; Pharmacological Research, March 2007, pages 199-206; and Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, September-October 2006, pages 377-385.)
According to an article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (February 2002, pages 41-62), “People with skin of color constitute a wide range of racial and ethnic groups—including Africans, African Americans, African Caribbeans, Chinese and Japanese, Native American Navajo [and other] Indians, and certain groups of fair-skinned persons (e. g., Indians, Pakistanis, Arabs), and Hispanics…. There is not a wealth of data on racial and ethnic differences in skin and hair structure, physiology, and function. What studies do exist involve small patient populations and that often have methodological flaws. Consequently, few definitive conclusions can be made. The literature does support a racial differential in epidermal melanin [pigment] content and melanosome dispersion in people of color compared with fairskinned persons. Other studies have demonstrated differences in hair structure and fibroblast size and structure between black and fair-skinned persons. These differences could at least in part account for the lower incidence of skin cancer in certain people of color compared with fair-skinned persons; a lower incidence and different presentation of photo aging; pigmentation disorders in people with skin of color; and a higher incidence of certain types of alopecia [loss of hair] in Africans and African Americans compared with those of other ancestry.”
One arena where differences do exist was explained in Contact Dermatitis (December 2001, pages 346-349). They noted that “There is a widespread, but largely unsubstantiated, view that certain skin types may be more susceptible to the effect of skin irritants than others. One expression of this would be that certain ethnic groups may also be more likely to
experience skin irritation___ In this study, we have investigated 2 carefully matched panels of
Caucasian and Japanese women volunteers to determine their topical irritant reaction, both acute and cumulative, to a range of materials. The results indicated that the acute irritant response tended to be greater in the Japanese panel and this reached statistical significance with the stronger irritants. Cumulative irritation was investigated only with the weaker irritants and, although again the trend was to a higher response in Japanese compared to Caucasian panelists, this rarely reached significance.” But in the long run, irritation is a problem for all skin types so all women need to treat their skin gently and not use products with sensitizing ingredients.
Throughout this book I will point out the special needs, concerns, and treatment options that affect men and women of color when they differ from those of Caucasian skin types. But beyond that, nearly everything in this book, and especially the chapter on inflammation and irritation, is true for everyone.