It’s Sunday self-care time and we’re bringing you skincare advice on how to care for black skin in the winter so you’re cosy, warm and glowy.

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It’s the beginning of October and some stores already have out their seasonal decor which only means one thing: winter is here. Black skin tends to be more prone to dryness so we’re bringing you this special edition on winter skincare for black skin featuring board certified dermatologist, Oyetewa Boluwatito Oyerinde, M.D., FAAD who is the Director of the Skin of Color Clinic at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Common concerns in winter

Black patients tend to be more prone to dry skin and eczema. Winter weather is more dry and so it can cause flares of these conditions. Often times if my patients have eczema - in the winter they will notice more rashes and dark spots that arise after the rashes heal.

How to address these concerns

  • Moisturise the correct way: The most important thing is to find the right moisturizer. A thick moisturizing cream or ointment, especially one without fragrance, is excellent for eczema prone skin. Lotions are usually too thin for dry skin in the winter.

  • Take Lukewarm showers: Hot water in the shower or for washing hands will dry the skin out and lead to more rashes. People often think that taking hot showers will help with itchy skin. It feels better for a few moments, but then it dries out the skin and causes damage to the skin barrier, which leads to more itch. I recommend lukewarm water, patting dry (instead of rubbing) and then applying moisturizer to the full body within 10 minutes of getting the skin wet.

  • Embrace humidifiers and shower filters: People can also consider using a humidifier to keep the air in their room moist and getting a filter on the shower if they live in a place that has hard water.

  • Your diet matters: A balanced diet will always help the skin to appear more healthy, including green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli and arugula.

  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Getting at least 8 glasses of water a day and wearing smoother fabrics like silk and satin as opposed to cotton and wool will help to keep moisture in the skin.

Specific ingredients/formulations to look out for in winter

  • Hyaluronic acid and ceramides are ingredients that help to make moisturizers more effective, and are excellent for repairing a damaged skin barrier.

  • Niacinamide is an excellent ingredient that can be formulated into gentle moisturizers to help combat dark spots.

Should you exfoliate in winter?

Not everyone needs to use an exfoliating product at all - just depends on their skin care goals. For someone who has acne prone skin and/or gets dark spots, glycolic acid or mandelic acid can be used 1-2 times weekly during the winter to combat this. If they are noticing too much dryness, they should cut back and try a thicker moisturizer.

How to care for sensitive skin

I advise using fewer products and removing fragrance. Because of social media, everyone wants to use 13 products to get β€œglass skin”, not knowing that mixing all of those ingredients on the skin often leads to irritation in sensitive skin. Also, fragrance in products is most commonly an irritant in sensitive skin.

What you need

All anyone needs is a basic skin care regimen with a gentle face wash, a gentle moisturizer and a sunscreen to prevent hyperpigmentation. For a slightly more advanced skin care regimen, vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night can be added.

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