Bathing in warm rather than hot water is the key and here is the main reason.  If you think about the natural oils (or sebum) your body produces as being the major natural barrier against the elements, like sun damage and pollution, as well as a prevention against premature aging of your skin, then most African American skin is naturally abundant. This is why so many people of color in their later years look so much younger than people of other skin types at the same time of life.

But all this natural advantage can be literally soaked away in a bath or shower if you have the hot water tap turned up too high!

I have been studying skin in general – and African American skin in particular -for many years.  And I have found that one of the reasons why so many people of color, who normally have oily skin, suddenly develop the problems of dry skin, like eczema and uneven skin tone is because they wash their bodies in hot water and use harsh chemicals to scrub the skin clean.

We can be so much more gentler on ourselves if we just take the time to think about it, and become aware of what we are doing to our largest organ, our precious skin.

Starting with your daily bath or shower, as I said, turning the hot water down will help prevent washing all that healing sebum down the drain and keep it where it was intended, on your body.

My next question is what do you put on your skin after washing? Most people say “nothing” or “my clothes”, when I ask this question. Now think about that some more. There you are, having no natural oil on your body and you haven’t replaced the natural oil you scrubbed away with anything else, what do you think happens?

Of course the answer lies in your age and the natural state of your skin. If you are young then your body will most likely manufacture more sebum (oil) and over-compensate for the loss by over-producing oil. This repeated build up causes breakouts of spots due to clogging up of the pores.

If you are more mature then the problem is more likely to be that your body can’t produce more oil, so it just stays dry and that’s when flaky, rough uneven patches show up and wrinkles and lines make their appearance.

All this can be easily avoided by bathing in warm and not hot water. Like all things, the simple solutions often work the best and this gem of knowledge definitely falls into that category.

You wouldn’t expose your baby’s skin to hot water, so why do it to yourself?  Certainly relax and enjoy your bath or shower, but don’t forget the needs of your beautiful black skin.

Dedicated to Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel,

Esthetician/Publisher - NYRAJU Skin Care

Providers of natural skin care products specifically formulated for the African American Market.