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Sis! Drop That Skin Routine: How to Keep Your Mela...

Sis! Drop That Skin Routine: How to Keep Your Melanin Poppin’ When the Weather is Not

My mother told me that as long as I washed my face, my dark skin would shine like the sun, but it never seemed to be enough—something was lacking.  I could never wear my skin with pride.  My skin was dull, noticeably dry, and scarred with seemingly-permanent blackheads.  At Northwestern, I noticed that many Black women had skin that would absorb and reflect the sun.  They held their heads up high and exuded and radiated confidence, so I would ask myself, “How can I be like them?”  As my time at Northwestern went on, the quality of my skin seemed to worsen—one day I woke up and there was a massive dark spot on my chin under my lip.  I relentlessly scrubbed with no relief.  The little confidence I had was nearly wiped away, but I was determined to purify my face. I wanted a change, so I found one.  I am by no means a skin expert, but I am now an expert in my skin, so I want to share how I transformed my skin from dull to DAMN. I did the only thing I knew how to do:  research.  It took me a while to figure out what worked for my own skin.  I needed to find products that would hydrate my skin as well as brighten it, especially during the winter, the season of dryness.  Nearly a year later, after extensive and tireless research, I stumbled across rose products.  The amazing thing about these products is that they have anti-inflammatory ingredients that help soften and smooth your face as well as reduce scarring.  Roses are good for people who have dry, neutral, and especially oily skin because of its antibacterial properties and moisture sealant abilities.  They are especially good for people of color because they brighten our faces so we can get those glowing selfies when the sunlight hits us just right. Currently, my skin care routine consists of three products containing roses: Radha Rosehip Oil (which is USDA Organic), Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater and Thayer’s Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Formula Rose Petal Alcohol-Free Toner.  I also use Trader Joe’s Spa Face Wash with Tea Tree Oil paired with a cheap automatic face brush I found on Amazon. The Routine:
  1. Gently wipe your face using a cotton wipe lightly coated in the witch hazel
  2. Wash your face using the face brush, face wash and automatic brush using cold water. Cold water helps seal in the moisture.
  3. Pat your face dry with a towel dedicated to drying your face to avoid transferring any dirt that may be on your body towel back to your face.
  4. Spritz some rosewater on your face to help refresh it.
  5. Drip some rosehip oil in your hand and spread it evenly across your face.
Within one night of using these products, I saw a clear change in the color of my face.  I remember waking up the next day and having to do a double take, not recognizing myself because the unevenness of my skin’s texture and color had diminished greatly.  That horrendous mark I had virtually disappeared.  Although this is my personal routine, my friends with oily skin have found rose products to be effective when controlling the level of oil their faces produce, as well as any other desired results.   So, sorry sis, wake up and smell the roses and leave that coconut oil on the shelf. Other tips:
  • Drink water. I strive for about three liters a day to help flush out as much dirt as possible.
  • Change your pillowcase frequently.  All the dirt and oils love to hang around.
  • If you have tough dark spots, try applying Vitamin E oil to those spots or adding Vitamin E to your daily vitamin intake.
  • Try everything and be patient!  Just because roses work for me, doesn’t mean it will work for you.
 
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2 COMMENTS

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  1. Toker

    2 February

    Reply

    That pillowcase tip was amazing, I feel like a vast audience is unaware of that. Also the last line about trying everything, because the same products won’t work for the next person, was really insisghtful. ✌?

  2. Rachel Kwak

    2 February

    Reply

    My girl Ayana coming in with straight pure wisdom! I loved everything about this piece!??

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