Are you struggling to find sustainable beauty products that are suitable for dark skin?
It can be hard to know which skin-care ingredients are best for different skin types and skin tones.
In this article, we break down 7 amazing eco-friendly beauty products that are nourishing and rejuvenating for dark skin tones, black skin, and the earth.
What Are The Best Skin Care Products For The Environment?
You will find that the best eco-friendly products come from sustainable brands.
Why?
Because sustainability is at the heart of their brand ethos, which drives their decision-making process.
Beauty brands are now being held accountable for their impact on the environment. This means that more sustainable beauty brands will begin popping up on the high streets more regularly.
At Fait Avec Coeur, we do the hard work for you and vet all of the clean beauty brands we promote.
So you can save time and pamper yourself with nourishing clean beauty products, minus the guilt.
But in case you want to do your own research on skin-care, here are some important things to consider about a beauty brand before purchasing...
What Makes A Beauty Brand Sustainable?
- Eco-Friendly Or Certified Organic Ingredients Ingredients
- Environmentally Friendly Or Recycled Packaging
- Sustainable Ingredient Sourcing
- Sustainable Manufacturing Processes
- Using Renewable Materials Throughout The Production + Manufacturing Process
- Limiting The Environmental Impact Wherever Possible Within The Business Model
What Do You Need In Natural Black Skin Care Products?
Do women of color need different skin-care products? On the whole, the most important thing to address is your skin type, as opposed to skin color.
You are not limited to beauty products marketed for different skin colors.
However, there are some differences in skin properties depending on your skin tone. The best beauty products for dark skin tones are ones that protect from sun damage and water loss, whilst balancing PH, and nourishing natural wound healing.
Melanin is what provides skin with its dark complexion. The darker skin, the more melanin present. And clinical research shows that there are physiological differences in skin depending on the amount of melanin present.¹
Transepidermal water loss (TEWL)—when water escapes the dermis, the second layer, via the epidermis, the outer layer, and evaporates—is considerably higher for black skin, along with having a lower PH level than white skin. Research also shows that, compared to white skin, black skin has larger mast cell granules, which aid in our skin’s immune response .²
Why is this important to know?
The skin’s natural PH level is around 5.5, which is slightly acidic, and plays a huge role in healthy skin. The skin’s acid mantle is responsible for protecting the skin from allergens, pathogens, bacteria, and pollution. A study on dermopharmacy has suggested that changes in PH level could play a role in skin irritation and skin diseases.³
So it’s important to use PH balancing beauty products, especially if you are a woman of color.
Looking after the skin’s protective barrier is vital as damage to the skin’s barrier can affect transepidermal water loss. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is a natural function of the skin that allows water to evaporate. However, when the skin loses too much water - this actually impacts healthy skin cell function.
Hydration plays a vital role in keeping the skin refreshed and youthful. Dehydration, due to high levels of transepidermal water loss can prevent the skin from healing and regenerating properly in a process known as desquamation.
Having a skin-care routine that properly seals in moisture is vital for women of color.
Mast cells play a key role in different stages of skin wound healing.⁴ Larger mast cells are known to contribute to keloid hypertrophic (enlarged and raised) scars, which are more common in darker skin than white skin. So those with darker skin tones need to ensure their skin-care products enhance wound healing and healthy repair.
The Best Sustainable Beauty Products For Dark Skin
Clean beauty brands focus on skin-care products that have only the best natural ingredients to nourish your skin. You'll often find their beauty products filled with lush organic ingredients, and free from harmful ingredients, synthetic ingredients, harmful chemicals.
Here is our rundown of 7 powerful skin-care products for dark skin, and why you need them in your beauty routine!
Marshmallow Face Cleanser
The foundation of every good skin-care routine is an effective cleanser that can nourish and cleanse without stripping the skin of its natural oils. The Marshmallow Face Cleanser contains organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic pumpkin seed oil, jojoba oil, organic aloe vera, and organic hemp oil.
Plant oils are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are an important addition to both day and nighttime skin-care routines as they help to counter the effects of sun damage. They scavenge for free radicals and stabilize them, which helps to prevent the sun from causing premature aging, fine lines, and hyperpigmentation.
Aloe vera is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and contains Vitamin A and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). To keep the skin properly hydrated it’s important to use humectants, occlusives, and emollients on the skin. Aloe vera is a great humectant that helps the skin to retain moisture. And plant oils are great emollients and occlusives which help to seal the moisture into the skin.
Vitamin A and Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) are great to naturally treat hyperpigmentation, which can be a common unwanted effect of sun damage. The Marshmallow Face Cleanser is perfect for all skin types, but especially those with dry or sensitive skin.
Malu - Day Cream SPF 30
A good sun protection factor (SPF) is vital for healthy and radiant skin. SPF works wonderfully alongside antioxidants to create a strong barrier against sun damage.
The sun’s UV rays can cause damage through free radicals, which are known to cause skin cancer, fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, dryness, and hyperpigmentation. Clinical research shows that daily use of an SPF 30 for a year can improve the skin’s appearance by up to 52%.⁶ Skin tone, texture, and hyperpigmentation can drastically improve, simply by incorporating a daily SPF into your skin-care routine.
Malu Day Cream SPF 30 contains aloe vera and squalene. Aloe vera is known for its moisturizing properties. And squalene is a good emollient with antioxidant properties. Squalene doesn’t feel heavy on the skin, but it penetrates and improves hydration without clogging pores.
UpCircle Eye Cream With Maple And Coffee
Nobody has time for under-eye shadows and fine lines... But yet so many of us neglect under eye-skincare! UpCircle eye cream contains organic cucumber, shea butter, and salicylic acid.
Cucumber is anti-inflammatory and contains Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which is great for evening out skin tone. Shea butter is an emollient so it helps to seal moisture into the skin, and it also boasts anti-inflammatory properties. Salicylic acid helps to reduce redness, swelling, and remove dead skin cells.
You can help to prevent premature aging around the eyes by investing in a good eye cream like the UpCircle Eye Cream With Maple And Coffee.
Māhealani Moonlit Glow Balm
Filled with a variety of different plant butter and natural oils - this is the perfect day or night moisturizer for normal to dry skin.
Having a good moisturizer in your daytime and nighttime routine is important to ensure that your skin radiates and glows. Hydration is a key factor in the skin being able to refresh and renew itself at a cellular level.
To get the most benefit from your moisturizer - timing is really important. Use this powerful balm after facial misting with rose water or a shower, which allows the balm to lock the moisture into your skin. Then sit back, and let the botanical beauty of the Moonlit Glow Balm do the work!
UpCircle Face Serum With Coffee Oil
The UpCircle face serum is a great alternative to a traditional moisturizer if you have dry skin and you’re looking for a product that is oil-based.
The variety of plant oils (such as organic jojoba oil, organic rosehip oil, and organic raspberry seed oil) within this facial serum are low on the comedogenic rating scale. Meaning that they do not clog pores or contribute to acne. So you can get all the benefits of a boost of hydration, knowing that it won’t cause a breakout.
This facial serum contains natural oils such as organic sea buckthorn oil which is high in Vitamin E and aids wound healing.
Enlighten | Retexturizing Glycolic Treatment
At home, acid treatment options are a great way to rejuvenate and refresh the skin by gently removing dull layers of skin. This wonderful exfoliating acid treatment contains rose water, aloe vera, neem, and turmeric.
Glycolic acid helps to remove dead layers of skin, so that hydration can properly penetrate and benefit healthy skin cell function. It is also good for hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and maintaining PH balance.
Rose-water, neem, and turmeric are staples in Ayurveda and have been used for centuries in natural skin care remedies across South Asia. Known for their anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, they help to reduce redness and puffiness.
Jaipur | Brightening Enzyme Mask
The Jaipur Brightening Enzyme Mask is perfect for women of color. The glycolic acid gently removes dead skin cells and helps to smooth skin texture. Whilst the Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) sourced from organic orange peel and organic lemon peel extract improves skin tone and dark spots.
Containing organic neem seed oil, and a variety of other organic botanical ingredients - this potent mask improves complexion and radiance, leaving you with soft and glowing skin!
Conclusion
There are so many products on the shelves that are suitable for women of color. It’s just about knowing what your skin type is, and why the ingredients are going to pave your way to refreshed, radiant, hydrated skin.
Remember to identify your skin type, and then choose sustainable beauty products with natural ingredients that are kind to your skin, and friendly to the earth.
Carmen Lee is a certified yoga teacher, childbirth doula, and wellness coach. She educates on womb wellness, sacred wisdom, and ancestral-connected living. You’ll find her passionately advocating radical self-care and transformational self-empowerment through sustainable beauty and self-love rituals.
Some of the products promoted in our blog are from our online store. Many others are brands we have researched and found to be great examples of sustainable, ethical, and innovative brands in their field, and we don't make any profit from mentioning them in our blog. #CollaborationOverCompetition
