Ethnic skin care

Rory Hadley, Blogger & Mom, shares advice for parents on how skin care for kids with darker skin tones is different than those with lighter skin tones
Parenting TIps | Ethnic Skin Care Advice
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Ethnic skin care

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Taking care of darker skin tones is a little bit different than people with lighter skin tones. One of the common misconceptions is that darker skin doesn’t burn in the sun, which is not true. It just burns less easily, but sunscreen is definitely required. Another thing you need to know about darker skin tones is that it doesn’t absorb vitamin D as easily as lighter skin tones, so you want to make sure that your child is getting enough sun. Not necessarily direct sunlight, but being in a place where they can absorb vitamin D. And if you have any concern – if you live in a colder climate where there is not a lot of sun – definitely talk to your pediatrician about vitamin D supplements. Also with African-American or children of African descent, the skin can be a little sensitive and prone to eczema, so you want to keep an eye out for moisture needs. If the skin starts to get a little ashy or it looks a little white, it definitely needs more moisture. But it can also be sensitive to different types of products and that can include sunscreens. Chemical based sunscreens can cause an outbreak of eczema, so often times we might recommend what’s called a physical sunscreen, which would be zinc or titanium based, although it does leave the skin looking a little purplish in hue, it usually causes fewer reactions than chemical based sunscreens.

Rory Hadley, Blogger & Mom, shares advice for parents on how skin care for kids with darker skin tones is different than those with lighter skin tones

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Rory Hadley

Mom & Blogger

Rory is a wife, a blogger, and a transracial adoptive parent of an African American girl, who joined the family through domestic adoption in 2007 at a mere six days old. A self-described tomboy and computer geek, Rory had little knowledge regarding her own hair, not to mention no prior experience with the unique hair and skincare needs of children of African descent. Making it her mission to learn everything that she could, Rory started chronicling her experiences for other parents who have found find themselves in similar situations. Since the launch of her blog, Chocolate Hair / Vanilla Care in 2010, people from all over the world have been able to share in her journey as she demonstrates new hair styles, outlines step-by-step instructions, reviews products, and discusses the many aspects of what it means to be a transracial family in today's world. Rory hopes to continue exploring identity, respect, and empowerment, using hair as a common language.

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