Black Skin Aging Looks Different. How It Looks and How to (Temporarily) Fix It. Focus: The Eyes

Black Skin Aging Looks Different. How It Looks and How to (Temporarily) Fix It. Focus: The Eyes

As we age, the melanin in dark skin is our saving grace. The darker you are, the less risk your skin has of looking like a road map of wrinkles in your twilight years. But wrinkles aren’t the only giveaway to revealing your age.

Author : Christelyn Karazin

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As we age, the melanin in dark skin is our saving grace. The darker you are, the less risk your skin has of looking like a road map of wrinkles in your twilight years. But wrinkles aren’t the only giveaway to revealing your age.

Dark Circles

Black women of all shades can experience dark circles under their eyes. This is caused by a loss of volume that accentuates the more melanin and pigment in the eye area. Because we lose subcutaneous fat as we age, dark circles (otherwise known as raccoon eyes) are more pronounced. No amount of sleep or cold compresses will make these discolorations go away, but there’s still something you can do. There’s the drastic option–injecting a fat-like substance under the eye muscle for $500-$700 a pop, or the way cheaper option, like a good concealer. My favorite is Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.

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MixedUpInVegas 1650 pts

I can't wait to try the OCC concealer.  Hope it is as good as advertised.  Most concealers are too yellow for me and I end up having to mix in some red pigment to get a good match.  These red-based colors might be just what I need!  Thanks for the tip, Chris!

BlackWomenDeserveBetter 1848 pts

Quite naturally prevention is the best medicine, but I am glad there are products such as these to bridge the gap...

My latest conversation: “Invisible Warriors”: Black Women Who Served During WWII

thecrazyartist 2220 pts

I have dry skin that is sun sensitive, yes even though my skin is an olive/light brown shade I have had many nasty sunburns from riding in a car.   So sun block is an absolute must for me, to top it off I have dark circles under my eyes(I have had them since I was a child, they run in the family on my mothers side),  I will definately try some of these tips, I look forward to the next installments.

Christelyn 8739 pts moderator

 thecrazyartist Don't forget to wear sunglasses!

thecrazyartist 2220 pts

 Christelyn

 That reminds me, I need to buy a new pair

starzzzy 429 pts

 thecrazyartist I was just about say something about the importance of sunscreen. It protects the skin! Why Black people don't think they need it is beyond me! Nobody wants wrinkles that could have been prevented by taking an extra minute to put sunscreen on!

thecrazyartist 2220 pts

 starzzzy

 I dont get it either, did you know that skin cancer is more fatal to darker skin individuals because it is likely to be caught in a more advanced stage?  In fact black women have the highest death rate for skin cancer.    So it's not just about aging(it is an added bonus to poor suncare habits though), it's about health and well being as well.

http://whyy.org/cms/news/health-science/2010/07/29/skin-cancer-death-rates-highest-among-black-women/43495

 

 

Christelyn Karazin 95 pts

 starzzzy  thecrazyartist This is KEY. That was going to be on the next beauty post. I've written about sunscreen in the past because black women often think they don't need it. They do. But you can't really put sunscreen in or around your eyes. Sunglasses are best.

Sunshine789 711 pts

 Christelyn Karazin  starzzzy  thecrazyartist Sunscreen breaks my face out, but I swear by big, floppy hats and sunglasses!

Karla 18226 pts

Interesting thread.  I just made my mom some under eye moisturizer and she loves it.  I'll keep you posted on developments as days go by.

Christelyn 8739 pts moderator

 Karla Yes, please share your recipe!

Karla 18226 pts

 Christelyn I have a lot of recipe books for cosmecuiticals, etc and my mom was reading one.  She came upon this recipe for under eye aging and asked me to make this.  I had bought her a very expensive, natural, organic under eye cream from my esthetician and she said it was too chalky and didn't work.  We're now going with this one to see if it yields better results:

 

1.5 fl oz almond oil

15 drops jojoba oil

15 drops evening primrose oil

15 drops carrot seed essential oil

5 drops lemon essential oil

5 drops lavender essential oil

3 X 250 IU capsules vitamin E oil

 

Combine all ingredients in a 50 ml bottle.  Prick the vitamin E capsules and squeeze into the bottle.  Shae the bottle really well to mix.  Let stand four days to blend.  Store in cool, dark place.

 

Before use, shake the mixture well.  One drop under each eye is sufficient.  Apply the oil at night, leave on for 10 minutes, and then, carefully, blot the excess off with a tissue.  Avoid getting the oil in the eye itself or it will sting.  If you are heavy handed, use only the middle finger to gently pat oil on this area to avoid drag.

 

I gave my mom an eye dropper so that she can get exactly one drop on her finger and so she doesn't put germs into the oil.  She claims she can feel the diff after one day and I will admit that what little bags she had have diminished and the skin looks tighter but it may be a placebo effect.  We'll see how things are going after a month.  She's with me until January so she's my guinea pig.