By Jacqueline Stiff
For as long as I can remember, Mami’s drawers have been full of different types of cremas for her skin, eyes, wrinkles, acne, you name it! That’s because, when it comes to the beauty world, no one is more obsessed with maintaining a youthful look than Latinas. And if we can’t obtain it through cremas, then there’s always a quick flight to Colombia that can fix it — but let’s not touch that subject right now!
Still, after knowing all the time and money Mami invested in her appearance, it took me years to understand or even consider the concept of skincare. I was honestly one of those people who took my good genes for granted. I was in high school and I remember watching an MTV show called Dara, and she happened to ask her sister how she kept her skin looking great. Her sister replied, “Simple, I use moisturizer.” That was my one and only lesson on skincare, and it stuck with me. Up until maybe 5 years ago, my face wash was whatever soap was in my bathroom: hand soap, body soap, whatever — it made no difference to me. I would then finish off with whatever moisturizer was the cheapest at Walmart. My skincare products altogether may have cost me under $5. No need to break the bank or spend a lot of time worrying about my skin; 5 minutes and I was done!
Then I had a baby in 2013, and between hormonal changes, lack of sleep, and barely eating a full meal in one sitting, my skin was fighting back with a vengeance! I went from ‘ooh-lala’ to ‘ooh-girl what happened to you?!’ The oily skin, mild acne, dark under eyes, and dehydrated under-eye bags showed up real quick! Ay mija. If you’re struggling, let me share with you 3 tips that I had to learn the hard way about not just skincare but also common problems with Latina skin and how to avoid them with Reflect Beauty Award-winning products.
TIPS:
DARK CIRCLES. Apparently with our olive and warm skintones, we’re prone to dark under eyes, so it’s especially important that we try to combat this. Always use a moisturizing eye cream! I stuck with the TV tip about using moisturizer but failed to apply under-eye cream because “it’s a more sensitive area.” Compounded with the lack of sleep from a new baby, this led me to severely dehydrated under-eyes, dark circles, bags, fine lines and wrinkles. That was definitely a ditzy moment. But you don’t have to make that mistake! Watch as both Ada and Leslie demonstrate how to stay wrinkle-free with the Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb.
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OILY SKIN. Latino skin typically tends to produce more sebum, which slows down the aging process but can result in oily or combination skin with an oily T-zone. Skip the cleansers with Benzoyl Peroxide, as it can be drying to our skin. I know it’s tempting to clear your skin of all that oil production, but if you strip your face of any and all oils, you’re only asking for more oil to be produced — which leads to excess oil, and now you look like a greasy chicken. It boggled my mind to hear that using a face oil can actually help if you have oily skin! This tells your skin, “Hey we’re good on oil up here, no need to produce more,” and helps keep and balance what you actually need on your face. Also avoid cleansers and toners with alcohol that can be drying and lead to more oil production. Ada and Leslie both use great product examples that help with oily skin: SkinFix Foaming Oil Cleanser, Clinique ID gel brilliance – oil control, Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Antioxidant Face Oil, and the Pixi Glow Tonic.
SUNSCREEN. I have lived in Florida all my life and spent A LOT of time basking in our year-round sunny beach weather, but failed for years to protect my skin against damaging UV rays. I recently learned that Latinos are more prone to hyperpigmentation, melasma, and dark skin spots due to extended sun exposure. So pack on the sunscreen 15 minutes before you head out. If you’re already battling hyperpigmentation, products with retinol, vitamin C, and glycolic acid can help increase the rate of skin cell renewal and decrease the appearance of dark spots. In the tutorials, Leslie will help guide you to use some great products that can help with this as well: Pro Strength by Urban Skin Rx Super C Brightening Serum and Rodial Glycolic Booster Drops.
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Taking care of your skin and learning what products are right for you may seem tedious at first, but it’s so necessary. So take it from me: El que no oye consejo no llega a viejo — or, in this case, you’ll age faster.
What’s your secret to flawless Latina skin?!
The Most Common Skincare Problems that Latinas Face and How You Can Avoid Them
