Beauty tips for African women Over 40

If you’re an African American woman, you’re one of the lucky ones. In general African American and darker skinned women tend to age very well. In fact, there’s even an old saying you may have heard, “ Black don’t crack”.

While it’s true that darker skin is less prone to wrinkling because of natural oils and ultra violet shielding melanin, there’s no denying that
a good beauty routine also goes a long way in helping you look fresh and youthful after 40. So here are 3 great beauty tips for African American women over 40.

1) Follow a Skin Care Regimen

One of the greatest health and beauty tips for black women over 40 is to follow a good skin care regimen. Although having darker skin has many benefits, dark skin is often very sensitive and can react negatively to many products causing skin discolorations and hyper pigmentation.

It’s best to follow a simple, regular beauty routine that starts with cleansing the skin with a mild facial cleanser intended for your skin type.

Next, exfoliation is key. The skin cell turnover rate for black skin is 2.5 times faster than that of lighter skin. This means that black skin can easily starts looking dull and ashy if you do not exfoliate on a regular basis. Exfoliation will make your skin glow.

After exfoliation, it is important to target any skin problems with a quality eye cream, fade cream or oil minimizer.

Lastly and most importantly, find a daily facial moisturizer with good SPF. This is often overlooked by dark skinned women,  because they don’t feel they are at risk of burning. The reality is that while you may not burn you do need a good SPF to prevent  skin discoloration and texture changes that are caused by sun damage.

2) Try Shea Butter

One of the best moisturizers around for African American skin is shea butter. It’s long been used by African American women to keep skin smooth and clear. Best in it natural unrefined form and imported from Africa, it is amazing for the skin. Unrefined shea butter is full of vitamins including vitamins D and E and is great for preventing wrinkles, blemishes, skin discolorations. It’s also a superb moisturizer and the perfect replacement for any expensive night cream.

3) Keep your Hair Moisturized

African American hair has been shown to be 3x dryer than most hair, which means it breaks easily. This, plus the fact that many women of color use harsh chemical relaxers, weaves and wear excessively tight braids on a regular basis means they’re often faced with thin or damaged hair after 40. Receding hairlines are also common.

Luckily it’s never too late to begin caring for your hair properly.  First and foremost, a professional shampoo and conditioner is needed. The next step is to target the scalp and deeply moisturizing it with a natural oil like jojoba, olive or coconut. Applying oil from root to tip on a regular basis will make your hair stronger and shinier.

These are our free beauty tips for women of color. Do you have any other best beauty tips for older women who want to look Fabulous After 40? We welcome your comments below.

copied from http://www.fabulousafter40.com