Asian Skin

Every Asian person isn't flawless.....It takes time and effort to have healthy skin!

  

     So I was curious to learn more about my Asian skin, and I stress Asian because, we come from the farthest west of Eurasia to those hot little islands above Australia! We also come in shades of pale olive down to the deepest mahogany. So other than talking about the spectrum of skin tones, I wanted to focus more on skin. Why do we have hyper-pigmentation? Why do we get acne? Why does our skin oil up in certain areas? These questions and others will have answers! Let's go figure out them together. :]

     So the first thing you want to know is that your skin is the

largest organ in your body, it protects your insides from the pollution and environment around you. Make sure you're wearing proper moisturizers with an SPF of, in my opinion, at least 30. It would be even better if you could just cover up with those big fancy rich people's hats and clothes that are made of thin-breathable fabrics to keep you cool-literally.

     SPF stands for sun protection factor. It helps block harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun. SPF can be found in moisturizers, make-up, or even food! I've also recently heard that when your clothes get washed in laundry machines the detergents some how put an SPF "coating" around your clothes. Now that I don't know is true, but it sure gives people who burn easily some hope! SPF also helps fight skin cancer, sunburn, and also wrinkles.

     SPF are made of some compounds that absorb or scatter the ultraviolet light. You also might know that SPF are particles that reflect light. That's why sometimes you look really pale in photos where you use flash or your foundation has an iridescence. One downside to sunblock is that it can block out too much of the UVB rays, which give you vitamin D. And we need vitamin D to soak up calcium and have strong bones. 

     Scientists, doctors, and dermatologists suggest that we get 15 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight (without using sunblock) so we can get vitamin D. That would mean walking from your car to the grocery store, mall, school, or anywhere else is fine!

     Unfortunately, sunburn is also another one of the factors of not using SPF. Having continuous sunburn can lead to skin cancer and.....wrinkles, which leads us to another big topic!

     Wrinkles can be caused by many factors. It can result from the facial expressions that we make daily, aging, sunlight, smoking, not drinking enough water, and even losing weight!

     Hyper pigmentation is when is producing way too much melanin. Melanin is what gives your skin color. Hyper pigmentation can make your skin look uneven have dark spots. Asian, African, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern races are targeted with hyper pigmentation because we have more

melanin than Caucasian people do. I myself am Vietnamese and I also have hyper pigmentation on top of other skin problems.

     Here are some facts about "Asian" skin:

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  Our skin is thicker than Caucasian people, and with larger pores. Oils, from every day products we use can get trapped in our pores, resulting in build up of dead skin cells.
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  Most of us have combination skin. (dry or oily certain areas or our face) For me, I have an oily forehead and nose, and the rest of my face and body is dry.
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  Asian people's skin have a lower natural moisture content than in any other race, that is why our skin can often be dehydrated.
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  We are prone to irritation. The superficial layer of skin is thinnest than in other races (especially in Oriental people with paler skin tones) . That is why our skin is really sensitive to environmental factors or ingredients in food, makeup, creams, or anything else.
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  We are susceptible to puffiness in the eyes because of our bone structure.
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  Asian people who have pale yellow undertones, burn slightly and tan easily. People with dark yellow or light brown undertones, burn and tan well. People with brown undertones, rarely burn and tan very easily.
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  Asian people have produce more melanin (depending on undertone) than any other race, even though our skin looks light in color.
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  We are more prone to skin cancer because we have a natural SPF of 4 (Asian people with darker skin could have a higher SPF)
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  In Asian people wrinkles and loss of firmness usually appears 10 to 20 years later than in Caucasian people. But discoloration and skin becoming darker/yellower in Asian people is a common sign of aging.