Gubuntu Bloggery

I’m often asked if there are really any differences between skin care products based on ethnicity. Truthfully it’s really not so apparent on the front side but after a little thought, I think we would all agree that Blacks and Whites have very different needs. Let’s talk about that.

Let’s start with the elbows. Being Black myself, I think one of the first hard lessons we learn is that we’d better not be caught ashy; especially our elbows. There’s just no way to hide ashy elbows if you are black. Quick! Grab the Vaseline or lotion and get busy. White folks get ashy too, you just can’t see as well and no one really seems to care. So right off the bat, we know that African-American beauty products need to moisturize. Right? A close look will tell you that Black cosmetics should moisturize. What about skin care products for Whites? Well, it’s not the same.

One chemical you will find in white skin and hair care that you won’t find in quality African-American skin care products is alcohol. You sure won’t find alcohol in good Black hair care products. Alcohol is meant to strip oil out of the skin and is prevalent in cosmetics and shampoos for whites. They need to strip out the oils because they naturally produce skin oils at a much higher rate. How many times have you ever seen one of your Caucasian friends grease their scalp? Never!

This gives a really good starting point knowing that there are differences in needs of various ethnic groups. That said, it seems to me that African-Americans stand alone with regard to skin and hair care needs. So the next question should be this. Who are the majority of cosmetics formulated for and why? That’s easy. Business is made for profit and with 90% of the population being other that African-American, it only stands to reason that the 90% is low hanging fruit for retail sales. It also stands to reason that to save money, almost all of those companies formulate their base materials the same and simply change pigment to pull in sales from Blacks and Asians. That makes it doubly important to find companies that know the difference and manufacture to the needs of all.

Ask yourself this. How many White people can take care of and style black hair? Not many, that’s for sure but how many Blacks can cut White hair? A lot. Right? I think it stems from the same reason that for so many years, Whites loved for Black women to raise and feed their children; to groom them and to clean up after them. I’m not talking about a Master mentality but a trust factor. Also that Blacks cared enough to learn how to groom White children. So what we are dealing with are manufacturers that don’t care enough to learn how Blacks care for their skin and hair.

Lately, a lot of companies are experiencing great success by finding niche needs and serving to that need. Well, 10% is certainly a niche market and one company stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to African-American beauty products and African-American skin care. This name has been around for a long time and has recently opened a cosmetics division that does not require a cosmetology license. Joe Dudley founded this company years ago and was the originator of the Jeri-Curl. His Daughter, Ursula opened the Dudley Cosmetics and has paid very close attention to the needs of us.

I always look for companies that serve the African-American community and will feature many of them in future articles. Remember to support those who support you.

James Newbury happily pens articles for the love of his life, Rhonda. Please visit us and feel free to contact us with any questions. http://www.rhondas-boutique.com.