Skin Care tips for Caribbean Women (& Men)

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Photo credit: Milada Caribbean St. Marteen

Isn’t living in the Caribbean lovely? The sun, the sea and the sand are all welcomed benefits of ‘Island life’ (and a dream for those in colder countries). 

We are fortunate to have such luxuries at our fingertips, but Island weather still has its impacts. The elements of nature in paradise can affect our skin. 

Let’s talk about ‘skin care’ and look at some top tips (for both women & men) to care for your skin while enjoying the Caribbean climate.

Protect your skin from taking in excessive sunshine. 

A little bit of the sun’s UV rays are actually good for the skin. It creates vitamin D which the body needs. Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body and these nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

Too much sunshine however can damage the skin and so should be regulated. For example and just to name a few, too much sun exposure can lead to:

• Skin changes. Some skin cells with melanin can form a clump. This creates freckles and moles. Over time, these can develop cancer.

• Early aging. Time spent in the sun makes your skin age faster than normal. Signs of this are wrinkled, tight, or leathery skin and dark spots

• Eye injuries. UV rays can damage the tissue in your eyes and can burn your outer layer of your eyes called the cornea, blurring your vision. Over time, you can develop cataracts which leads to blindness if left untreated.

• Skin cancer.

Tips

Cover up when going outside; wear protective clothing, sunglasses and hats, manage sunshine intake by remembering to take breaks in the shade every now and then and use an umbrella for those unavoidable long days out in the sunshine. 

Avoid dehydration

Needless to say an abundance of sunshine and even swimming in the ocean can cause dehydrated skin which can be dry and itchy and perhaps dull looking, too. Your overall tone and complexion may appear uneven, and fine lines are more noticeable.

Tips

Stay hydrated. This is the number one tip for maintaining healthy skin. Consistently drinking water to keep hydrated is an awesome and easy way to avoid dehydration, maintain great skin, flush out toxins and improve your skin tone.

Moisture, Moisture, Moisture

The sun’s heat dries out areas of unprotected skin and depletes the skin’s supply of natural lubricating oils, thereby reducing moisture. 

Tips

Moisturize. aside from using protective measures, try using a moisturizer that restores moisture to the skin and has essential oils and nutrients that are good for the skin, or use natural products. For example, Cocoa butter is high in fatty acids, which is why it’s often touted for its ability to hydrate and nourish the skin and improve elasticity. The fat in cocoa butter forms a protective barrier over skin to hold in moisture.

Bonus **

At final. When it comes to Caribbean skin care, here are a few other island style tips:

• Keep your face and body clean: There’s not much explanation needed here. The skin is the body’s largest organ and first line of defense against bacteria. Healthy skin = healthy body. When you wash your skin, full body, face, you are removing impurities like the dirt, grime and oil that build up on our skin through out the day.

• Use Natural face Masks & other natural products: Locally made or natural mud masks from volcanic hot springs called Sulphur mud works wonders for the skin. Thanks to the volcanic structure of most Caribbean islands, this is readily available and purchasable.  Also, feel free to make use of other natural and organic skin care products found in the Caribbean such as  cocoa butter which is very beneficial to the skin.

• Eat Right: There is an abundance of natural foods; fruits, vegetables and the like grown in the Caribbean. Having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will not only add an extra glow to your skin. The high water contents of these foods, coupled with the antioxidants, help fight cellular damage in addition to other benefits.

• Sleep tight: There’s a lot to be said for beauty sleep, and researchers are correct. Getting the much needed hours of sleep not only improves your mood, energy and overall physical health, but it also shows in your skin.  Skin uses the time spent sleeping to repair and restore itself. If you cut back on the amount of time you spend sleeping then it will show in your skin. So be kind to yourself and try to fit in those 6 to 8 hours of sleep when you can. 

Written by: Andrea Louis

For Generation Y Dominica