Brown skin.

Some call it a curse, and some say that it’s a blessing to have.

The skin can vary from lighter beige complexions, medium golden caramel skin tones all the way to the rich dark cocoa brown skin tone. Why is there the confusion/enigma surrounding this topic? There are many answers to this. All I know that is a fact of the matter is that everyone wants what they don’t have; if you’re pale, you tan, if you have a darker complexion… you may consider bleaching your skin: this is the fact. When has being natural become so unconventional?

That’s a question that will be left unanswered here. My post here is all about why you should love the skin that you were born with because there a a billion benefits to it, however I’ve condensed it to a few…

 

1. You Age Later

Even though I do believe that if there is proper care taken into consideration when coming to your skin, hence anyone can have the potential of looking younger then their actual age, it’s a fact that darker complexions have a slower rate in terms of aging due to the melanin in brown skin.

 

2. You Can Rock Almost Any Colour in Clothing

I’m so tired of hearing these negative messages in the media that dark skin women cannot rock a certain lip colour or hair colour. Opinions and beliefs are all different and there is no right and wrong. Plus there are some crazy colours that you can pull off without looking like a clown. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder and if you want to rock blue or pink in your hair you better work bitch!

 

3. Moisturizer Is Your Best Friend

Whether it being shea butter, cocoa butter, olive oil or anything else… black people love lotion (at least I do) and there is a reason for this. The skin looks flawless… almost like you can see your own reflection and the skin is as soft as a baby which goes back to the first point.

 

4. But Don’t Forget That SPF

This cannot be ignored. It’s evidence that skin cancer can target anyone including darker complexions… no one is safe or disregarded. When I hear someone say that because they’re black and they don’t need sunscreen… I shake my head because it’s ridiculous! That brown skin may not need such a higher number in terms of SPF and have a lesser chance to get the cancer as opposed to the fairer complexions,  you still need it to protect from the harmful rays from the sun. Protect that skin… protect your gold.

 

5. You Can Tan

Let’s get one thing straight anyone can tan. In fact when you have brown skin… your chance of getting darker as opposed to lighter complexions are very likely. Plus you don’t need to go into a drugstore to buy the tanning lotions. When it’s summer time, just go outside for maybe 10 minutes, then go back inside and you’ll see the tan lines. Don’t tell me that I don’t need to get any darker… that notion brings up the issues between being lighter skinned versus darker skinned and how the latter part there’s a stigma. To anyone reading this: GET THAT NEGATIVE SHIT OUT OF YOUR HEAD. All skin is beautiful and yes I will get my chocolate tan on.

 

 

6. It’s Imperfect

I know many may feel like this is counterintuitive with the whole topic to love your brown skin, but what I mean is that you may have blemishes, scars, eczema and any other imperfections and that’s okay.

Our skin does not have to be perfect to be valued.