Cultural Differences in Skin

The world is a big place and there are many different cultures, Europeans, Scandinavians, Asians, Africans, Hispanics and many, many more. Each of these cultures tends to have certain characteristics such as eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, etc,. Inherent with cultural backgrounds is a difference in skin types. For example, western cultures such as the central and northern Europeans have a tendency to fair complexions, hair and eye colour, while southern Europeans dent to have darker hair, brown eyes and darker, olive skin tones.

Africans and African Americans, have very dark or almost black skin, usually dark or black hair and brown eyes. Genetically, this skin type is less susceptible to the UV rays, although their skin can still get burned.

Asians on the other hand have a yellowish skin tone and can have brown or blue eyes but have mostly dark or black hair. Yes, genetics does have its opinion on how we look. The cultural differences are reflected in the skin and the genetic factors play an important role in how well our skin looks, how ‘tough’ it is and how vulnerable it is to certain skin problems.

For example, cultures that have a tendency to body hair, also have a tendency to oily skin and therefore have a potential problem with blocked secretory glands resulting in pimples and other skin problems. On the other hand, the Irish, who have a tendency to red hair and very fair skin, have less of a problem with oily skin, but they do tend to get burned easily and thus stand a greater risk to skin cancers. Similarly the Scandinavians and other central and northern Europeans and Americans.

Below are some generalised characteristics of various skin types from different cultural backgrounds:

Skin Characteristics of people with Anglo-Saxon origins            

• Fair, dry thin-skinned
• Scars heal well
• Signs of aging appear earlier
• Burn easily in the sun
• Bruising more obvious
• Greater chance of skin cancer

Recommended Skin Care System:

NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR NORMAL SKIN or NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR DRY, MATURE AND SENSITIVE SKIN TYPES - OPTIONS 1 or 2 depending on your age and the degree of sensitivity of your skin.

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern Mediterranean origins

• Oily, olive dark complexion
• Signs of aging appear later
• Cartilage tends to droop
• Darker, thicker scars more common
• Wrinkles appear later and in more localized areas
• Skin cancer rare

Recommended Skin Care System:

NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR OILY SKIN TYPES or NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR NORMAL SKIN if oily skin is less of a problem

 

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European origins / German and Scandinavian

• Fair, blue-eyed, blonde
• Thin skin
• Scars heal well
• Signs of aging appear early
• Bruising more obvious
• Greater chance of skin cancer

Recommended Skin Care System:

NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR DRY, MATURE AND SENSITIVE SKIN TYPES - OPTIONS 1 or 2 depending on your age and the degree of sensitivity of your skin. If you have a mature skin, you may want to consider using AGE DEFYING SYSTEM OPTION - 1 or 2

 

Skin Characteristics of people with African/African-American origins

• Signs of aging appear very late
• Very little fine wrinkling
• Formation of keloids is possible
• Pigmentation changes may occur
• Thicker cartilage hard to change
• Skin cancers very rare

Recommended Skin Care System:

NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR OILY SKIN. People with dark brown or black skin should also use a good, natural exfoliant such as the Skin Renewal Gel and natural deep cleansing Masks

 

Skin Characteristics of people with Northern European/Irish and northern England

• Ruddy freckled complexion
• Red hair
• Scars usually thin
• Signs of aging appear later
• Bruises easily
• Pigmentation problems
• Skin cancers most common in this type

Recommended Skin Care System:

NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR DRY, MATURE AND SENSITIVE SKIN TYPES OPTION 2 or depending on your age you may prefer the AGE DEFYING SYSTEM - OPTION 1 or 2

 

Skin Characteristics of people with Asian origins

• Signs of aging appear late
• Fine wrinkling does not usually occur
• Pigmentation changes may occur
• Eyelid surgery more difficult
• Skin cancers very rare

Recommended Skin Care System:

Depending on the climate, you can choose almost any of the systems, however, the NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR OILY SKIN TYPES or NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR NORMAL SKIN are likely to suite

 

Skin Characteristics of people with Southern European origins

• Dark, oily brunette complexion
• Signs of aging appear later
• Fine wrinkling less common
• Bruising lasts longer
• Scars may be thicker and darker
• Skin cancers less common

Recommended Skin Care System:

NATURAL SKIN CARE SYSTEM FOR OILY SKIN TYPES

Please note: when looking at the characteristics that most closely describe your skin, and reading the recommended skin care system, you will need to keep in mind the climate you life in, your age and any skin conditions you have may require a different skin care system. The recommended system may either need to be slightly altered depending on your particular needs or changes all together, however, the recommendations are intended to serve as a starting point.

Within each of these groups, however there is a wide range in skin tones, which tend to overlap from group to group. For example, white skin may range from alabaster white to deep olive tones; black skin may range from light tan to almost ebony black; Asian skin from light yellow to deep tan; and Indian and Inuit skin, various tones of reddish brown. These differences are caused by the concentraltion of melanin in the skin.

To a limited extent, it also depends on the blood supply in the skin. Pigment varies in different people. In various races and nationalities, the distinctive colour of the skin is hereditary. Melanin is produced by special cells called melanocytes. Melanin is a brownish-black pigment which serves as the skin's protective screen against the sun's UV rays.

People of different races have the same number of melanocytes but they are more active in dark-skinned people. Oil glands tend to be more numerous and large in black skin, and follicles tend to be larger, so black skin tends toward oiliness, although it is less acne-prone. The darker the skin the more protection melanin provides from ultra-violet rays of the sun and from premature aging and stays younger-looking longer.

It becomes obvious very quickly that we are all very different and have various advantages and disadvantages specific to our skin type, depending on our genetic predisposition. However, the overall structures and functions of our skin are very similar and are therefore cared for in very similar ways. Knowing your skin’s particular strengths and weaknesses, you can tailor your skin care approach to your particular skin-characteristics.