You’ve tried face creams, serums, sheet masks, and more to try and clear up a variety of skin issues, but how many times have we turned to Mother Earth for the answer? News flash: There’s an array of botanical skincare ingredients that can help calm down nearly any skin-related situation, and you’re probably missing out on them.

Here’s one of our favorites: African black soap. This skincare multihyphenate does just about everything that your whole skin routine can, in just one simple ingredient. Below, we dive deep into this skincare wunderkind with board-certified dermatologist, Peterson Pierre, M.D., of the Pierre Skin Care Institute — plus, we share a few of our favorite African black soap-infused skincare products.

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“Bar soap is definitely messier to use and can potentially harbor more bacteria if it’s sitting in a pool of water–a risk you don’t run with liquid soap,” says Dr. Peterson Pierre of Pierre Skin Care Institute in California. “However, your hands are washed and rinsed off in the end, so the germs are simply washed away, regardless of which product you use.”

More reassuring news: Studies have shown that your bar of soap probably won’t transfer bacteria. Even if you come into contact with a bar of soap that’s contaminated, you don’t need to panic.

But keep in mind, liquid soap dispensers can be hot spots for bacteria in their own right. Ultimately, the question of bar soap versus liquid soap comes down to personal preference.

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“Bar soap is definitely messier to use and can potentially harbor more bacteria if it’s sitting in a pool of water–a risk you don’t run with liquid soap,” says Dr. Peterson Pierre of Pierre Skin Care Institute in California. “However, your hands are washed and rinsed off in the end, so the germs are simply washed away, regardless of which product you use.”

More reassuring news: Studies have shown that your bar of soap probably won’t transfer bacteria. Even if you come into contact with a bar of soap that’s contaminated, you don’t need to panic.

But keep in mind, liquid soap dispensers can be hot spots for bacteria in their own right. Ultimately, the question of bar soap versus liquid soap comes down to personal preference.

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Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), also known as von Zumbusch psoriasis, is a rare and serious condition characterized by severely itchy pustules covering large portions of the body. It may begin with large areas of reddened, painful skin. Pustules then cover the skin in a matter of hours. It is typically accompanied by fever, chills, rapid heart rate, and nausea.

“If pustular psoriasis involves your entire body, it can become life-threatening. The high degree of inflammation can lead to rapid temperature shifts, an increased risk of dehydration (which can lead to electrolyte imbalance), and increased risk of infection,” explains Peterson Pierre, M.D. of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Westlake Village, California.

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Chances are you muster enough energy to wash your face at the end of the day, but it is important to also start your day with fresh, cleansed skin. Even if it does not look dirty, your skin can still build up pollutants and irritants (from your sheets, for example) while you sleep. Your morning face cleanser should focus on hydration (a gentle milk, oil or gel cleanser is perfect for this) while your nighttime cleanser “involves cleansing the skin thoroughly of make-up, oil, dirt and environmental pollutants that our skin is exposed to every day,” explains Peterson Pierre, M.D., dermatologist and founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, California.

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Skin-Care Makeup Products

Surprise — the very products you use to care for your skin could actually be damaging it. “Ingredients to avoid include fragrances, essential oils, cocoa butter, algae extracts, lanolin and sodium lauryl sulfate, which is common in cleansers,” says Peterson Pierre, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and owner of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, California. Assess your product arsenal and eliminate things you suspect could be problematic for several weeks, then reintroduce each product individually and give it a weeklong test run to see how you react, Pierre suggests.

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“If you are really sweating through everything, you probably need to try Certain Dri which is the most effective over-the-counter antiperspirant available,” says Dr. Pierre. This roll-on product promises up to 72 hours of protection against excessive perspiration when applied before bed, thanks to the 12 percent aluminum chloride. And with over 2,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, users agree it lives up to the hype. “Before I used this product I was unbelievably skeptical,” admits one reviewer. “Fast forward maybe six years and it has changed my life. I literally NEVER have a drop of sweat!”

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This body exfoliator contains the same professional-grade crystals that many of the machines have on the tip of their wands for physical exfoliation, says Peterson Pierre, a board-certified dermatologist at the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Los Angeles. It also features lactic acid for a gentle chemical exfoliation, as well as jojoba oil to moisturize, chamomile to soothe, and aloe vera to quell inflammation.

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You’ve likely heard several opinions on how often should you wash your hair. Some people can’t start their day without a vigorous wash, while others live and die by their dry shampoo. The good news is: They’re all right.

“Unfortunately, there’s no universal answer for this,” Joesph Maine, a celebrity hairstylist who works with Sophia Bush and Ashley Benson, tells TZR. “Different hair textures and lifestyles can require different regimens.” To be clear, shampoo is a non-negotiable in most routines. “If you don’t wash enough, you may have a buildup of oil. This is more of a concern if your hair is naturally oily, which can also lead to dandruff and itching,” Dr. Peterson Pierre, M.D. of the Pierre Skin Care Institute tells TZR. Dandruff is usually a reflection of inflammation and irritation occurring in the scalp that leads to dryness, itching, and flaking. “It’s important to moisturize and condition the scalp to decrease the chances of developing dandruff,” the dermatologist says.

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The mom of four “has probably had Botox on her forehead and in her frown lines,” suggests cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre, adding that laser resurfacing or a chemical peel may explain why her skin’s no longer crepey.

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So, when it comes to protecting our largest organ, what is a Black or dark-skinned person like me supposed to do? First of all, wear sunscreen. “Black people need sunscreen for a number of reasons,” starts Peterson Pierre, a Black California-based dermatologist. “First, we need protection against ultraviolet radiation to decrease our risk of skin cancer.” he says. “Also, ultraviolet radiation causes the development of free radicals which not only lead to the development of cancers but also accelerates the aging process.” Sun damage — wrinkles and other physical signs — occur at a slower, and less noticeable rate in people with darker skin, Mokaya adds, but they do indeed occur.

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When shopping for a new shampoo, you likely start by standing in the aisle and staring at the dizzying array of options. Do you want a clarifying shampoo to remove build-up? A purple shampoo to cut brass? Once you’re thoroughly overwhelmed by the choices, you’ll probably resort to grabbing bottles off the shelf until you find the one that smells the best. While that buying practice may work for most, if you’ve been noticing your scalp looking flaky, itchy, or red, that beloved fragrance may be to blame.

“Most shampoos contain fragrance, and fragrance is the number one cause of allergic contact dermatitis,” says Peterson Pierre, M.D., dermatologist and founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute. (FYI: Allergic contact dermatitis is a reaction resulting from contact with a substance or an allergy to it, according to the Mayo Clinic.) Similarly to how fragrance can irritate the skin on your face, it can also cause a reaction on the skin of your scalp. The symptoms for contact dermatitis could be redness, itching, or rash, says Trang Vu, a cosmetic sciences researcher and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cincinnati.

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Imagine how awesome it would be to have a dermatologist for a parent–someone you could talk to or text, day or night, about all things skin. Well, it turns out, derms’ kids are no different than anyone else when on the receiving end of advice from their parents: “My daughter’s eyes kind of glazed over the first time I started telling her what to do about her acne; I had to remind her that people pay me for my opinion,” laughs Peterson Pierre, M.D., a dermatologist in Thousand Oaks, California who has a daughter, 20, and son, 18.

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If you use OTC retinol

Dr. Pierre recommended over-the-counter retinol for his kids’ mild acne because it’s anti-inflammatory (and therefore cuts down on zits’ redness), reduces oil production, helps refine pores and banishes blackheads and whiteheads. As with Rx treatments, start retinol slowly, applying only every few nights to start. “And apply moisturizer on top to deal with dryness,” he says.

If you use benzoyl peroxide

Although a killer acne-fighter (literally–it kills the bacteria that cause zits), BP can leave skin extra dry and it can bleach your clothes. So Dr. Pierre made sure his kids knew to get dressed before applying. Dr. Baumann also suggests that if your skin gets red or dry after using BP, apply barrier-repair moisturizer first. That gives skin a buffer, helping it better tolerate the treatment.

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1. Recognize the social injustice. Don’t deny its existence simply because you haven’t experienced it directly. If there is a situation whose outcome would have different simply by changing the victim’s skin color and nothing else, that evidence of a major problem.

2. Educate yourself. Seek to listen to others who have been harmed, seek to learn about matters that may be foreign to you, things you may never even have thought of, then take action.

3. Morality is not doing what is wrong. If you’re not racist, that’s great! You’re not participating in evil acts. But it’s not enough.

4. Develop character: not only should you avoid doing what is wrong, you should actively do what is right. Speak up, speak out against evil.

5. Each step requires courage. Each step takes you out of your comfort zone. Each step demands that you overcome fear: fear of what your family might say, what your friends may do, and what others may think. Real lives hang in the balance.

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Wearing a mask for many hours can increase your chances for infection and irritation, creating a favorable environment for yeast.

To avoid any facial irritation, dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre said it’s helpful to take breaks whenever you wear a mask.

“The more breaks you can give yourself from wearing a mask, the better,” he told HuffPost. “You will decrease heat, sweating, humidity, irritation, while also improving airflow, all of which should decrease your infection risk.”

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Wearing a mask for many hours can increase your chances for infection and irritation, creating a favorable environment for yeast.

To avoid any facial irritation, dermatologist Dr. Peterson Pierre said it’s helpful to take breaks whenever you wear a mask.

“The more breaks you can give yourself from wearing a mask, the better,” he told HuffPost. “You will decrease heat, sweating, humidity, irritation, while also improving airflow, all of which should decrease your infection risk.”

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Quarantine seems to have done Maria Shriver some good! The journalist, 64, was recently spotted looking spectacularly well rested stepping out as lockdown restrictions eased in California. But some suspect the mom of four’s newly smooth face may be due to something other than time out of the spotlight.

“In addition to Botox and filler, you can see the texture of her skin is a lot better,” notes Dr. Peterson Pierre, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks. (Pierre does not treat Maria).

“She’s probably had laser resurfacing and skin-tightening procedures.” Maria, whose digital newsletter, Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, has been highlighting the work of helpers during the pandemic, might want to extend the treatments to her neck and decolletage, adds Pierre, “so the contrast is less apparent.”

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Growth factors activate different mechanisms in the skin that allow it to repair itself; for instance, “growth factors turn on the collagen-making factory in the skin and also boost elastin production,” says Dr. Peterson Pierre, a board-certified dermatologist at the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, CA. “This results in significant improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, tone, texture and discoloration.” Yes, that’s a lot.

Who should use skin care products with growth factors?

Anyone is welcome to dip into these products, as Dr. Pierre explains, because “growth factors are universally well-tolerated, which makes them accessible to every skin type.”

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Like hormones, genetics can also play a big part in bacne, and board-certified dermatologist Peterson Pierre, M.D. confirms that a family history of bad acne can up your chances of having breakouts: “If there is a history of bad acne in your family, although not a given, chances are high that you will experience acne at some point in your life.”

Yes, even the foods we eat can contribute to bacne; a 2010 study revealed that high-glycemic-index foods can trigger acne in susceptible individuals. Dairy items like milk can also spike acne flares, according to Dr. Pierre, who says that whole milk has fat, which prevents the rapid rise of blood or blood sugar. This makes it important to switch to a non-dairy milk if you can because, he says, it doesn’t contain the high-fat content of whole milk. He adds that, similarly, sodas and high-sugar drinks, candy bars, and fast- and fried foods should be consumed in limited quantities as, they too, can contribute to breakouts.

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Like hormones, genetics can also play a big part in bacne, and board-certified dermatologist Peterson Pierre, M.D. confirms that a family history of bad acne can up your chances of having breakouts: “If there is a history of bad acne in your family, although not a given, chances are high that you will experience acne at some point in your life.”

Yes, even the foods we eat can contribute to bacne; a 2010 study revealed that high-glycemic-index foods can trigger acne in susceptible individuals. Dairy items like milk can also spike acne flares, according to Dr. Pierre, who says that whole milk has fat, which prevents the rapid rise of blood or blood sugar. This makes it important to switch to a non-dairy milk if you can because, he says, it doesn’t contain the high-fat content of whole milk. He adds that, similarly, sodas and high-sugar drinks, candy bars, and fast- and fried foods should be consumed in limited quantities as, they too, can contribute to breakouts.

(more…)

Like hormones, genetics can also play a big part in bacne, and board-certified dermatologist Peterson Pierre, M.D. confirms that a family history of bad acne can up your chances of having breakouts: “If there is a history of bad acne in your family, although not a given, chances are high that you will experience acne at some point in your life.”

Yes, even the foods we eat can contribute to bacne; a 2010 study revealed that high-glycemic-index foods can trigger acne in susceptible individuals. Dairy items like milk can also spike acne flares, according to Dr. Pierre, who says that whole milk has fat, which prevents the rapid rise of blood or blood sugar. This makes it important to switch to a non-dairy milk if you can because, he says, it doesn’t contain the high-fat content of whole milk. He adds that, similarly, sodas and high-sugar drinks, candy bars, and fast- and fried foods should be consumed in limited quantities as, they too, can contribute to breakouts.

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“[Essential oils are] extracted from plants to capture their natural scent and flavor, and all their beneficial properties,” dermatologist Peterson Pierre tells Teen Vogue. “Each essential oil has unique ingredients that give it a characteristic essence.”

And while they may feel oily to the touch, essential oils aren’t exactly oils, as their composition differs vastly from animal and vegetable oils. In other words, instead of being primarily composed of fatty acids, the molecular structure of an essential oil depends on the plant from which it came–usually through distillation or a mechanical process known as cold-pressing, explained Pierre.

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According to dermatologist Peterson Pierre, M.D., all skin types are fine candidates for facial shaving. Just note that if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, you want to be extra careful to avoid any irritation. That said, make sure to only shave your skin with product, as “shaving dry can likely cause more irritation, nicks, and cuts,” Dr. Pierre says. He recommends using a shave gel because it creates a layer between the blade and skin, allowing your razor to glide more easily. “Follow up with a moisturizing and soothing after-shave to make the experience as comfortable as possible,” Dr. Pierre adds. You can shave as often as you need as long as you’re not finding irritation on the skin.

And no, shaving your face will not make hair grow back thicker or darker! According to Dr. Pierre, “the razor cuts the hair about mid-shaft, at its thickest portion,” he explains. “So when the hair grows in, it might appear to be thicker, but the hair diameter itself actually doesn’t change and neither does the color.”

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Cryosculpting: Cryosculpting is a non-invasive treatment that uses both cold temperatures and muscle stimulation to freeze and get rid of fat cells for good, according to Peterson Pierre, a board certified dermatologist in Thousand Oaks, California.

Ice 21’s Cryotone: This machine firms and tones your muscles while draining out the lymphatic areas of your body, improving circulation and the texture of your skin, according to Pierre. He adds that it can be used on your abdomen, thighs, and buttocks as well as on a double chin. This is “a quick-and-easy, painless, and relatively affordable solution to getting rid of a double chin once and for all.”

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While they may serve as tasty toast toppings during brunch, avocados and honey are also hydrating superstars, adding much-needed water to the skin. According to Dr. Peterson Pierre of the Pierre Skin Care Institute, avocados’ chemical properties not only hydrate the skin, but they also placate inflammation associated with skin concerns.

“Avocado oil has high levels of vitamins B and E and is rich in fatty acids and many other nutrients that can nourish and moisturize the skin. It also contains oleic acid which promotes collagen production and accelerates the healing process. The antioxidants and vitamins have anti-inflammatory properties which can help acne, dandruff, and eczema,” he says.

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