Latina Skincare Secrets

Every culture has different ways of taking care of their skin, many of which have been tested over time and proven effective.

Latina women are no different, and many have excellent, nearly flawless looking skin because of their skincare and beauty routines.

If you have olive-toned skin or are just looking to try something new for your skin, try these five Latina skincare secrets.

Green Tea

You might associate green tea more with Asian culture than with Latin culture, but many Latina women use green tea as a way to keep their skin looking its best year round, often in combination with pore-clearing and acne-reducing spot treatments that contain salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.

Unfortunately, brewing a cup of green tea on the stove and putting it on your face isn’t going to cut it.

Instead, look for an oil-free moisturizer that contains green tea as one of its main ingredients.

Using a moisturizer with green tea can help keep your skin looking smooth and radiant and reduce fine lines and wrinkles because of the high antioxidant content.

Topical green tea treatments may also be able to help reduce breakouts and acne.

Sunscreen: Not Just for the Beach

Women with dark skin don’t need sunscreen, right? Wrong.

Even women with darker complexions need sunscreen, and not using it regularly can cause some serious skin problems down the road, including hyperpigmentation and unsightly spots and marks.

Latin women can often be seen applying a fair amount of quality sunscreen – something with an SPF rating of at least 15 or 30.

If you have very fair skin, you might think about buying one of those ultra-high SPF sunscreens.

While you may not need a layer of sunscreen in December, using a moisturizer with sunscreen can help protect your skin from potentially harmful UVA and UVB rays that are present all year round.

Glycolic Acid for Pimples and Breakouts

People with an olive skin tone are often prone to dry patches.

They’re also susceptible to irregular pigmentation, leading to dark and light spots that can pop up on the face or anywhere on the body – though they usually only show up in places that get a lot of direct exposure to the sun.

For that reason, many Latina’s forego common over-the-counter acne washes that contain ingredients that can cause the skin to dry out or discolor like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, and instead choose a product with glycolic acid instead.

Glycolic acid helps to get rid of acne and breakouts, but it isn’t quite as harsh on the skin.

It also helps to gently unclog pores and slough off the top layer of dead, dull looking skin, leaving rosy, glowing skin in its wake.

Try Bronzer, Skip Tanning

Instead of spending hours under a tanning bed or baking in the sun, try using a bronzer to bring out natural warm tones in your skin.

The best part is that bronzers can help to cover up minor imperfections in your skin at the same time.

If you don’t know which shade you need, start light and work your way up.

A lot of places will let you test bronzers before you buy one, and many will even help you match your skin to the appropriate shade.

If you have darker skin, try a bronzer with a bit of sienna tint.

Don’t Forget the Bug Spray

Using bug spray might not sound like a beauty tip, but it’s one that most Latina’s can’t, or at least shouldn’t, go one minute longer without hearing.

If you have olive-toned skin, bug bites can leave little dark spots and marks on your skin.

The worst part is that those marks might not go away in a few days or a week. In fact, they could even be there for years to come.

You can’t avoid being outside, and nobody’s trying to tell you to stop hiking, going to the beach or doing the outdoor activities you love.

Just make sure you pack some bug spray in your bag, and make sure you use it frequently.

If you do get bitten, use hydrocortisone cream twice a day to help lighten the marks.

The earlier you get the hydrocortisone cream on after a bug bite, the less likely it is to leave an unsightly mark.

If you’ve had marks for years, whether related to bug bites or not, your best bet is try a skin lightening cream that will correct your skin tone.