Creating a skincare routine that actually benefits your skin specifically is a process that involves quite a bit of trial and error. As you’re figuring things out, knowing what’s in the products you use can make all the difference.
During the Beauty Carnival experience at the 2021 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, Aveeno Principal Scientist Sabrina Henry and Aveeno Dermatologist Partner Dr. Camille Howard Verovic joined ESSENCE Beauty & Style Editor Blake Newby for a vital conversation about how to choose the right “SKINgredients” for melanated skin.
“The most effective place to find [ingredients] is nature,” Henry says. “That’s why at Aveeno, we use our scientific expertise. And when I think about ingredients, I think about the powerhouse of oat. How many of you had oatmeal this morning? You think about it like, ‘well, I eat it and it’s good for me,’ but it does have therapeutic benefits as well for the skin. One of the benefits is that it moisturizes the skin. It hydrates the skin and it can balance the PH of your skin as well. Another one is soy. Soy is known to brighten the skin and bring forth that radiance.”
Dr. Verovic later emphasized the importance of giving effective skincare products time to work versus expecting to see quick results.
“I’m big on ingredients and really turning around the bottle when you go to the store. And really identifying those key ingredients that are going to target and do what they’re supposed to do,” she said. “Another thing is, when it comes to your ingredient list and choosing the right ingredients for hyperpigmentation—like soy—is giving it time. I find that sometimes people just want to go to the store, pick it up, put it on their face and then expect it to be gone in a week. So, that’s one thing that I want to drive home, everything takes time, especially with hyperpigmentation.”
The ladies also broke down the impact of using too many skincare products, how to determine if your skin is truly healthy, why it can be difficult for doctors to diagnose skin conditions on darker skin, and which Aveeno products they recommend. Check out the full conversation in the video above.