“You need very little product and a few good habits for healthy skin, regardless of what the algorithm tries to tell you!”
Dija Ayodele’s Black Skin instantly became my beauty bible when it dropped back in 2021. For the first time, I had a single resource for encyclopaedic advice on all the issues that plagued my sensitive, melanin-rich skin, from eczema to rosacea, hyperpigmentation to keloid scarring. As well as the practical fixes and product recommendations, Ayodele’s book weaves in the history of Black beauty, and busts lingering skincare myths. It’s one of several ways the aesthetician, BABTAC board member and Beauty Backed trustee has been democratising the industry since starting her practice over 15 years ago.
“I could see the frustration and anxiety Black women had trying to access professional skincare,” says Ayodele of creating the Black Skin Directory, which she deftly describes as “a skin of colour online Yellow Pages”. It’s true, no internet destination caters better to Brown and Black people in search of advanced skincare treatments, connecting them to specialist clinics and professionals who are trained in the nuances of Black skin. With popular procedures like laser and chemical peels more likely to cause adverse effects on darker skin types, the work Dija is doing isn’t just helpful – it’s game changing.
“It’s important to visit practitioners who are qualified, capable and confident in treating Black skin,” she says, explaining that higher amounts of melanin creates differences in skin. “Black skin is easier to scar, has a faster and higher likelihood of developing hyper and hypo pigmentation. It also has a higher likelihood of developing keloid scarring and can be much drier due to lower ceramide levels. So it’s important that practitioners are aware of these factors, and can plan and execute services with them in mind.”
The Black Skin Directory’s latest initiative seeks to help practitioners do just that – by providing expert training and education through courses accessible to therapists worldwide, Dija is ensuring that people of colour are better served by professionals who are properly informed when it comes to their skin’s needs. And she’s not stopping there. She has plans to take the directory global, listing a who’s who of specialists by region, around the globe. In 2024, she’ll launch her podcast Volumise, as well as broaden the content the directory offers its readers to include beauty, wellness and shopping. In short? Dija is just getting started.
I’ve read Black Skin from cover to cover too many times to count, so I know that when you have an expert of Dija’s calibre in the room, you do not pass up the opportunity to grill her for skincare advice. She shared her top tips for healthy skin.
1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
“Sleep well, stay hydrated, eat a balanced diet, exercise, limit unnecessary screen time, cut out smoking, watch your stress levels and keep an eye on your mental health. All of these are overall wellbeing factors that have a big impact on our skin health.”
2. Be consistent and patient
“Be consistent and diligent with your skincare. It takes between four and six weeks to settle into a new routine, and up to 12 weeks to start seeing results, so be patient with your expectations.”
3. Less is more
“Ensure that your skincare is tailored to your skin and review it every season, so you can make small tweaks as necessary. It’s easy to be sucked in by shiny new products that promise the earth, and to be swayed by social media. You need very little product and a few good habits for healthy skin, regardless of what the algorithm tries to tell you!”
Dija Ayodele is an author, educator and the owner of West Room Aesthetics in London.
The original article can be found on Vogue UK.
