I have dry skin. I also can’t stand to moisturize. My black-ass mother and father are probably laughing and shaking their heads at my antics, but I’m being honest. Because I have ashy skin, I absolutely need to place lotion on my body or else I can feel the tightness and scratchiness. And I can see the dryness, which isn’t a good look no matter how you try and slice it.
Maybe I’m treating this as a confessional for all the black people who are constantly ashy no matter how hard they try, but this needs to be talked about. The black community will clown if one of us has an ashy leg, arm, or lower back, but won’t offer solutions to this eternal issue of moisture (I’m mostly joking, but y’all know there is truth to the statement). Black absolutely can crack, and that much is evident if all the dry-ass legs sufferers this winter have anything to say about it.
So how have I survived 27 years in the sun? Here are three essential products that have held me down for a quarter of a century, and then some.
Body Oil
As I’ve said over and over again, I prefer my moisturizing routine to be quick and painless. This Neutrogena body oil literally descended from the heavens and told me to try it, and wow, I wasn’t disappointed. I was anointed with moisture the first time I used it. It’s a simple process—the first is to get in the shower and wash.
I really can’t stress this enough. After a couple of rounds of suds and rinsing, turn off the water, spread a small amount of this on your whole body. Then you turn on the water again to lock in the moisture. I use this every night before bed and let me tell you—my legs have never been more smooth. I have seen CRACKS disappear with one use. That’s how much I needed this in my life.
Cocoa Butter
Now I know I’m gonna get a whole speech about how they already know that this is a black person’s staple, but give me a bit to defend myself. I never listened to my mother about this stuff. I mean, I used it, but never in the right way. Once I got grown enough to realize that mother’s are almost always right, I was blessed by Black Jesus himself with smooth, hydrated, glowing skin.
The Vitamin E and cocoa butter mix actually soothes marks and tones skin in real time, so you can literally feel the effects of it when you apply it on your body. Now, if we were going through my routine, I would apply the body oil in the shower and then proceed with the Palmer’s. Personally, I prefer the jar over the lotion because the paste is a bit thicker, which is great for keeping your legs moisturized throughout the day. Listen, I have no idea who came up with cocoa butter, but it was probably someone black, and I thank them everyday.
Chia Seed Moisturizer
Ok, so I happened upon this little miracle a couple of months ago and I’m so glad that I did. I’ve been taking care of my skin more lately, because great skin begets great makeup and I’m a beauty girl. Yeah, a little container of this moisture cream is pricey but I promise you it’s worth it, especially during the winter. My dermatologist recently informed me to the fact that I have combination skin, which is literally just a combo of oily, “normal,” and dry skin.
It’s especially dry when it’s cold outside. I don’t know how I survived my life without this, but Boscia came through with their vegan ingredients, like chia seed oil, that only has one goal—to prevent future dehydration of skin! I mean, how direct to you have to be? Before I applied this during my long-ass skincare routine (that includes some prescription choices from my derm), I just felt the water penetrate my dry face and transform it into a glistening springtime pool.