Six things to know about our Asian skin
Since my last entry about Asian skin being less prone to getting sunburn, I’ve found more information about Asian skin type that might interest some of you. Keen to find out? Here goes:
1. Asian skin is more prone to sensitivity
Our skin is said to be prone to irritation as we have a thinner stratum corneum or the outermost layer of skin, compared to other ethnic groups. As a result, our skin becomes extremely sensitive to environmental factors and chemicals, which can disrupt the skin’s pH balance (source: Dr Anthony Rawlings).
This means: we need to be careful with what products and treatments we use on our skin as most of us may not react well to harsh treatments such as peelings or acidic chemical solutions.
2. Asian skin scars more easily
Because of our thinner stratum corneum, it is also said that Asian skin are genetically predisposed to scar more easily than others. Hence, greater care must be given when one has acne breakout and when one is trying to heal from some skin scarring.
This means: do not go squeezing that pimple and poking at that acne. Use gentle products like emu oil or vitamin E to heal the scars.
3. Asian skin has more issues with hyperpigmentation
I read that all skin contains about the same number of melanocytes but the amount of melanin they produce varies. Melanin is a natural skin pigment that protects the skin from UV damage. Obviously, dark skinned people produce more melanin and light skin people produce less. While research have indicated that Asians have more photo-protective pigment melanin – Dr. Kwame Osei, who has studied genetics, indicated that we have three layers of melanin – we actually have more issues with pigmentary disorders such as hyperpigmentation, melasma, freckles and lentigines, compared to other ethnic groups. This is why you see lots of Asian cosmetics including skin lightening and brightening ingredients. The problem I see with this is, because our skin is also sensitive, it means we have to be careful with what we use to correct some of these pigmentary disorders as well.
This means: use sunscreen religiously and use a product containing gentle skin brightening properties from your early twenties. Avoid hydroquinone!
4. Asian skin loses moisture more easily
Some studies have suggested that the Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) values were highest in Asians – Berardesca and Maibach (2002) found that Asian skin showed the highest levels of TEWL, as well as increased levels of permeability (source). TEWL is the amount of water vapor lost through the skin under non-sweating conditions.
This means: we need more skin hydration and it’ll be good to choose a moisturizer high in water-binding ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.
5. Asian skin gets oily more easily
It is often said that Asian skin has more sebaceous glands and is oilier than Caucasian skin type. I guess this might have to do with the weather as well but it is generally true that most of us are constantly fighting to keep shine away from our skin. As a matter of fact, I have a greasy scalp because of very active sebaceous glands.
This means: our skin may get clogged easily and it’ll be good to exfoliate once or twice a week. In addition, do not use harsh products that will strip away our natural skin lipids and make the skin oilier.
6. Asian skin is more resistant to aging
While we have a thinner stratum corneum, we also have a thicker dermis that contains greater collagen (source).
This means: our skin show fewer signs of pre-mature aging. YAY!
These information, while mostly based on research data, may not apply across the board to all Asians as it also depends on where we live. However, generally speaking, I think they make a lot of sense. What do you think?
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I agree with all of them. Especially the last one. Asians here look a lot younger compared to their Caucasian peers. I’m so glad we have a leg up there ?
What do I think? I KNOW I have issues with oiliness and hyperpigmentation. BUT, I do not look my age!
At least we have the benefit of not aging quickly. Otherwise, it feels like all problems are associated with Asian skin. Pigmentation problem must be due to the ever-changing weather. Even I do not look my age ?
nice post! i definitely agree with most of them as i experience most from it.i’m now more aware of my skin.thanks for sharing ?
I guess it’s also the size…Asians tend to be smaller and once you’re smaller, you tend to look younger too. ?
That’s great! ?
Haha…it’s good not to look your age. But actually, it’s not that we have all the problems. We have more melanin and that’s something good too. Additionally, we actually have thicker skin cos our dermis layer is thicker. ?
You’re welcome. ?
when You say asian skin, does it include people from india as well?
Yes, I do especially w.r.t. the melanin stated under no. 3 cos Dr. Kwame Osei mentioned Indians too. However, for the skin hyperpigmentation, I get the impression that the subjects used to conduct the studies were more of lighter skin color so it may not be representative across the various races in Asia.
i agree with the scarring, losing moisture and oiliness! have been experiencing all of these since i was 12 ?
This is so true! I agree with all the points especially the hyperpigmentation. I’m suffering still from the acne “scarring!”
I agree with the general skin type for Asian skin. So with water moisture loss but oiliness condition, what are ways to combat these conditions? If I use an oil controlling product, does that do it or should I leave my face slightly damp before I apply my oil controlling product so that moisture is sealed in? Thanks
At least your skin is more resistant to aging ?
You got to take additional care then. The oiliness can be contributed by the lack of moisture too.
Got to use more skin brightening serum to help with the scarring. Something containing Vitamin C would be useful.
The oiliness may also be contributed by the lack of moisture. Generally, experts will suggest using water based moisturizer and not oil based for Asian skin type. However, I beg to differ cos I’ve had success using oil. But what I do is I use a hydrating toner. So you need to get a product that will supply some hydrating properties still. Or layer a water based moisturizer or serum over the oil.
Heh. That’s very good news. ?
Even I think using oil is really beneficial for the skin. I use it as a moisturizer. Actually moisturizing in oil when you skin is damp from shower is a great way to lick the moisture in. I had read somewhere that within 3 minutes of shower, one should moisturize their body to prevent evaporation of water.
Yes, it’s true that it’s best to moisturize after a shower cos the pores are slightly more open, assuming one bathe in warm water.
Well that makes a lot of sense – I’ve had acne problems on and off all my life, as well as eczema, sort of the worst of both worlds! Does this mean I should be looking for Asian-made skincare?
They might help your skin type but not all the time.
I totally agree with the ageing part. ? You have a very informative blog. Keep it up! ?
Thank you. Come back often. ?
Thank u for sharing this information on Asian Skin type. Now i can address to my skin woes – acne and scarring – better. and yes, i don’t look my age either. Cheers for that!
well, I have learn lots of thing, i even never think about ?
first of all I’m asian, but live in Europe. I want to know what kind of cream and facial cream i can use and how to care my face. (my face is darker than any part of my body, kin of strange )
and suncream, There is lots of suncream with different brand, I want to know what kind of brand i can use such like “La Roche-Posay”, “Cliniderm” and “Vichi” brands.?
Try Marie Veronique Organics sunscreen – they are available at puresha.com based in UK. This sunscreen is best used under an oil and Marie Veronique has some oil suitable for that.
You might need to exfoliate your skin at least twice a week. The difference in tone is because of the exposure of UV rays and also, could be accumulation of dead skin cells.
i love this post. so true because being asian, i also have these types of issues with my skin. after i shower my skin above my chest get red spots with tiny bumps but then they go away. which just means my skin is extra sensitive to warm/hot water. and my scars do appear pretty dark at first. of course over time they light(a long time)
and i get combination skin as well, very dry in some areas, and oily on others.
overall, asian skin is just so damn complicated. (or maybe jus my skin)
and also another thing that contributes to asians looking younger than caucasians may be the fact that asians tend to stay away from the sun and it’s harmful uv rays that would age the skin, while caucasians tend to embrace the sun causing some pre-mature aging. in a nut shell, asians love to be white, thus avoiding the sun, and caucasians love to be tan, taking in all the sun they can. pretty ironic since it’s the caucasian look asians are going for while the actual caucasians want the opposite effect ?
Yes, it’s true we avoid the sun and we are also obsessed about whitening products. ?
It’s ironic that we have more moisture losing skin as well as more oilier skin.
D<
I think the oily skin applies more depending on where they live. I find that environmental factors affect my, and my asian peers skin lots.
Definitely true! I would love if our weather is cooler. Sometimes, my face looks so oily by midday due to the oppressive heat.
Yes, when I take the kids to the pool I am ALWAYS sitting in the shade while EVERYONE else is sitting in the sun! And the aging thing is awesome. I am 40 and am told I look like I’m 30!
That’s awesome! Don’t we just love it when we’re told we look so much younger than our age? ?
funny thing is im not asian but these all apply to me :3 i look younger than most my other friends as well…. i think a big key is healthy diet too! also heredity has a lot to do with it….. my mother is 60 years old but not one wrinkle on her face. she has always enforced good skin care and i am glad she did! i also had a very hard time finding good products because my skin is so so sensitive. but after switching over to mostly organic items my skin is doing better. even some natural things bother my skin though still!
That’s great! I’m glad that your diet and what you use help you look younger. Who says organic is useless?
when I was left in a Da Nang hospital, my mother left without me and they won’t say anything but calling her a wanderer. I still don’t know if I am truly 100% Vietnamese or something else. I was 15 months old when she left me. I looked on the Internet and still can’t make that connection. One of my photos was me in an orphanage,but it seemed like I looked different. One kind man said that he was something else about him I saw your blog and I agree with what you had said about our skin. Thanks/good luck!
Tran Minh Hoang last post is: Reviva Labs Collagen Regeneration Cream: a beauty boost
I believe that I have been getting tanner as I am working during CAA which is Camp All American. My arms have been getting darker than my other areas besides my clothes.
Is there anything I can do besides working under the blazing sun all morning?
I also am very sensitive to temperature changes.
Tran Minh Hoang last post is: Reviva Labs Collagen Regeneration Cream: a beauty boost
That should be the fastest way to get tan but it’s gonna damage your skin in the long run.
Good post, Asian’s black hair is a good way for them to produce enough levels of melanin.
Too much serotonin can also cause issues.
Hi, I’m an African American twenty-one year old. I came across this article out of curiosity. I always believed Asian women to be really beautiful (I’m not homosexual), more than caucasian women and I wondered if they produced melanin like darker people like myself. I must say I was surprised by what I learned and also how the six skin features discussed relate to my skin too. My skin is oily, prone to scarring, creates melanin, and everyone knows “black don’t crack” (a known American saying of how black people age well). I really enjoyed this article, continue to be beautiful ladies.
I actually did research and found that darker skinned people show a very minimal amount aging because the darker the skin, the more melanin produced. Melanin is the skins natural sunscreen; a protectant against UVA/UVB rays. Caucasian has minimal Melanin which is why they appear to age faster.
I just found out the reason why Asian skin ages slower even though it isn’t darkly pigmented. It’s called Pheomelanin, a special kind of melanin only produced in those of Asian descent. Hence it allows a slower aging process as well and doesn’t produce dark melanin. Mixed-race people also age well as well. But for now, according to a dermatologist, the top non-aging races are Asians and African Americans or anyone with a darker skin hue. Next comes those who are mixed race. And then Caucasians. Here’s the link that explains everything.
https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/a-dermatologist-explains-the-science-behind-the-black-dont-crack-stereotype
Although I’m not an Asian too, I find some similarities between Asian skin and mine. My skin is really oily, very acne-prone (espeially during fall and winter) and has some freckles. The last point also relates to me (some people said I look younger than my current age, although, frankly speaking, I don’t regard 30 as an “old” age and I’m more schocked when I see some 30-something year olds looking old than those looking young :)).
Interesing site ?
Greetings from Poland
Does this specifically apply to easter asians? or can this be applied to South East/ South Asians?
I believe so…I’m South East Asian. ?
I loved ready your post, thank you to you and others who have contributed, all of it rings true for me and I’ve learnt so much about my skin – just wish I had known all this earlier in my life! I was born and live in Australia where our sun is much harsher and air is dry all year round. Growing up in the 80’s we were never taught to be SunSmart and unfortunately I’ve had a lot of sun exposure as a child. As a result, I’m freckly all over the face. I tanned quite easily as a child but I don’t tan at all now as a adult. However my other Asian friends don’t freckle, still continue to tan well and generally their skin tends to be more resilient than mine which is ultrasensitive, fair and freckly. Is this because they produce more melanin than me?
Also as a teenager I developed hay fever allergy and have been battling dry skin and mild facial eczema ever since. I have recently found raw unrefined shea organic shea to be quite soothing. Rich in vitamins A and E it nourishes the skin. Anyone out there who had similar problems, give it a try! Good news is that it isn’t expensive either.
I’m a quarter Japanese and it seems I inherited my mother’s skin. My skin is easily irritated above my chest; gets a little rash if exposed to the sun over 20 min and worsened by sweating. It seems it even gets irritated from heavy natural sunscreen like Badger, should I just not put sunscreen on it and cover with scarf? I have the same skin tone as my mother’s as well, Japanese.
I don’t know if these applies to mixed race as well. Though I think this depends more on where you live, the further south you got, the more hotter so its natural that skin gets more oily easily. I have an oily T-zone on my face (though the rest of my face, skin and scalp aren’t) but when I travelled to Hong Kong on a winter, suddenly the oily part of my face didn’t get oily at all. And I’m very prone to getting sunburned since I tan a lot more easily even with just a 10 minute exposure to the sun but I’m too lazy to put on sunscreen lotion unless I’m at a beach or a swimming pool. As with the rest of the description, I can say I don’t have a sensitive skin at all even when I was young and been using hydroquinone many times.
Interesting. I am a white woman living in Asia for a few years now, married into a Chinese family, and to be honest have been dealing with some feelings of inferiority lately regarding the fact that white women age faster and Asian women have more smooth, moist skin ? I know it’s really superficial to worry about this, since obviously I can’t change myself.