What is Melanin?
Melanin - which comes from the Greek word, melas, meaning dark – is a group of natural skin pigments. Three types of melanin are found in the human body, but the most common is eumelanin: a brown-black pigment responsible for most of the coloring of human skin, hair and eyes. The difference between light and dark skin is simply the amount and distribution of eumelanin in cells in the outermost layer of skin.
Melanin vs. The Sun
Melanin, specifically eumelanin, helps our bodies optimize the amount of two essential vitamins: folate and vitamin D. Without sufficient folate, men can become infertile; and without sufficient vitamin D, we cannot form normal skeletons or immune systems. To survive and reproduce, our skin needs to allow in just enough ultraviolent radiation so we can produce sufficient vitamin D, but not so much that it depletes the levels of folate in our bodies.
Big Beard Care
Caring and maintaining black hair requires a bit of restraint. Shaving removes the uppermost layer of skin cells, exposing immature skin that is particularly sensitive to external influences. If you have a beard (hair) covering part of your face, it’s especially important to keep the skin underneath properly hydrated. Start out cleansing it with a beard shampoo once a week, and judge how your beard hair recovers. The objective is to ensure you’re deep cleaning and stimulating growth. Always apply beard oil and conditioner after using shampoo.
Beard Combing & Styling
For Black men with beards, proper care and moisturizing are crucial for healthy hair and skin. Invest in a beard comb for your daily styling. Your beard comb should have smooth teeth. Because your hair is curly and coiled, it will break easily if you use a comb with sharp teeth. Also, use your beard comb to evenly spread Essential Elixir™ Conditioning Serum and PatchWork™ Beard Conditioning Balm throughout your beard.
