Over the past several years Fashion Fair has continued to promote archaic notions about what is beneficial for African-American skin-care or makeup needs. Although this well-established company has catered to the African-American community since its inception, their products are sadly out of date! Fashion Fair’s skin-care products feature mostly drying cleansers and irritating toners, which they recommend you follow with one of their emollient moisturizers, regardless of your skin type. That means you would be drying up your skin (making it look ashy) and then greasing it up to make it look moist, contributing to an endless cycle of combination skin. Not only are the needs of skin much greater than what Fashion Fair provides, but also many of their products end up causing further damage, not the least of which is sun damage—because the company’s sole product with sunscreen leaves skin of any color vulnerable to UVA damage.
So are darker skin tones different from lighter skin tones? You may be surprised to know that, other than their color, they are fundamentally alike. Regardless of color or ethnic background, all skin is subject to a range of virtually identical problems with similar considerations. Whether it is dry or oily skin, blemishes, scarring, wrinkles, skin discolorations, rashes, rosacea, sensitivity, or sun damage, the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment is the same for all men and women.
There are certainly distinctions between ethnic groups when it comes to specific skin problems (such as scarring or ingrown hair), but overall these differences are minor in comparison to the number of similarities. Think of it this way: Regardless of skin color, dietary needs remain the same. A high-calorie diet results in weight gain, an unhealthy diet can cause health risks, and if you don't eat you die, no matter what your skin color may be. As far as skin care goes, skin is an organ (the largest in the human body) and needs the same ingredients and formulations to be healthy or to deal with various skin concerns (Sources: Cutis, December 2006, pages 2–19 supplemental; and Journal of Cosmetic Laser Therapy, June 2006, pages 96–101).
Research on this topic supports the points above while also noting the distinctive characteristics of ethnic skin tones, although these characteristics don't mean that different products are needed for treatment. According to an article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (February 2002, pages 41–62), "There is not a wealth of data on racial and ethnic differences in skin and hair structure, physiology, and function. What studies do exist involve small patient populations and often have methodological flaws. Consequently, few definitive conclusions can be made. The literature does support a racial differential in epidermal melanin [pigment] content and melanosome dispersion in people of color compared with fair-skinned persons.... These differences could at least in part account for the lower incidence of skin cancer in certain people of color compared with fair-skinned persons; a lower incidence and different presentation of photo aging; pigmentation disorders in people with skin of color; and a higher incidence of certain types of alopecia [loss of hair] in Africans and African Americans compared with those of other ancestry." While skin cancer may not be as much of a threat or concern for ethnic groups with darker skin, skin discolorations resulting from unprotected sun exposure or hormonal concerns are the same as for people with lighter skin.
If the research brings out any difference, it is the imperative need to treat darker skin tones gently. When darker skin is irritated it can stimulate hyperpigmentation, causing patches of darker or grayish skin discolorations. Though this is easily treated, the main focus should be on prevention. Given my fervent belief over the years that all skin types need to be treated gently, it's encouraging that there’s more research pointing that way for women of color as well. When skin is irritated it cannot protect itself from the environment. Irritation also causes collagen and elastin to break down, damages the skin's immune response, and can cause skin to become dry and flaky. That is a chief reason why so many of Fashion Fair’s products are flawed, and those that are not irritating or drying have ordinary formulas that shortchange African-American consumers by not offering them what many mainstream, non-ethnospecific lines are offering.
Fashion Fair Makeup
Although this makeup line is getting harder to come by (at least on the West Coast), it has been on the scene since 1973, when John H. Johnson and his wife Eunice launched the color collection after experimenting with it on models at fashion shows (hence the line’s name). Debuting as the first specialty cosmetics line for women of color, Fashion Fair is still a family business based in Chicago. Despite the niche it once filled and the sense of can-do history behind the brand, it has not been at the forefront of the cosmetics industry for years. Instead of trailblazing into the future, most of what you’ll find in Fashion Fair’s color line is extraordinarily average to poor. The many foundations have few great shades to extol, the concealers are dated, and obvious shine still plagues many of the blush and eyeshadow shades (though the latter’s application has been improved). As usual, there are some good products to consider, but, as a whole, many other lines not specifically marketed to women of color have eclipsed Fashion Fair with their superior textures, enhanced application, and more than enough real-world shades to satisfy the specific needs of African-American skin tones.