When you live in a society where having fair and lighter skin is the standard of beauty, being born a morena or having dark skin can be quite challenging. Where whitening one’s skin has become an obsession, people try all sorts of ways to hop on the trend.

The problem with colorism goes way back to history where skin color is associated with people’s class in society. For us Filipinos, this mindset about the lighter your skin the better may have come from the Spanish colonizers who branded dark-skinned Filipinos as poor laborers while those with light skin or mixed-race belong to the upper class. Sad to say, we can still see traces of the old times when it comes to standards.

Here are some skin care tips that you can try that we think will make your morena skin stand out more. Check them out below.

1. Keep your skin moisturized

In a good skincare routine, this step is always on the list. After cleansing, not only dirt and oils are being stripped off your skin but also your skin’s moisture. To bring back the lost moisture that your skin needs, you will want to use a moisturizer that best fits your skin. When you have a morena complexion, your skin looks ashen when it’s dry due to the lack of moisture. The best way to avoid this is and to keep your skin fresh, radiant and young looking is by using a good moisturizer.

2. Add your favorite toner for extra care.

Toners are basically used in between cleansing and moisturizing the skin. After cleaning your face with a mild cleanser, you will need to prep your skin before applying moisturizer or serum so your skin can absorb them properly. Toners will do the job all while removing excess oils, leftover makeup, and grimes stuck in your pores. When you use it regularly, it can help minimize your pores for a smoother complexion.

3. Protect your skin with a good sunscreen.

Just like any other skin tones, morena skin also needs protection from the sun. Fair skin can burn easily with too much sun exposure, so are those with darker complexion especially when left unprotected. Excessive exposure to UV rays can cause premature aging which results in sagging and wrinkling of the skin.

To avoid skin damage and uneven skin tone, make sure to use sunscreen that has a high SPF all over your face and body for your skin to be protected from too much sun exposure. The higher the SPF, the better.

4. Exfoliate regularly.

Exfoliation helps the skin get rid of dull skin caused by dead skin cells that clog the skin. Regularly doing so will uncover fresh new cells and will bring out your natural skin color. Just like sunscreen, it can benefit all types of skin —even the morenas.

Since old and dead skin cells are stripped off, exfoliation opens a way for skincare products such as serums and moisturizers to penetrate more deeply into the skin, making them more effective. This leaves your skin looking more hydrated, fresh, and healthy. It also helps reduce the chances of getting acne, blackheads, and whiteheads.

Choosing an exfoliator to use depends on your skin type. For oily skin, it’s best to use a physical exfoliator such as a scrub or a cleansing device to properly help your skin exfoliate. For dry skin, try scrubs that have fine grains and choose products that contain honey or moisturizing oils to add some moisture to your skin. For the combination type, you can have a wide range of

 exfoliators to choose from scrubs to acids.

5. Treat your skin with a relaxing Face Mask.

Hydrating face masks are not just a trend, because they really do wonders to the skin. Face masks work by infusing your pores with hydrating ingredients by bringing it closer and deeper into the skin. It can help boost hydration, help fade hyperpigmentation and even help lessen breakouts since your skin is allowed to soak in with the good stuff.

We all have our own color story. One way or another, we all have been judged based on somebody else standards of beauty. But as the society begins to be accepting of people’s uniqueness, we are now geared towards celebrating the skin that we have. Knowing what your skin needs is a key to having good skin, regardless of color. Bronzed skin is fun and beautiful! So celebrate no matter what skin you’re in because we are all beautiful in our way. You just have to own it!