Gentle Touch: 6 Best Gentle Skincare Products for Dark Skin

If your skin needs a gentle touch, we’ve got the perfect list of products that work wonders on gorgeous, melanated skin.

Sometimes, finding out what is right for your skin can be a trial-and-error process that leaves you feeling frustrated enough to use harsh products in pursuit of results. We know it can take a while to find the right balance for your gorgeous, unique skin, but turning to aggressive products is never the answer!

Lucky for you, we’ve taken a lot of the hard work and frustration out of the process by doing the research ourselves. If you’re changing up your skincare routine or ready to get more serious about taking care of the one skin you’ll have for the rest of your life, then we’ve got the list for you! These skincare products (created mainly by black-owned companies) are the gentle answer to your skincare question and will keep your skin smooth, sparkling, happy, and healthy.

1. Pava Toner — Sweet July Skin

$33 for 150 ml / 5.1 fl oz

sweetjuly.com

Get your skin to a place of constant glow with this unique formula that aims to resurface uneven skin and dissolve any lingering dead skin cells that might block powers and create congestion. This toner is the skin reset you need to balance your skin without using harsh ingredients and drying your beautiful face.

Key Ingredients:

• Guava extract to exfoliate and keep pores clear as well as hydrate.
• Glycolic acid to clear pores for minimal breakouts, hydrate, and exfoliate.
• Fermented papaya to smooth, soothe, and brighten up skin tone.

2. Soy pH-Balanced Hydrating Face Wash — Fresh

$39.00 for 150 ml / 5 fl oz (full size)

fresh.com

Remove every speck of makeup on your face after a long day with this hydrating, softening, balancing face wash that works for all skin types and tones. This product proves that gentle doesn’t have to mean powerless or ineffective! The soy proteins in this gel formula cleanse your face deeply and increase your skin’s hydration level even after you’ve rinsed it away — trials showed that hydration was increased by as much as 10%. Soy is a double whammy because it cleanses while helping to smooth dry lines and minimize skin irritation.

Key Ingredients:

• Aloe vera to hydrate and soothe your skin.
• Borage seed oil to soften dry skin with its blend of fatty acids, leaving it looking supple.
• Cucumber extract to cool, calm, and soothe.
• Soy proteins to improve skin elasticity and promote a healthy-looking complexion.

3. Duafe Hibiscus Polish Bar — 54 Thrones

$16 for 4 oz

54thrones.com

The skin on your body needs some TLC, too! We love everything about this product, from the name (Duafe is the Ghanaian symbol of cleanliness and beauty) to the heavenly hibiscus scent the bar leaves in its wake. This body bar purifies, smooths, and refreshes dull or tired-looking skin to leave you glowing and polished. This multi-use product is suitable for your body, face, and hair. Lather generously, leave on for a few minutes, then rinse for a fresh skin start.

Key Ingredients:

• Hibiscus for a glowing complexion smoothed and exfoliated by its natural acids. Hibiscus also contains antioxidants and vitamin C for increased collagen production and brightened complexion.
• Rosemary extract for hydration.
• Tea tree oil for soothed skin.

4. Tinted Mineral Facial Sunscreen SPF 30 — Buttah by Dorian Renaud

$26 for 2fl. oz (60ml)

buttahskin.com

Sun protection is something that everyone with every skin type and tone needs to include in their skincare routine on a daily basis. This lightweight, chemical, paraben, and fragrance-free formula was developed with the unique needs of a darker complexion in mind and is your new daily best sun-protection friend. The tint is subtle and works more as a complexion evener than a foundation or BB cream-style color. The formula leaves no white cast and lets your natural beauty shine through while keeping your face, neck, and chest safe from the sun’s harsh rays.

5. Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum — Eadem

$68 for 30 ml / 1.01 fl oz

eadem.co

Dark spots can be a bigger concern for some than others, and shifting those stubborn marks when entrenched can be challenging. Prevent them from forming at all and fade ‘em if you’ve got ‘em with this milky serum from Eadem. Everything from sun damage to pimples and bites can leave those annoying marks, but this subtle serum is perfectly balanced to fade those spots without bleaching or aggressive ingredients.

Key Ingredients:

• Smart Melanin™ Technology uses amber algae to control melanin production, niacinamide to fight acne and minimize inflammation, and licorice root to brighten complexion (among others).
• Glycerin deeply hydrates.
• Crambe abyssinica locks in moisture and increases hydration.
• Papaya and pineapple enzymes resurface the skin and remove dead skin cells for a bright complexion.

6. The Prototype Botanical Lip Oil — The Lip Bar

$14 for 10 ml

thelipbar.com

This product delivers a two-for-one: treating the delicate skin on your lips and applying a delicate wash of color and a subtle glossy glow. While many lip glosses can end up drying your pout, this infused lip oil soothes and moisturizes as it colors. The natural fragrance delivered by the botanical ingredients in the formula is delicious and not at all overpowering; they help condition away any dryness caused by weather or underlying conditions. Available in berry purple, sheer nude, mauve taupe, and coral pink,

Key ingredients:

• Mango butter to protect against harsh environmental damage.
• Lavender oil for minimized inflammation and cleansed skin.
• Vitamin E for deep hydration.

Take It Easy

Give your skin a break with these gentle products that can form an effective part of your daily skincare routine. Taking good care of your skin now will serve you well in the future and keep you at your glowing best every day.