When I communicated with Ed Paul, adoption blogger here are families.com about giving advice to parents of transracially adopted African American Children, he made several requests. One of those requests was for skincare advice. I already wrote about winter skincare treatment. Now I will address summer skincare.
Summer skincare for African American children is similar to winter skincare, as you need to seal in moisture after bathing. It is different however in the fact that heavy creams and lotions will melt in the sun and harm the skin. Therefore, you need a light moisturizer. I find that baby oil and baby lotions are very effective for use at bath time. If your child bathes in the morning, do not use baby oil. Using baby oil before going out into the sun will cause sunburn. If your child is hot and restless at bedtime in the summer, you can also add baby powder to their chest, back and underarms to prevent sweating. Use cornstarch powder as talcum powder can cause chafing.
Dark skin also needs sun exposure to be healthy. We hear about all the damage the sun can do to the skin, but spending ½ hour a day in the sun evens skin tone, (removes uneven pigmentation), and treats skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. Using vitamin E oil on the skin is a decent substitute for the healing properties of the sun on the skin. (I use this in the winter for my eczema)
Speaking of sun exposure, African American children need sunscreen too. You can actually share products in the summer if you are in a pinch, but I highly recommend baby sunscreen products for kids under 10. Aveeno makes great products for problem skin.
Spending time in the sun will darken your child’s skin considerably. Spending too much time in the sun will burn your African American child’s skin. Such sunburn can be difficult to notice on dark skin. Close examination will reveal what may appear to be flushed skin or a slight reddening. Your child will feel the sunburn long before you ever see it. If the child complains of a burning sensation on their shoulders or the back of their arms, they have sunburn. (You might notice the child brushing his or her hands over his arms and other the skin that hurts). Most people do not catch sunburn on dark skin until the skin starts peeling. At that point, you can soothe the skin with Aloe Vera gel as it is mildly uncomfortable.
Read more about transracial adoptions on families.com