I can’t recall the first time I heard someone actually say “Black Don’t Crack” but Im sure they were speaking to the undoubtable beauty of Black skin and its graceful way of aging. I highly doubt many who often used Black don’t crack as a retort for someone who obviously didn’t understand the depths of our beauty or as a compliment yelled at the TV screen when seeing their favorite 90s actress, really thought much about this Black generational phrase, passed on like hand me downs, as being anything more than that.

When I posed the question “How has the idea of Black don’t crack shaped your perception of skincare as a Black woman?” via twitter, the responses were minimal but very similar.

Much like me, these Black women at some point in their lives have either heard this phrase from a family member, taken it on and started to say it themselves and even allowed the “fact” to influence skin health decisions. Not wearing sunscreen, using oils as moisturizers, even reasoning that the only cause for certain women in their lives to have dark circles was because they were clearly evil! (I laughed hard at this). When I think of the way I myself took care of my skin in high school, it was heavily influenced by those around me. At one point I had even stop cleansing my face with my dove bar soap, which was already a terrible idea, and started using on HOT water and a wash rag because a girl with skin more clear than mine told me thats all she used

Thinking back on it, I really don’t know who told sis that this was why her skin didn’t have visible acne but I do wish she had never told me that steaming hot water was the key to salvation.

The idea of the ultra resilience of Black skin is due in part to science and some just to plain old assumption, and racism.. we can’t forget the racism. Melanin is a term used to describe a large group of related molecules responsible for many biological functions, including pigmentation of skin and hair and photoprotection of skin and eye. Melanin is also known amongst Black people as our super power, it is sited by many Black folks as being apart of the reason our “Black Don’t Crack”. The thought is that our melanin gives us increased protection from environmental damage such as the harmful UVA and UVB sun rays which in turn, naturally decreases our risk of skin cancer and allows for decreased visible signs aging. My social media conversations also showed that many Black women who follow me associate the aforementioned phrase directly with the aging process, particularly the slowed down part of it as well as the notion that Black people don’t need extra protection from the sun because it can’t harm us.

Skincare twitter often finds itself in a fuss with the SPF nonbelievers almost every few months, with tons of accounts belonging to Black and brown people stating claims that sunscreen is not necessary for our skin, some even go as far as to say that wearing it can be the cause of the damage itself. The reality though? Even the darkest Black skin provides only about an SPF 13. If you get enough sun exposure, you’ll get skin damage, and possibly even skin cancer.”

Studies also show that about 60% of Black people do not wear sunscreen

The fact of the matter is, words mean things and the spreading of misinformation can have serious consequences for Black people as a whole on the subject of what is necessary for protecting our skin. On top of this, the concept of Black don’t crack is rooted in very unrealistic beauty standards that are primarily aimed at Black women. Looking 30 when you're 50 is simply not the case for every Black woman, nor should it be the requirement. Perpetuating this ageless standard of beauty leaves room for the women who don’t fit the standard to feel entirely left out of the conversation when we speak about how beautiful Black is.

Black skin is more prone to skin conditions such as Melasma, Vitiligo, Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation, Hormonal Acne, Keloids, DPN and Psoriasis. A community-based photographic study, showed clinical acne to be highly revalent in Black women, about 37% to be exact. Over two thirds of Black women with acne will experience PIH also known as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which is a darkening of the skins pigment due to the build up of melanin at the site of inflammation. 20% of Black children have eczema, which is almost double the rate found in white, Asian, Native American, and Hispanic children.

Conditions such as eczema and acne can be debilitating in their more aggressive forms and really have an effect on the quality of life a Black women experiences. On top of the fact that for most Black people living in urban or underdeveloped communities, access to quality healthcare is limited. The same can be said for the lack of knowledge in Black skin that physicians and dermatologists who study conditions of the skin have, in an article for the New York Times Dr. Jenna Lester who serves as the director for skin of color program at University of California was referenced as saying “If you’re only trained to look at something in one color, you won’t recognize it in another color,” further pushing the truth about the lack of research and photo evidence in dermatology as it pertains to skin of color.

Is it fair to say that Black actually does “crack?”, I personally believe so. The wording may be harsh but the sentiment is a gentle reminder that not all Black skin looks the same or functions the same and perpetuating grandiose ideas of some sort of super beauty can have lasting affects far beyond what’s on the surface. Black women are under served in various communities and the beauty industry is most certainly one of them, shedding light on the very real challenges we face in terms of personal care is necessary in order to continue breaking down stereotypes, debunking harmful myths, exposing unbalanced medical research and continuing the conversation on the overall standard to which we as Black women hold ourselves.

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