dermatology
important , what you eat . Youcould work out all day , but ifyou don ’ t have the right balance of nutrients , you won ’ t lose the weight .”
Boakye started telling her patients about what she ’ d learned , took nutrition classes herself , and learned how sleep , stress and other factors impact skin health . She took anonline course from Stanford University to prepare her for certification in Lifestyle Medicine and Integrative Dermatology , which she received after taking anine-month integrated dermatology class to explore how lifestyle affects skin health .
“ Your skin is abarometer ,” she says . “ It tells you how angry itisatwhat you ’ re doing . Weneed to look internally and work on pillars of good health such as nutrition , sleep , physical activity and stress management .” Eating the right foods , for example , could avoid aflareup of acne and the medications needed to treat it .
SPECIALTY WITHIN A SPECIALTY
According to the National Institutes of Health , only 3 % of all dermatologists are Black . Ontop of that , “ Caucasian dermatologists who didn ’ t train with Black people have aharder time picking up nuances in the skin ,” says Boakye . “ They just weren ’ t trained for it .” Black people tend to have drier skin , she says , and are prone to eczema and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation ( PIH ), achronic condition more common in darker-skinned individuals .
In 2016 , she and two of her sisters created askin care line to address these needs . They took the shea butter – fat extracted from shea tree nuts – that is widely used in Ghana and mixed ahigh concentration of it with other plant botanicals to create the hypoallergenic Karité body cream , lip balm and hand cream .
During the pandemic , she wrote abook to share her expertise called Inside Out Beauty : Your Prescription for Healthy , Radiant , and Acne Controlled Skin . Her experience also contributed to her partnership with A-Frame Brands , acompany that manufactures beauty products for underrepresented communities , and uses celebrity platforms to educate members of those communities about the importance of protecting their skin from
SPREADING THE WORD ( Top ) Dr . Boakye consults with apatient . ( Above ) Boakye ( inset ) joins aWalmart TalkShopLive stream with Kia Lowe , President of John Legend ’ s skin care line , Loved01 . ( Opposite ) Boakye sits with acopy of her 2021 book , Inside Out Beauty .
the sun . “ There ’ s an expression ‘ Black doesn ’ t crack ,’ but we ’ re vulnerable ,” she says .
Tennis great Naomi Osaka was playing long hours in the sun without realizing she had hyperpigmentation , says Boakye . The Kinlò brand Osaka helps market includes asunscreen , hydrating eye cream and soothing aloe gel . Likewise , former Miami Heat basketball player Dwayne Wade and his wife , actress Gabrielle Union , wanted totreat their baby Kaavia ’ sskin care problems and couldn ’ t find anything suitable ; his Proudly brand , whose website says itis “ dedicated to Black & Brown babies ,” includes hydrating baby lotion and allover balm .
Most recently , Boakye worked with A-Frame to develop aline of skin care products for musician John Legend that is available at CVS and Walmart called Loved01 .“ They say , ‘ John wants to come up with askin care line for Black adults ,’” she says .“ We use rose hip oil and sea buckthorn oil in his products .”
Dr . Andrew Alexis , who is aprofessor of clinical dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College inNew York City , isproud of how his cousin has contributed to their field . “ Naana has developed auniquely holistic approach to managing dermatologic disorders that is grounded in her broad range of training and professional experience ,” he says . Her skin care line , he adds , is “ inspired not only by her recognition of unmet needs as adermatologist , but also , as awoman of Ghanaian descent who understood the potential applications of shea butter for skin health as used in West Africa for generations .” ■
PAITIENT : COURTESY OFXIANA GUTIERREZ BY C ’ EST LA ZEE PHOTOGRAPHY ; VIDEO : COURTESY OF LOVED01
34 2023 EDITION ( 201 ) HEALTH