Xhosa Tribe Made at Home Ingceke Sun Cream
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Ingceke is a traditional broad spectrum sunscreen |
The special sunscreen lotion for African skin made by the South African Xhosa tribe may look like paint for a traditional dance performance but it is simply sunscreen. The white creamy sunscreen lotion for black South African skin is called ingceke. It is used as a sunscreen and skin ointment for protection and healing against the harsh South African sun and wind.
In the Eastern Cape Province conditions inland are usually drier and hotter and there is a lower rainfall level than at the coast. The South African region has Subtropical weather, during the summer months temperatures range from 74℉ - 92℉ or 23℃ - 33℃ between September and April. January is usually the hottest month with hot and humid days, sunscreen then becomes an essential item.
The Xhosa traditionally make ingceke sun-cream which is a mixture of water and clay to protect themselves from the burning rays of the sun and used as skin ointment to treat rashes and eczema.
Fair-skinned people are likely to absorb more solar energy than dark-skinned people under the same conditions. Given the recognized public health benefits of sunscreen use, Africans use sunscreen with other sun protective measures to make a difference in how well they are able to protect themselves from sunburn, skin cancer, early skin aging and other risks of overexposure to the sun.
Sunscreen comes in many forms such as:
Lotions
Creams
Gels
Oils
Butters
Pastes
Sprays
The popular ingceke cream is made from the fruit of the exotic sausage tree. The fruits are ground to a pulp, burnt to ash and pounded with water to make a white paste to apply to the face and body.
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