CHENNAI: The Internet is truly a strange place. There’s endless tutorials on how to make lash extensions using leg hair, websites like Endless Horse, and influencers dishing out questionable skincare advice. Seriously, the more time I spend on social media, the more I realise that there isn’t as much “bad” skincare, as there is bad advice, or people interpreting the wrong way.
Allow me to explain: I see a lot of people promoting very complex skincare regimes, on how to include retinols, vitamin C, and exfoliating acids all in the same day. While yes, the general rule of thumb is that you can use a vitamin C in the morning, retinol at night and an exfoliating acid upto three times a week — my skin can’t take that and chances are that yours can’t handle it either.
Too many products and actives have the potential to counteract with each other and irritate the skin leaving you red, flakey and super sensitive to the sun. It’s also not just about how many different products you’re using, but also the amount you’re applying. Skip the overly generous applications, you want a dime-sized amount a best. If you have gone too fast, too hard, and are trying to bring your skin back to a happy space, it’s best to halt your routine for a couple of days entirely and then slowly introduce each product back.
It’s all about giving your skin a chance to regulate its pH level back to normalcy, before adding anything else to it. There are no backsies in skincare, you’ll just have to ride it out. A good save-your-time skin routine can include a gentle pH balancing cleanser, hydrating moisturiser, and an SPF. I recommend pairing Arata’s Refreshing Face Wash with Innisfree’s Green Tea Seed Cream and topping it up with an SPF value of at least 30.
Once you have this covered, you can look at vitamin C serums which are universally-loved and skin-friendly. Building a routine that works for you is not about using every trendy ingredient and product. It’s about covering the basics, figuring out what works for your skin type and sticking to it. If you aren’t able to get in the basic habit of cleansing, moisturising and SPF, you really shouldn’t be bothering with anything else —because it’s just a waste of money.
There you have it! If you wouldn’t take 30 shots of tequila at one go, take it easy with incorporating 15 actives and acids into one skincare routine. There’s no rush in skincare. Because #wokeuplikethis results that you are waiting to see are going to be from consistency, not just waiting for Prince Charming while going through vats of products. More anon.
saumya R chawla
@pixie.secrets
Beauty behaviour with a side of dessert