CHENNAI: In recent years, beauty routines like CTM (Cleansing, Toning, Moisturising), dry brushing, and slugging have gained immense popularity, thanks to the global rise of skincare influencers and social media platforms. However, these trends — often developed for different skin types and environments — may not always be suitable for Indian skin, which has unique characteristics due to the country’s climate, lifestyle, and genetic makeup.
A major factor influencing the effectiveness of these popular skincare routines on Indian skin is the climate. India experiences tropical, humid, and sometimes extreme weather conditions. The country’s high pollution levels, intense sun exposure, and humidity mean that the skin’s needs differ significantly from those in colder, drier regions.
Dr Renita Rajan, founder, Chosen, explains, “Indian skin has unique needs and even more unique strengths. An important inbuilt superpower of Indian skin is its ability to protect itself from sunlight. Another key feature is the higher sebum production, further boosted by the tropical location of our country. CTM isn’t particularly tailored to Indian skin, especially the redundant category of toner, which is practically useless.
Toner contains active exfoliants that shouldn’t be left on the skin and often includes astringent or alcohol-based ingredients, which are unnecessary — especially when there’s the opportunity to nourish the skin and deliver active ingredients using the moisturisation step. So, while cleansing and moisturising make sense, toner is redundant.”
Indian skin is particularly sensitive, and treatments like dry brushing and gua sha can cause discomfort, despite their potential benefits, shares Dr Rishabh Raj Sharma, assistant professor of Dermatology at NIIMS. “Dry brushing and gua sha are ancient Egyptian and Chinese beauty techniques. Indian skin adapts to humid climates, which can lead to oiliness and sensitivity, whereas dry brushing is more beneficial for those with dry skin or sunburn concerns.
Dry brushing is performed on dry skin, while Indian skin tends to be moist and supple. This can lead to issues such as eczema or psoriasis, which can be uncomfortable. Hyperpigmentation is a potential side effect of dry brushing. When performing this, it’s important to use plenty of hydration and gentle exfoliants. Gua sha can be beneficial for Indian skin if administered correctly, but if too much pressure is applied, it may cause irritation, and if used on acne-prone skin, it can spread bacteria, leading to breakouts, inflammation, and infection.
Since this technique involves scraping the skin, it can be too harsh for some, and Indian skin may respond poorly to extreme pressure, resulting in bruising or irritation. If gua sha is used on Indian skin, it should only be done under expert supervision with adequate moisturisation,” explains Dr Rishabh.
Dr Renita adds, “Any physical exfoliation on Indian skin can cause roughness and hyperpigmentation. If someone wants to accelerate skin exfoliation, they should consider using a chemical exfoliant, which achieves the same result without side effects. Dry brushing is abrasive and promotes skin darkening. Another myth being spread is that slugging helps products absorb better because more product is applied. The skin has an absorption limit.
While we can apply a lot of product to the skin, it will only absorb what it can. What slugging does is use an occlusive product to hold in the skin’s moisture. While this works well for extremely dry skin or in dry weather, there’s a high chance of developing acne and congestion when using heavily occlusive products on the face in our climate and skin type, as Asians secrete more sebum than Caucasians. So, if people want to try slugging, they should reserve it for high-altitude, winter holidays, provided they don’t tend to develop acne.”
For healthier skin, Indian users should consider routines that balance hydration, protect the skin barrier, and address concerns like pigmentation without overwhelming the skin with harsh or heavy products. Opting for gentler methods, lightweight formulations, and ingredients suited to the local environment can lead to healthier, glowing skin.