The ultimate guide to skincare
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fitness journalism in the country.
Editor’s note: When it comes to health, skincare often takes a backseat to diet and exercise. (And let’s be real, it can be confusing as hell.)
Today’s piece by Dr. Namita Chopade, MD Dermatology, is here to break it down for you. With her keen interest and experience in researching skin conditions, anti-aging procedures, and experimental treatments, Dr. Chopade covers the basics of what you need to know to keep your skin looking and feeling its best!
Your skin is the largest organ in your body and your first line of defence against the world. Like a castle’s robust walls, your skin protects you from external threats. The skin cells and the collagen holding them together form the bricks and mortar of this delicate barrier.
Poor skincare routines and diseases can easily damage your skin, promoting further disease and triggering conditions like acne and allergies. While the beauty industry often portrays skin as a reflection of beauty, your skin’s primary function is protection.
Amidst the abundance of skincare advice on social media, it’s crucial to know the essential tips for maintaining healthy skin and, more importantly, what not to do to your skin.
I. Know your skin type
The first step in improving your skin health is knowing your skin type. Skincare products are often marketed for specific skin types, such as dry, oily, or sensitive skin. Using the wrong products can damage your skin and worsen existing conditions.
For instance, using oily sunscreen lotions on oily skin can cause acne breakouts. This happens because the extra oil from the sunscreen can clog your pores, trapping dirt and causing pimples. (Pores are small holes on your skin that let out oil and sweat. If they get blocked with oil, dirt, or dead skin, you might get acne or blackheads.)
Skin types are based on how much oil your skin produces. There are three types:
1) Dry skin: produces very little oil
2) Oily skin: produces a lot of oil
3) Combination skin: some parts—usually the T-zone: forehead, nose, and chin—produce more oil than others
Knowing your skin type helps you choose the right products: If you have dry skin, use moisturising products to add oil. For oily skin, use products that reduce oil and don’t clog pores. Combination skin needs products that balance oily and dry areas.
Simple tests to determine your skin type
You can figure what your skin type is through one of the following two simple tests:
Test 1:
• Right after waking up, look in the mirror and check for an oily sheen on your face.
• Alternatively, wash your face with a gentle cleanser and wait for about an hour.
• If you have oily skin, you should see a light shine on your face. If you have combination skin, your T-zone will appear oilier than the rest of your face.
Test 2:
• Right after waking up, dab your face with a thin tissue paper.
• If oils from your skin absorb onto the tissue, you have oily skin. If the tissue shows more oil in the T-zone area, you have combination skin.
• If the tissue comes off completely dry, you likely have dry skin.
Once you know your skin type, ensure your skincare routine is tailored to your specific needs. The more sensitive your skin is, the more careful you should be when selecting products.
II. Stick to the skincare basics
When it comes to skincare, less is often more. Your skin is a highly effective protective barrier that regulates what substances can pass through to deeper layers. This ability is called permeability.
In fact, only the upper 2-3 layers of the skin allow absorption of applied products. This means that using numerous products in a multi-step skincare routine—as one often finds in the seven-step routine on Instagram reels—may not be as beneficial as you might think.
Many of the ingredients in these products won’t actually penetrate deep enough into the skin to have a significant impact.
Let’s focus on the basics. For everyday skincare, there are three essential steps: cleansing, moisturising, and sun protection.
A) Cleansing: Remove dirt, oil, and dead skin cells
Cleansing is the process of removing dirt, dust, dead skin cells, and excess oil from your skin.
When your skin is oily, it can also accumulate more oil secretions. Cleansing helps unclog pores and reduces the presence of bacteria or other harmful substances on the skin.
Although skin covers your entire body, we’ll focus on facial cleansing for now.
How to cleanse?
• The simplest way to cleanse your face is with clean water: Gently scrubbing your face with your hands while washing can remove most of the loose dirt and dead skin cells
• To make cleansing more effective, you can use soap or face wash: Keep in mind that these products work by removing oils, so they can dry out your skin quickly. Using them no more than twice a day is sufficient to keep your face clean.
How to choose the right face wash?
• For dry skin, opt for a non-foaming face wash or a cleansing lotion, which can also moisturise your skin. Non-foaming cleansers don’t create a bubbly foam and are generally gentler on the skin.
• If you have oily skin, look for a foaming face wash that contains ingredients like alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), beta-hydroxy acids (BHA), or salicylic acid. Foaming cleansers create a bubbly foam when mixed with water, which helps remove excess oil more effectively than non-foaming or lotion-type cleansers.
You have to share this with your foam-ily
B) Moisturising: Keep your skin hydrated
To keep your skin healthy and functioning as a barrier, it needs to stay hydrated. After cleansing your face, always apply a moisturiser. There are many different moisturisers available for specific concerns like cracked lips or dry skin, but we’ll focus on general moisturising that works for most people.
How to choose a moisturiser?
The best moisturiser for you depends on your skin type and age.
• During adolescence and teenage years, skin tends to be oilier and more prone to acne. For these age groups and those with oily skin, use water-based or non-comedogenic moisturisers, which means that the product is formulated to not clog your pores, as explained earlier.
• If you have dry skin, look for moisturisers with hydrating ingredients like ceramide and hyaluronic acid.
It’s best to avoid using face washes or cosmetics with comedogenic ingredients, especially if you’re prone to acne.
Some common comedogenic ingredients found in cosmetics include certain alcohols and stearates. For example: hexadecyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, isocetyl alcohol, isocetyl stearate, propylene glycol monostearate, glyceryl-3-diisostearate, polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate, octyl stearate. The packaging of the product will most often say ‘non-comedogenic’ on it, if it is.
When moisturising your whole body, consider your skin type and the climate. In dry winter months, use thicker, more nourishing lotions for dry or cracked skin. During the summer, opt for water-based, non-comedogenic products to keep your skin hydrated without clogging pores.
C) Sun protection: Shield your skin from UV radiation
The use of sunscreens perhaps creates the most debate in health-conscious circles. While some people diligently apply their sun blocks every day, others are wary of the supposedly carcinogenic compounds in off-the-shelf sunscreens.
So how do you go about this part of basic skincare?
Dermatologists advise that the benefits of sunscreens outweigh the risks substantially. While there might be a small risk of skin irritation from certain ingredients, there is a definite risk of skin damage from the sun’s UV radiation.
In India, where we are exposed to high levels of UV radiation due to our proximity to the equator, sun protection is especially important to prevent skin conditions over time.
When choosing a sunscreen, look for two key indicators on the label:
• SPF (Sun Protection Factor): Measures protection against UVB rays, which cause sunburns and skin tanning (colour change in the skin).
• PA (Protection Grade of UVA): Measures protection against UVA rays, which penetrate deep into the skin and may lead to skin cancer and premature ageing.
So the next time you go to buy sunscreen, notice these on the label.
You might think that an SPF of 50 provides almost double the protection as SPF 30, but that’s not the case. SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays and SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays. Unless you’re suffering from pigmentation or get rashes from sun exposure, it’s perfectly ok to use the more pocket-friendly SPF 30 options. Anything claiming to have more than SPF 50 is a marketing gimmick and will provide no additional benefit.
PA factor is usually denoted with ‘+’ signs. For Indians in particular, it’s ideal to choose a sunscreen which has PA+++ or PA++++ rating.
Some sunscreens are labelled “broad spectrum”, which means they contain ingredients which help block both UVA and UVB rays. These types of sunscreens with SPF 30/50 and PA+++/++++ are best for daily use.
You can use higher blocking ratings during summer or when you know you are going to spend time in the high sun.
As for frequency of application, it is recommended that you reapply sunscreen at least every two hours. If you are going to head outdoors, on the beach, or in the mountains where you have direct sun exposure, reapply before such exposure.
Recent findings suggest that sunscreen is just as important for people staying indoors as it is for people going out in the sun. UV radiation is always present around us, so housewives and desk workers are not exempt from the harmful effects. When indoors, you can choose to apply lower SPF/PA sunscreens.
Finally, you might want to consider what kind of base your sunscreen uses, as this can vary depending on your skin type:
• For oily or acne-prone skin: Choose water or gel-based sunscreens to avoid clogging pores and causing breakouts.
• For dry skin: Opt for moisturising, lotion-based sunscreens to help keep your skin hydrated.
• For a smooth, matte finish: Use silicone-based sunscreens, which can work well for most skin types.
Additionally, some newer brands in the market offer ‘tinted’ sunscreens, which provide cosmetic enhancement similar to makeup foundation powders.
A note on skin toners
Before we end this section, let me share my view on skin toners. Although toners are often included in daily skincare tutorials, they may not offer much additional benefit when combined with the other products we’ve discussed.
In the past, some face washes lacked pH-correcting ingredients, which could cause skin acidity to rise. Toners were useful in correcting this imbalance and restoring the skin’s normal acidity level. However, most modern face wash products are now pH-balanced, eliminating the need for toners as a follow-up step.
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III. Beyond basics
The previous section covered everything you need to know about the basics of a good skincare routine. Those are steps you should take every day to ensure you have healthy and problem-free skin.
In this section, we will look at some procedures and products that were once confined to the clinic but are now commonplace in personal home skincare.
A) Serums and Actives
First, let’s understand what serums and actives are.
Serums are lightweight, concentrated skincare products meant to give your skin a big dose of helpful ‘active’ ingredients. They typically have a thin, liquid consistency and are applied after cleansing but before moisturising.
Serums are all the rage these days. They are also marketed as consumer products by major pharma companies, making them easily available and appealing for the benefits they claim to provide.
Actives, on the other hand, refer to the specific ingredients in skincare products that target particular skin concerns, such as fine lines, uneven skin tone, or acne.
Serums can be useful for certain skin concerns and conditions. Since the components of serums have a lower molecular weight compared to those in creams, they absorb better into the skin.
The benefits of the active ingredients in serums depend directly on their concentration, and it’s best to consult a dermatologist to determine the ideal concentration for your skin type, existing skin conditions, and any allergies to certain components.
While it’s not possible to break down the pros and cons of each serum and active compound here, let me share some quick reference tips.
1) Niacinamide: It is often touted as a ‘wonder drug’ that helps with everything from skin pigmentation to anti-aging. However, research and trials don’t fully support the claims of its benefits, and there are more effective active ingredients you can look for in your serums instead.
2) Effective active ingredients for specific skin concerns:
• Kojic acid for lightening existing sunspots and photodamage
• Arbutin for improving the appearance of age spots, freckles, and melasma
• Glycolic acid for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Of course, the ideal concentration and combination of these ingredients for your skin is best determined by a dermatologist.
3) Hyaluronic acid: It’s a lubricating substance naturally found in the fluids in the eyes and joints. When applied to the skin in the right concentrations, it helps hydrate it.
Use it with a moisturiser on damp skin for better absorption. It is useful for people with dry skin who want a moisturising effect, but it does little else in terms of cosmetic enhancement.
4) Vitamin C treatments: They are promoted as having a range of benefits, from balancing skin tone to reducing signs of ageing. Vitamin C itself is an antioxidant, and as such, it does have effects that counteract the most visible signs of cell damage and ageing.
However, it is better to consume vitamin C through diet or edible supplements than to apply it on the skin, as this allows for better absorption and metabolism.
If you do want to use a vitamin C serum, begin with a low concentration and gradually increase after assessing any side effects. Vitamin C serums can sometimes cause irritation or acne breakouts on dry skin.
5) Retinol: It is considered a wonder ingredient for its well-established anti-aging effects on the skin. However, there are some caveats when using it, especially when it comes to the concentration of the serum. It is better to begin using a low-strength retinol once a week to avoid common side effects such as skin dryness and irritation.
Since retinol is photosensitive (i.e., affected by sunlight), it should be applied at night. Use a moisturiser to counteract the drying effects of the serum. If you consider increasing the frequency of use or changing strength, it’s best to consult a dermatologist first.
B) Exfoliation
Skin exfoliation is a routine treatment that many people swear by. The idea is to remove dead skin cells accumulated on the skin’s surface by either physical means (scrubbing) or by using products such as chemical peels and face masks.
Remember that your skin has natural ways of keeping itself clean and free of accumulated dead skin layers. While a quick wash with water or face wash will remove most of this accumulation, it is perfectly fine to exfoliate occasionally. Moderation is key, as any method that promotes exfoliation can damage the skin when overdone.
If you have oily skin or blackheads, scrubbing your skin gently once a week or every two weeks can help. Always soften your skin with steam or warm water first. Vigorous scrubbing does not make the skin any cleaner, but it does end up damaging it. The peeling charcoal masks advertised online do not do much for cleaning the face. If you’re one of those who enjoyed peeling dried glue off your hands, though, these might keep you entertained for a while.
Don’t hate, exfoliate 💆
