My Current Skincare Routine!
Written by: Swati on:
Quite a lot of you have asked me about my skincare routine for a while now, and here it is! Apologies for the delay, but I was caught up with a lot of work.
Now, before you get all surprised, let me tell you myself that my routine isn't very fancy or filled with a lot of products. It is fairly simple. I have been following it for quite sometime now and so far it has been working quite well for me!
1) I have not been using a cleanser in the morning. Plain water is working just fine so far. I am on the lookout for a hydrating cleanser, so if you have any suggestions please let me know!
2) I follow it up with a light moisturizer most of the times. The Fabindia Vit E moisturizer for oily skin works well. It gets absorbed fast and leaves no greasiness behind.
3) A sunscreen is a must for me everyday now! I happily skipped it for years and faced the consequences, but now I cannot do without one. The Lotus Herbals 3-in-1 Matte Look daily Sunblock is my HG one. It is slightly tinted and gives a light matte look without any white layer.
Since I work in an evironment that has no fans/ air conditioners (see we work with flame and stuff in the lab and can have no fans!), it is important that I use oil free products that do not have any greasiness for my work days...since anyway I start getting greasy by afternoon.
4) Evening post-work cleansing is taken care by Kama Ayurveda Soap Free Mridul cleanser (LOVE THIS ONE). I absolutely love herbal/natural products and this one cleanses as well as acts as a mild exfoliant. This is my everyday evening cleanser but somedays when I am feeling too tired/lazy I grab a simple facewash (like Saslic or Clean and clear these days...though I am not liking clean and clear too much).
5) I have incorporated a toner in my routine now. I did try on quite a few, till I realized nothing works better than rose water! Now, when I say rose water, I mean the 100% steam distilled ones, not the rose oil/essence containing ones liek Gulabari.
The Fabindia Rose Water is just great and not too steeply priced. It comes in a spray bottle which is very convenient. I use it every evening and sometimes in the morning too.
6) A serum/facial oil works fine for me alone. I have not yet felt the need to apply a heavy night cream yet. I was using serums for a long time, but then I read a post by Shayoni from sweetandbitterblog about facial oils and I got really curious. I tried on a couple of samples before narrowing it down to this Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. It is a fabulous product and let me tell you, it isn't just raved about for nothing! Expect a rave review soon! :)
7) An eye cream. This is a recent addition to my routine. I am afterall in my mid twenties and some precautions are needed. Previously I have had some bad allergic reactions to some eye creams so I bought this one apprehensively. The Forest Essentials Light Hydrating Eye Gel (will review this soon too) is working nicely so far. I do not need a rich eye cream yet or too much of anti-wrinkle action. This one is light and works fairly well for both day and night. (I do not have too much of a dark circle problem too).
Lastly, coming to the once-in-a-while used products.
8) A scrub. The Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Scrub is so so amazing! I use it twice a week, in the evenings mainly and it makes my skin so soft and radiant. Love it.
Previously I was using the St Ives scrub which was good too. But the Kama Ayurveda one is so much more moisturizing and is working well for the colder months.
9) A heavier facial oil. Now this is a random addition in the routine, for days when I feel I need something richer than the MRC for my skin. So far i have been using the Kama Ayurveda Nalpamaradi Thailam (which can be used on the face and well as the body). It has been working fairly well, but the Kumkumadi Thailam is on my list now!
10) Lastly and most importantly, face masks! I love a good face mask and ususally try and use it once a week..sometimes twice. They make a huge difference.
Mostly I am a fan of and stick with the homemade ones (gramflour, curd, turmeric, sandalwood, fullers earth etc...you get the idea right?) So I always have these with me and I mix them up accroding to what I need.
Though I also keep a couple of the ready made ones. Off late I have been liking the Forest Essentials Narangi and nagkesar Facial Ubtan and I just finished the Aroma magic Activated Bamboo Charcoal one.
So, that is my current skincare routine. It does not have too many products but this has been working really well for me for the past few months. My skin is combination-oily but off late it has turned dry in some areas and I do have the occasional breakouts. Weird. I do add a new thing sometimes, especially when I am testing out a product but these are the main components in my kit.
These products work well for me, but they might not always work in the same way for you. Do try and test things out till you find out what is best for you. That is the only way.
What are some of your skincare staples? Let us know in the comments below :)
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