My Skin Care Routine

My skin is very unpredictable, it changes with season, places I reside and water hardness. It behaves best when I am in my home town, Water there is very soft and probably i have been accustomed to the weather there. We cannot have all the good things all the time :-/ .

My current skin care routine is what I would like to share with you, as I have recently moved back to India and my skin had to face some drastic weather changes. It took me around 2 months to get my skin accustomed to these changes. But now it’s doing pretty well. So here is my Basic routine.

Foreword:

I am living in a very humid climate down south (no winters), my skin had been very dry earlier, i had acne breakouts instantly as we reached here. Oiliness (majorly because of humidity), open pores, white heads and black heads became a regular problem.

I had a talk with my dermatologist before I started with this regime. I suffered from all the dreadful effects of the key ingredients, majorly skin redness, peeling and burning sensation as few ingredients were new to me and for others concentration was increased. I took all the possible precautions and overcame the effects.

I have been using Glycolic acid peel (35%) since last 3 years and my skin loves it. Glycolic acid peels refreshes my skin, exfoliates, removes tan, white heads, blackheads and kept my skin soft and supple over these years. I was particularly impressed by the way it has kept my skin wrinkle free. (Touch wood).My Doc here, asked me to continue with my fortnightly glycolic peel regime along with an additional lower concentration (10%) daily usage.     

I used Salicylic acid 2% as an active ingredient in my face wash every day since last three years. Juggling between two products of major skincare brands. My Doc here asked me to increase the concentration to 12% ointment to be used once a day for 2 weeks.

Benzoyl Peroxide is a new component my dermatologist added to my skincare regime. She asked me to use 10% benzoyl peroxide directly onto the acne as spot treatment. This was to be used once a day for 2 weeks in a row.

Hydroquinone was given to me as an anti-scar solution for the nasty mosquito bite scars I had developed in initial days of my stay. (I guess mosquitoes were lured to a fresh supply of blood and therefore decided to bite me more than anyone else in home). I have been applying this on the scars of my hands and legs with definite improvement, but I have yet to see them gone.

My Routine:

Morning:

Step 1. Face wash (Garnier Pure Anti-Blackheads Deep Pore wash, I bought this one in U.K., but I have found exact product in India too, see here. It’s probably one of the best face washes I have ever used; it contains Salicylic acid and Polyethylene particles.)

Step 2. Toner ( Rose water or Alum, Depends on the weather, if it’s too humid I like using alum for not more than 1 min and it takes away the oiliness for few hours. Otherwise, Rose water)

Step 3. Sunscreen (Lotus 3-in-1 Matte Look Daily Sunblock)

Step 4. Salicylic acid Ointment (Salicylix SF 12*, it’s a 12% concentration ointment, it caused me lot of burning sensation at first, but my skin got use to it, if someone who is new to salicylic acid this high concentration is not advisable. I use it as a spot treatment on my occasional acne, whiteheads and blackheads).

Step 5. Moisturizer ( De Tuinen aloe vera hydraterend Day & Nacht, bought this from Amsterdam, and I love it, its light and moisturizing)

Evening (before bed time):

Step 1. Face wash

Step 2. Toner

Step 3. Glycolic Acid Ointment (Glyco-A*, its glycolic acid 12%, to be used on entire face. I don’t see a lot of difference with this product but other products better in conjugation with this one).

Step 4. Benzoyl Peroxide Ointment (Persol Forte Cream*, this is 10% benzoyl peroxide with added benefits of Sulphur 5%, to be used as spot treatment on acne, I used this over my open pores and whiteheads, this caused me extreme peeling and dryness, but when the dead skin peeled off, it reduced the appearance of open pores by 90%, blackheads too are totally eliminated, but whiteheads still persist but have reduced to an extent. I have stopped using this product after two week exactly and I don’t have any breakouts later. But again it is a very high percentage for new users or one with sensitive skin).

Step 5. Hydroquinone Ointment (Lomela*, this is 2% concentration ointment, it has reduced the mosquito bite scars, but I guess I need a higher percentage to get rid of them. I scrub my hands and feet mildly with a pumice stone while in shower to remove the dead skin. And have used Glycolic Acid peel 35% twice in past one month, I haven’t used it on my face, but I guess it’s good to use on acne scars as well, but u have to be very careful with this, it should not be used on open wounds or sensitive skin. Plus it should not be used along with Benzoyl peroxide as it can cause extreme burning, redness and peeling).

Other Skin care stuff I use:

1.  Lakme Winter care lotion and Botique Morning Nectar Lotion as my body lotion.
2. I have used Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules Intensive Treatment and loved it, but can’t afford it usually.
3. I have used H2O Plus Sea Results Overnight Perfecting Peel, it was the first product which introduced me to Glycolic acid, loved it, but it’s kind of mild for me now.
4. I occasionally use Biotique Fruit Face pack and Biotique Milk Protein Face pack.
5. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream (not available in India) is the best cream I have ever used; I have asked a relative returning from US to bring it for me.
6. I don’t use any fairness product and I am strictly against it.
7. I have given up on treating my dark circles as they are hereditary, I still use Biotique Almond undereye cream before makeup if my skin is very dry. 

P.S. Anyone who wants to try the above stated products should try it on their own risk, this post is solely my skincare routine and i don't advice anyone to follow it blindly. 

* marked ointments are prescribed by my Doctor and can be found only in medical stores.

Stay Beautiful :)

Shweta 

Solutions for Skin Problems

First and foremost, I will really recommend visiting a dermatologist before trying any of the higher concentration of the ingredients mentioned below.

With that been said, I would like to introduce the chemical exfoliants. Chemical exfoliants are skin care products that are applied to the skin to help dissolve away extra dead cells that have accumulated that should have fallen off long ago. They work by chemically dissolving the glue between those cells. You see, your skin cells are a little bit like a brick wall, where the bricks are the skin cells and the mortar holding the bricks together is like the glue between the skin cells, and the chemical exfoliants dissolve either the glue, so the cells fall apart and fall off, or it actually dissolves the cells by themselves. These are helpful in treating major skin problems like Open pores, Acne, scaring and hyperpigmention.  The most important types of chemical exfoliants are Glycolic acid and Salicylic acid. Lower percentage concentration of these “acids” can be applied on regular basis and are outstanding in treating all major skin issues. Higher concentrations are used by the dermatologists  in their offices as chemical peels.

The most Important Active Ingredients to look for in skin care products while fighting Open Pores, Scaring, Hyperpigmentation, Acne, BlackHeads and WhiteHeads are

• Glycolic Acid
• Salicylic Acid
• Benzyl Peroxide
• Hydroquinone

First three of them are excellent exfoliators . Esp. first two are the very helpful to all skin types and can solve most skin related issuestreatment of fine wrinkles, areas of dryness, uneven pigmentation and acne.  Benzyl Peroxide is an exfoliator, Antibacteria (in a sense), and a bleach. Hydroquinone is used for depigmentaion.

Glycolic Acid: 

Glycolic acid is AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid). Glycolic is water soluble, it’s very effective at gently and smoothly dissolving the excess dead cells on the surface of the epidermis. Glycolic acid is used to improve the skin's appearance and texture. It reduces wrinkles, acne scarring, open pores and hyperpigmentation and improves many other skin conditions.

Once applied, glycolic acid reacts with the upper layer of the epidermis, weakening the binding properties of the lipids that hold the dead skin cells together. This allows the dead cells to be exfoliated, exposing live skin cells. By removing the dead cells, we increase the cell turnover and it reduces the appearance of scars and pigmentation.

Glycolic acid is available in various forms like Face wash, ointments and peels. Its strength varies from 2% to 70%. The milder strengths are available in over-the-counter products while higher percentages are used by dermatologist in their offices as chemical peels.

Salicylic Acid:

Salicylic acid, the most common BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid), is lipid or fat soluble so it can penetrate deeper into the epidermis and exfoliate slightly below the surface of the epidermis. It is a little more brittle; it has a narrower therapeutic range because it only becomes effective at about 1 ½ or 2 percent it tends to be a little irritating. However, salicylic acid is the old workhorse for the treatment of all types of acne (including blackheads and whiteheads) and open pores.

Lower percentages of Salicylic acid works best in conjugation with Glycolic acid, as glycolic acid exfoliates the dead cells, so it’s easy for salicylic acid to penetrate deeper in the pores and unclog them.

Benzyl Peroxide:

It helps removing clogging dead cells which contribute to causing both white heads and black head. As an exfoliant it removes the oil, dead cells and clogs, after they form. It also helps healing all the inflammatory acne by increasing the turnover of the cells on top of the pimples. Benzyl Peroxide has antibacterial activity against acne causing bacteria. P. acne, the acne causing bacteria is an anaerobic (which means it needs an oxygen free environment to grow and multiply). But the oxygen that benzyl peroxide makes inhibits P.Acne’s ability to cause pus pimples. 

At concentration of 2.5% to 10% it can be used as leave on spot treatment to heal individual pimples. It can be used as a preventive treatment when used in a cleanser.

Benzyl peroxide, because it’s a peroxide have bleaching properties, it can bleach certain colored hair and certain colored pillowcases, so one needs to be a little careful.

Hydroquinone:

Hydroquinone is often called a skin “bleach” but it really doesn’t bleach skin, when you put it on your skin it doesn't dissolve pigment, hydroquinone is really a very effective ingredient at making the bodies pigment cells, the melanocyte,  stop making new brown pigment. So, it doesn’t really drive the old pigment away, in a condition where you’re making too much pigment it just stops the body from making excess brown pigment. If you want the brown pigment you already have to go away, that has to come off the skin as the skin cells that have the extra pigment fall off. That naturally occurs on the twenty-eighth day of any skin cells life and that’s called exfoliation and you can actually accelerate exfoliation with glycolic acid and retinoids and make those cells come off sooner to help take away the darkness. Hydroquinone is available over the counter at 2% and by prescription up to 4% and when it’s used as directed it’s a very safe and effective way of helping reduce excess pigmentation. 

Precautions: 

• Consult a dermatologist before using any skincare product. 
• Patch test to check for allergies.
• Skin irritation, mild stinging, redness, flaking, and dryness can be caused. 
• If any of the above stated problems increases immediately wash the product and apply a calamine lotion and consult a doctor. 
• Sun sensitivity is one major effect of these. Sun screen use is a must. 
• Don’t use for more than two weeks in continuation. After two weeks take a break for two weeks and can be reused later. 
• Don’t apply on cuts and open wounds. 
• Don’t apply near eye and mouth. 

Concentrations and Reactions:

• Glycolic acid and Salicylic acid are generally safe, can cause some flaking or mild flushing. Sunscreen use is a must. Starting concentration for Glycolic can be from 2% and can be taken upto 10-12%. For Salicylic 2-2.5% are ideal for use, if tolerated can be used upto 12%. 
• Benzoyl peroxide may cause redness or irritation when first applied to skin, though the skin does become acclimated to it. Start with 2.5 % concentration, and then move upto 5% and then 10%. Benzoyl peroxide may cause dryness of skin; you can remedy this effect by using moisturizing facial products. It may also cause reddening of the skin, which can also be alleviated by calamine lotion. It is a powerful bleaching agent that can leave stains on your clothing, towels, and sheets. Be sure the benzoyl peroxide is completely dry on your skin, before it comes into contact with anything else. It may also bleach your hair, so keep your hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes from making contact with the acne product. Benzyl peroxide works best in conjugation with glycolic acid. Sunscreen use is a must.
• Hydroquinone like most other skin care ingredients can under some circumstances cause a little bit of irritation and if that happens if you stop using it the irritation goes away. Used best with glycolic acid, which accelerates exfoliation process of the darker skin cells. Sunscreen use is a must.

Afterword:

These chemicals are generally very safe effective treatments. These are extensively used in the skincare products available over the counter. Just a little awareness and time is needed to understand these miraculous products. always read ingredients list before buying any product.  

List of products and a proper skin care regime will be in another post.

Stay Beautiful :)

Shweta

Reasons for Exfoliation

Hi,

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Do you have anyone or more than one of the given problems?

• Skin looks dark and tiered; it has lost its glow and luster
• Doesn't looks smooth
• Uneven coloring
• Spots on face
• Visible Large pores
• Black heads and white heads
• Pimples and blemishes
• Lines & Wrinkles 
• Makeup doesn't goes on evenly
• Makeup makes u look dull instead of making it look smoother

If you have these problems than you must resort to exfoliation. It is the single most effective treatment for all (well most) of the skin problems. 

Try products with Glycolic Acid. Start with lower strength like 10-12%, then move on to higher strengths like 25-30%. Unfortunately, in India, most of us are not aware of Glycolic Acid. Well, to introduce you to this product in short I can say that this is THE gold standard in skin care.  I'll do a detailed post if request.

In India, 10-12% creams are easily available at the pharmacies. Although I would suggest to consult your dermatologist before use.  Glycolic acid is the product which is used for chemical peels by all the dermatologists and skin care institutes world wide.

For any reason if someone doesn't wants to use glycolic acid, they can stick with physical exfoliation.

But the bottom line is, Exfoliation, no matter which product is being used, is the single most important step in skin care.

Stay Beautiful :)

Shweta