I am happy to report that I have seen more and more patients appreciate and love their natural skin colour and tone. Gone are the days when everyone wanted “fair skin.” Having brown skin is loved today, and the only reason for brown skin is that we have slightly more melanin than fair-skinned patients. More melanin also has pros and cons: it makes us more prone to skin conditions like melasma and hyperpigmentation triggered by UV rays, but melanin also comes with a small amount of natural SPF (6-8 SPF factor). This is great but insufficient to protect the skin from harsh UVA and UVB damage.
In a country like India, where the sun is usually out and the UV index is relatively high, along with harsh environmental stressors – protecting our skin from the sun and pollutants is vital. The good news, however, is that we have easy ways to combat UV damage and pollutants today. Here’s how you can keep your skin healthy, shiny & glowing:
Make SPF Your BFF
The first essential step to healthy, glowing skin is wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 daily and re-applying every 2 hours if you plan to be outside for long periods. Tinted sunscreens are great because they offer coverage and help with hyperpigmentation. They also help fight against blue light damage from cell phones, computers, etc., which is known to worsen hyperpigmentation.
Make sure to use a sunscreen that offers UVA and UVB protection. UVA protection is essential because UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and cause collagen and elastin breakdown. They are also responsible for causing DNA damage that increases the risk of developing melanoma. UVB rays penetrate more superficially and are responsible for skin tanning.
What Should Be In Your Daily Routine?
AM Routine: In the morning, use a gentle, soap-free cleanser to help remove your overnight skincare. After washing your face, pick a lightweight moisturiser with hyaluronic acid to help keep your skin hydrated and dewy. After moisturiser, lather your skin with sunblock/sunscreen. You can apply makeup on top if you wish.
PM Routine: The first thing you should do is remove makeup immediately with micellar water. Makeup holds a lot of bacteria and pollutants, and letting it sit on your skin actively causes textured skin. Remove that makeup. Then, get an oil-based cleanser to wash your face.
Introduce These Ingredients In Your Night Routine
There are only 2 products you need at bedtime to keep your skin glowing.
After you wash your face, I recommend applying an azelaic acid product. Azelaic acid is great for fighting pigmentation and acne and even helps your pores look less noticeable. Less is more. Small amounts of product go a long way.
The other active for bedtime is tretinoin. Tretinoin is a retinoid that is arguably the most important active in the skincare routine. Retinoids should be used at night as they can break down when exposed to the sun. They stimulate collagen production, promote cell turnover, shrink pores, fight hyperpigmentation, treat acne, and more. The only issue is that retinoids can be frustrating to use initially because they cause your skin to peel, leaving it red, irritable, and flaky, causing acne breakouts. It is a normal reaction to retinoid, but it is advised to start using it 2-3x a week and work your way up to using it every night. When applying your tretinoin, ensure you only use a pea-sized amount to the whole face.
Procedures That Will Give You Glowing Skin
- Chemical peels: Chemical peels with glycolic, salicylic, and mandelic acids can help improve overall skin quality, pore size, and hyperpigmentation.
- Botox: Botox is an injectable that can be injected into the skin or muscle for different purposes. Injecting Botox into the skin can shrink pores, reduce sweating, and even help with facial redness and acne. This can be done every four months.
- Picosecond lasers: Picosecond lasers or pico toning can help remove stubborn hyperpigmentation and is safe for brown-skinned patients.
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