A 22-year-old law student-cum-beauty writer shares her winter-season routine for achieving radiant skin with a perfect prep and post-TLC regimen.
Winter skincare demands two vital steps: Prep and post-TLC. The Prep step is about nourishing and hydrating the skin, creating a smooth, radiant canvas for makeup to glide on effortlessly and last longer. It’s your foundation for a flawless look. Once the day’s makeup is off, the Post-TLC is focused on restoring the skin’s balance and repairing any damage caused by makeup and environmental stressors. This restorative step ensures your skin remains healthy, rejuvenated, and glowing, ready to face the next festivities. Together, these steps are your winter glow secret.
The Prep Routine
1. Brightening Ubtan
Ayurvedic concoctions are tailor-made for Indian and brown skin types, and one product that will never disappoint you is Ubtan. Used by our mothers and grandmothers, this Ayurvedic face pack instantly gets rid of dull-looking skin. Usually, a combination of pantry staples such as turmeric, gram flour, sandalwood, Kesar and rose petals can also be bought in a powdered form. My favourite is Forest Essential’s Facial Ubtan Soundarya, to which I mix milk and rose water and apply it an hour or two before stepping out or putting on makeup. It’s an instant pick-me-up for dull skin.
2. Hyaluronic Acid Serum
With dryness at its peak, every winter skincare routine begs for the inclusion for a product that locks in the moisture and more importantly helps retain it. Hyaluronic acid is a natural humectant that attracts moisture from the environment and binds it to the skin, this can help alleviate dryness and keep the skin plump. CosRX’s Hyaluronic Acid 3 serum is boosted with ceramides that help retain moisture for a prolonged period while easily absorbing into the skin.
3. Undereye Patches or Masks
The skin under the eyes is the thinnest and most delicate area on the face and as the cold sets in wrinkles and crow’s feet become more apparent. To add fuel to the fire, the more makeup we apply around this area, the more dehydrated and irritable the peri-orbital region gets. Under eye masks and eye patches that hydrate and reinvigorate the skin are a must-have. The viral Pixi beauty BeautifEYE patches most certainly live up to the hype and leave the undereye awake and refreshed while simultaneously preventing creases once the concealer is applied.
The Post-TLC routine
1. Exfoliant
It’s a no-brainer that after every round of makeup application, exfoliating is a non-negotiable step as it unclogs the pores and removes dirt that is beyond the reach of a makeup remover. The key in selecting the right exfoliant is to ensure that the particles do not cause unnecessary abrasion and that the formulation is gentle on the skin. Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant Face Scrub is a rice-based powder that is activated upon contact with water, polishes the skin and removes stubborn junk on the face.
2. Barrier Repairing Cream
Bolstering our skin barrier during the winter season tackles several issues- dryness, flakiness, and irritation, amongst others, and is crucial in maintaining overall health and nourishment. Makeup and cosmetics often tamper with the quality of our skin, leading to rashes, and a skin barrier repairing cream as Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Milky Lotion Moisturizer melts into the skin, strengthening the barrier with its stick-free formulation.
3. Nourishing Lip balm
Everyone faces the inevitable ick of chapped lips as the temperature drops. A failproof two-step remedy starts by applying a thick layer of Ghee on the lips until the irritation settles and then tops it off with a generous dose of nourishing lip balm. My lip care heroes include Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Berry, an overnight solution for chapped lips.
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