Monsoon acne, mature skin, beard care: The ultimate cheat sheet to help your skin make it through the rains
While we might get around to contending with the Delhi rains, our skin has a mind of its own. We have just the answers to help your skin coast through monsoons
Its been a while since monsoons have hit the country and looking at the gloomy sky and equally dull forecasts, these bouts of rain have resigned themselves to being as unrelenting as ever. Irrespective of whether you love the rains or absolutely despise them, your skin, more likely than not, is bound to have a tough time adjusting to the sudden hike in humidity. Stickiness and clogged pores inevitably aggravated by instances of being caught outside in the rain have the potential to upend your existing skincare hacks. Luckily, you have this comprehensive cheat sheet to tend to your monsoon skincare woes.
The one rule of thumb to keep in mind
Oily, dry or combination — the rules on the face of it, pun intended, are wildly different when it comes to skin upkeep. The stakes stand heightened come monsoons. Thankfully, a complete overhaul of your skincare is not needed to contend with the bourgeoning humidity. Dr. Deepali Bhardwaj, Senior Dermatologist and Consultant at Saket's Max Hospital, swears by the infinite potential of Fuller's Earth or multani mitti. Sharing a simple tweak, testaments to the efficacy of which goes back generations, she says, "For oily skin start washing your face with Fuller's Earth. For combination skin start washing your face with Fuller's Earth (mixed with) rose water. For dry skin, again Fuller's Earth with Sandalwood powder, (mixed) with either aloe vera gel, dahi or par-boiled milk. That will help change the texture. Use this as a face wash, apply it on the face keep it on for 2 minutes and wash it off with regular water. Don't scrub it".
If you feel your routine is already too product heavy, Dr. Kiran Sethi, MD, founder of Isya Aesthetics as well as the author of Skin Sense, has just the answer for you. Stressing on the importance of actually subtracting from your skin routines instead of adding to it, she says, "For oily skin the goal is to reduce the amount of layers on your skin. A lot of combination skin people actually feel oilier so again you will want to reduce your layers". Despite the humidity, those with dry skin are still predisposed to feeling dehydrated, she adds. A watery hyaluronic acid serum in such cases can work wonders.
Mature skin vs young skin
{{/usCountry}}If you feel your routine is already too product heavy, Dr. Kiran Sethi, MD, founder of Isya Aesthetics as well as the author of Skin Sense, has just the answer for you. Stressing on the importance of actually subtracting from your skin routines instead of adding to it, she says, "For oily skin the goal is to reduce the amount of layers on your skin. A lot of combination skin people actually feel oilier so again you will want to reduce your layers". Despite the humidity, those with dry skin are still predisposed to feeling dehydrated, she adds. A watery hyaluronic acid serum in such cases can work wonders.
Mature skin vs young skin
{{/usCountry}}No matter your age, do not skip on the moisturisation. During sticky monsoon weather, many are predisposed to skipping moisturisation all together in a bid to contend better with the humidity. Skin experts strongly discourage this practice. This holds especially true for mature skin, as per Dr. Sethi. She says, "When you have mature skin, and it's sensitive, heavy moisturisation really is key. Sometimes pure, clean oils, like grapeseed oil or even almond oil or coconut oil can be helpful if you're not acne prone".
For youthful but sensitive skin on the other hand, it's all about maintaining the skin's pH levels as per Dr. Bhardwaj. Fret not if you are predisposed to breakouts. You are still advised to keep moisturising, albeit with a gel-based variant.
Beard care woes
With men's grooming increasingly on the rise, beard care too has been evolving as a palpable industry. While beards do demand focused care all year round, the need for it stands heightened as the downpours commence. Dr. Sethi suggests a useful shaving hack, that will ensure your pores remain as unclogged as possible. "You want to shave in the direction of the hair growth, that's very important. You don't want to use too many shaving products, especially those shaving creams or beard oils, that's more likely to cause zits", she says.
Dr. Bhardwaj on the other hand, has an interesting suggestion to make when it comes maintaining beard hygiene during the monsoons. " For beard acne, it's a great idea to use a facewash which contains salicylic acid, niacinamide or azelaic acid as a beard wash. Or they can also use a shampoo which is anti-dandruff, once or twice a week so that it's not too strong", she suggests.
Monsoons and makeup
Even if you thoroughly enjoy wearing makeup on the daily, the humidity in the air will ensure that it melts right off your face potentially leaving you with erratic bouts of breakouts. If this problem sounds familiar, niacinamide is your best friend. Irrespective of whether your plans are in the AM or in the PM, a trusty niacinamide serum will fit right in, providing your skin with an effective layer of protection against monsoon acne. For a fool-proof AM routine, Dr. Bhardwaj suggests sandwiching your niacinamide between your sunscreen and makeup. Conversely, for a PM routine, the niacinamide is best followed up with a gel-based moisturiser and then your makeup.
Toning it down altogether would be Dr. Sethi's advice on the other hand. "For those who use makeup regularly, consider mattifying products or consider reducing the amount of layers. You don't need a primer and a CC cream and a foundation and a concealer and a powder on top. You have to reduce the amount of layers for sure. Cut it down, use one thing. Maybe just a concealer or just a BB cream. That's enough", she suggests.
Do you have your monsoon skincare routine in place yet?
