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How to choose the right skincare products to effectively nourish your skin
Cut back on the hit-and-trial of skincare products. Check out this guide to figure out exactly what your skin needs!
Unless you studied Latin or you had a chemistry major in college, the backs of skincare bottles are almost a foreign language. Although, this language in particular has a name – they are a part of the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI). It exists as a standardised and globally understood dictionary of terms. However, it is unfortunately not really consumer-friendly, because who would have imagined that ‘Tocopherol’ is Vitamin E and ‘Butyrospermum parkii’ is just shea butter?
For the uninitiated, which is most people in this case, a long list of ingredients and unfamiliar words can be unnerving. This probably means that a lot of us are not paying attention to what those products are made of, blindly buying trend products or whatever worked for our best friends. As a result, most of us are depriving our skin of the nourishment it actually needs.
An individualistic approach is absolutely essential when deciding what skincare products would work for you and what the ingredients should be. We still want you to read the backs of products before you buy them, but here’s us trying to make the process a bit less intimidating for you!
Know your skin type
This is undoubtedly the most important thing to consider when buying skincare products. If you have been using a product that just doesn’t work, chances are that it is not right for your skin type, and not necessarily a bad product.
To be sure of your skin type, use your regular gentle cleanser on your face, pat dry and wait for about 30 minutes. If your skin overall feels greasy and appears shiny, you have oily skin. However, if only your T-zone is shiny, you have combination skin. If it feels hydrated and comfortable, you possibly have normal skin. If it appears dry and flaky and feels taut, you have dry skin. You can also use blotting paper for this test. Quite often, sensitive skin is also considered as a category – this essentially means that your skin is very prone to acne or reactions, regardless of whether it is oily, dry, combination or normal.
Ingredients to look out for
Now that you are aware of your skin type, here are some of the best ingredients that are dermatologically proven to be effective for your skin type. All of these would work for people with normal skin. Please also note that you must do a patch test on your inner wrist before you apply any product on your face.
1. For oily skin – If you have oily skin, chances are that the pores of your skin are enlarged and produced excess sebum. Hence, you should look for alpha hydroxy acids like salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid on the backs of bottles. These are oil-soluble, which means they gently exfoliate your pores and reduce oil build-up on your face, while providing the necessary hydration. Green tea extracts are also effective to sooth and hydrate pores in this case. Note that however oily your skin may appear, do not skip moisturiser in the fear of making it greasier. All you need is the right lightweight formula for your skin. Toner is also a very important step since it tightens the pores.
Check out some of the products you can buy –
Minimalist Face Cleanser, ₹ 299.00
Plum Green Tea Mattifying Moisturiser, ₹ 390.10
Plum Green Tea Toner, ₹ 323.70
2. For dry skin – If you have dry skin, your face would be looking dull, rough and even scaly way too often. The tightness you feel when your skin is dry is due to the fact that dry skin has considerably less elasticity, which makes it prone to itchiness, irritation and even fine lines. If you deal with these issues, you should look for skincare products that contain shea butter, vitamin C and lactic acid. These are often mentioned on product packaging as Butyrospermum parkii, ascorbic acid and alpha hydroxy acids or buffering humectants respectively. In accordance with INCI standards. These ingredients, along with natural extracts like papaya, aloe, turmeric and more provide essential hydrating oils and only exfoliate mildly to remove the dead skin cells. Make sure to regularly use heavy moisturisers and serums to keep your skin feeling youthful.
Here are some products you can buy -
Khadi Organique Face Serum, ₹ 563.00
Biotique Bio Wheatgerm Night Cream, ₹ 149.00
Bella Vita Organic Face Wash, ₹ 225.00
3. For sensitive skin – If your skin is prone to breakouts, and you notice that a lot of products or external substances cause bad reactions on your face very frequently, your sensitive skin is begging for products that can soothe it. You should look for products with soothing aloe vera and shea butter in lightweight and hypoallergenic formulas. You have to be extra careful to steer clear from products that contain any form of fragrances, parabens, sulphates or phthalates! You should also religiously follow a good, suitable skincare routine and never skip sunscreen before heading out. Make sure to use products that only gently cleanse away the toxins without stripping your skin of its natural moisture and essential oils.
Check out these products –
SkinKraft Face Cleanser, ₹ 349.00
Kaya Clinic Sunscreen, ₹ 539.00
