Setting up a skincare routine,
…for oily, acne-prone skin in a hot, humid environment!
Welcome to CHOSEN’s guide to getting you started on your home care routine. The only catch is that we are not going to just set you up a skincare routine for clear skin: we will create a skincare ecosystem for you to help you keep your skin clear. We have created climate-based skincare ecosystems to help you take charge and lead your skin forward. Let’s get started!
“It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
— Charlie Munger
Nowhere is this more true than in skincare. So before we get to add on the intelligent part, let us work on the stuff that needs to be avoided.
Your oily skin ecosystem is already loaded with, well, oil, but officially it is called sebum!
If you have oily skin, avoid applying oil on the scalp or the face. You have oily skin precisely because your oil glands, aka sebaceous glands, are working overtime. Adding any further oil or oil-based products to your ecosystem doesn’t help in any way. Our scalp makes adequate sebum and much more sebum in the case of a person with pimples. Blocking the pores with comedogenic oils like coconut oil, sweet almond oil only worsens the congestion and occlusion of the skin, making acne worse.
Work on the intake part of the ecosystem.
The very fact that we are trying to create an ecosystem means that our approach has to be holistic.
Food plays a very important part in a comprehensive skin care plan.
Enough studies have shown that dairy worsens acne. So you should start by cutting out dairy products like whey protein, cheese, Greek yogurt, paneer, skimmed milk, and milk chocolates.
Here are some dairy foods to avoid for acne prevention: whey protein, cheese, Greek yoghurt, paneer, skimmed milk and milk chocolates.
Next to be dropped from your grocery shopping list should be all high sugar-containing foods and refined foods. Research shows that high glycemic index foods worsen acne, and you should make a conscious effort to avoid these as much as possible.
Now, you may ask: What about gluten? Does gluten cause acne? As of now, there is no evidence that gluten in diet causes or worsens acne.
Take care of your skin holistically!
Studies have also linked sleep deprivation to insulin imbalances, leading to increased hormonal stimulation, with resultant increased oiliness and pimples. This, in addition to regular physical activity, can be very beneficial for people with acne and underlying hormonal issues.
Now that the basics are done let us proceed to the actual skincare routine itself.
Product 1: A face cleanser that can cleanse the skin without stripping off the healthy skin lipids. You can find our curation of the best face washes here!
Product 2: A non-comedogenic sunscreen. This is very important, as sunscreen helps protect your skin from sun damage and pigmentation and also works to prevent the darkening of acne marks. You can find our list of best sunscreens for Indian skin here.
Product 3: A chemical exfoliator can help reduce sebum, clear acne marks, and increase the skin’s smoothness and softness. Redness from pimples and hyperpigmented pimple marks also respond very well to regular chemical exfoliation. You can read about our salicylic acid based Light Routine home peels here.
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Product 4: A gentle and light moisturizer. Acne-prone skin does not tolerate lipid-based moisturizers, so it is best to go with a thermal spray to soothe the skin, or a hyaluronic acid based product, to provide hydration without occlusion. To provide meaningful skin hydration without congesting it further, we turn to the new and revolutionary concept of oral skin hydration. Oral antioxidants containing Pycnogenol hydrate the skin, which is a big plus — as the skin gets to be supple without being congested by applications on the surface. Skin softening and protecting agents like OptiMSM and dermal support and rejuvenation agents like collagen all work synergistically to hydrate the skin from within.
Product 5: A retinol-based night cream. This one is a little tricky and is best started once your acne is under reasonable control for at least a few months.
You may be concerned that there are not a lot of products in here. We assure you that it is good to agree with Steve Jobs when he said quality is more important than quantity! We look at constructing high-performance skincare routines to deliver the best results here. Needless steps, too many unnecessary products do more to clog your shelf space than to unclog your skin!
Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles — Steve Jobs
Now that we have the products lined up, let us look at your AM -PM regimen for those living in hot and humid environments.
AM
Cleanse your face with one of the gentle cleansers mentioned here, and follow through with a non-comedogenic sunscreen.
If you feel very dry, you can spritz some thermal spring water spray before applying your sunscreen.
Evening
Cleanse your skin thoroughly and reapply sunscreen if you need to head out to a sunny or well-lit place or if you are going to be in front of a blue light device.
Else, cleanse and follow through with thermal water. Please note the change of cleanser depending on the environment you are coming in from and the environment you are going into.
PM
Cleanse with a gentle skin cleanser, and once the skin is completely dry, follow through with a night cream. All night creams containing retinol are best applied on clean, dry skin — avoid rubbing the product into the skin. Also, avoid retinol creams for 2 days after the use of your home peel as below.
Once weekly
Chemical exfoliation with the Light Routine salicylic home peel. Start with the Light Routine Soft, once weekly for 8 to 10 weeks, and then move up to Light Routine Gentle, once weekly for 8–10 weeks. After achieving a good clearance of acne, you can maintain the use of Light Routine Gentle at once every 7- 10 days. Please note that the regular use of a good sunscreen is mandatory while on home chemical peels. Make sure to check out and avoid the most common mistakes that people make when they begin home chemical peels.
So that’s about what it takes to get you started on a skin routine for glowing skin: 5–6 products, 3–4 steps, and a huge understanding of how each step works in synergy to unclog your skin and keep it glowing always!
A simple skin care ritual married to a committment to take care of the skin, and you are all set to glow!
Before you get started: Please note that almost 30% of people with acne, need medical management to get their pimples under control.
If you have any of the following types of pimples, you need medical care with a dermatologist.
Cystic acne /Acne that leaves severe scarring behind /Acne on the body/ Acne on the body, with increased body hair growth in women/ Raised scars on the chin and the nose, due to acne.
All of these conditions may need medicines or device-based solutions and are best handled by a dermatologist.
