Above: Sheetal Rawal, scientist (human genetics) & founder of Apsara Skin Care
Have you ever wondered why your skin isn’t showing the desired results, even after religiously sticking to a skincare routine? Here’s why! People have different skin types, which call for different skincare routines. In simpler terms, your skin might still not be what you feel it should be, even after having a luxurious 7- or 10-step AM or PM regime, because you are not using the products meant for your skin type.
Also, many people tend to include skincare products loaded with artificial ingredients, chemicals, minerals, parabens, sulfates, and other detrimental elements. These ruin your skin in the long run and make you age faster.
So, the first step towards achieving your skincare goals is to know your skin type. Then, work on improving it by creating the best skincare routine with products that provide the goodness of cruelty-free natural ingredients to your skin! Let’s read about the best skincare routine for the three different skin types.
Skincare Routine for Dry Skin
Dry skin lacks hydration and moisture. When the skin cannot retain moisture, it leads to a face with dehydrated, dull, rough, and flaky skin. Many reasons make the skin dry – chemical-based skin products, sun damage, pollution, stress, over-washing the face, a simple weather change, etc. So, dry skin is the one that needs soothing and hydrating skincare products. The key to getting the perfect dry skincare routine is to infuse it with a surge of hydration. Let's check out the essential steps for a skincare regimen for dry skin!
1. Mild Cleanser
Always go for mild hydrating facial cleansers that clean your skin deeply without stripping away its natural oils. Use a natural facial cleanser like Root of Vetiver, a herbal cleanser that maintains the pH balance in dry skin and leaves the skin purified and hydrated.
Never choose a foaming cleanser, as it is not meant for dry skin. Such cleansers usually strip the skin of its natural oils and moisture and leave it feeling dry, stretchy, and cracking.
Related: Avocado & Oat DIY for Nourishing Dry Skin
2. Facial Toner
Toners are known to firm up your skin. Dry skin needs a good toner that has hydrating ingredients to provide gentle moisture for the skin to lock it in.
Do not use alcohol-based toners that irritate the skin and make it dry and saggy. Choose natural toners such as the Rose Glycerin Natural Facial Toner with an organic astringent like rosewater with pore-tightening properties and vegetable glycerin that hydrates the skin.
3. Antioxidant Serum
For dry skin, it is essential to use a highly potent antioxidant serum (containing Vitamins A, B3, C, E) to prevent collagen, a skin protein, from breaking down as you age.
Go for a rich serum that deeply nourishes the skin, prevents dullness, and provides hydrated and glowing skin. Choose a serum that has the goodness of Ayurvedic nourishing oils and fatty acids and is free of parabens and chemicals such as the Evening Primrose Facial Serum for dry skin.
4. Hydrating Moisturizers
Moisturizing is one of the most important skincare steps for dry skin. Use a rich nourishing moisturizer or face lotion to hydrate your dry skin. Ingredients such as essential oils of carrot seeds and vetiver are highly regarded in Ayurveda for having skin-nourishing properties. Add a moisturizer enriched with such natural oils to obtain supple skin. The Carrot Seed Face Lotion has all such Ayurvedic essential oils that help keep your skin hydrated and radiant.
Skincare Routine for Oily Skin
Oily skin has a high sebum content. The larger oil glands in the skin produce more natural oil, or sebum, making the skin greasy and acne-prone. Several causes add to ‘genetically oily’ skin, including changes in the environment, overdoing a skincare regime, or using the wrong skincare products. The best skin care for oily skin will consist of products that control the extra sebum and oil in the skin. Let’s check out the steps to the perfect skincare regimen for oily skin!
1. Gel Cleanser
Oily skin needs a gentle gel cleanser to maintain its pH balance – i.e., it should purify the skin without leaving it dry.
The cleanser should have ingredients like camphor and geranium, which are highly regarded in Ayurveda, to control the excess sebum and soothe inflamed oily skin, thus curbing bacterial growth. The Camphor and Geranium Herbal Facial Cleanser is a perfect natural gel cleanser for oily-skinned people.
2. Facial Toner
Alcohol-free toners with ingredients like rosewater (with physiological relaxation properties for skin soothing), geranium essential oil, and witch hazel (a natural astringent without the drying effects of alcohol) are the best toners for oily skin. The Rose and Geranium Facial Toner is loaded with natural and Ayurvedic ingredients for oily and acne-prone skin. Always avoid alcohol-based toners. This damages the skin by ripping off all the natural oils the skin needs to keep itself hydrated, causing it to eventually break out to compensate for the lost moisture.
3. Skin-Soothing Serum
Serums with skin-soothing and deep cleansing properties are great for oily skin. Natural oils like jojoba, grapeseed, clove, neem, turmeric, etc., are a perfect blend of skin-soothing and anti-inflammatory properties for oily acne-prone skin. The Jojoba Facial Serum provides a soothing, calming effect to inflamed oily skin, making it radiant.
4. Oil-Free Moisturizers
Even though your skin is oily, never skip moisturizing it. Choose a lightweight moisturizer that soothes and calms your skin. The Neem and Clove Face Lotion naturally soothes and moisturizes acne-prone skin with ingredients like neem, turmeric, clove, and eucalyptus, which are well-known in Ayurveda for their skin-calming properties.
Related: Apsara Product Review
Skincare Routine for Combination Skin
Combination skin is the most confusing skin type to determine. It is oily in some parts of the face while dry in others. Having a skin type with such varying properties makes it very hard to select the best products to add to the skincare regimen for combination skin.
Nobody wants to follow two separate skincare routines for the oily and dry parts of the skin. Let’s understand what the best skincare regimen for combination skin consists of.
1. Gel Cleanser
Choose a gel-based cleanser that maintains the pH balance and also helps reduce excess oil along the T-zone. Go for a mild cleanser with natural Ayurvedic ingredients like the Neem Herbal Facial Cleanser, which has eucalyptus and vetiver essential oils, the best Ayurvedic ingredients for combination skin.
2. Facial Toner
Toners that contain natural ingredients and have no alcohol suit combination skin. Choose a toner with a natural astringent for pore tightening and ingredients like eucalyptus for reducing the appearance of oil from the T-zone for this skin type. The Rose Dew Natural Facial Toner is perfect in this case.
3. Anti-Aging Serum
Combination skin tends to show signs of aging faster due to dry skin and breakouts caused by excess sebum. So, choose a serum that fights signs of aging and sun damage. The Sandalwood Facial Serum has the goodness of all such natural Ayurvedic ingredients for combination skin.
Related: Turmeric & Nutmeg DIY to Balance Combination Skin
4. Lightweight Moisturizers
Combination skin needs a lightweight moisturizer that provides a good amount of hydration to the skin yet doesn’t make it oily or greasy. The Eucalyptus Balancing Face Lotion is loaded with natural ingredients like geranium, neem, and Ayurvedic essential oils of vetiver and eucalyptus. It works wonders on combination skin.
FAQs
Which moisturizer is the best for dry skin?
An excellent hydrating moisturizer works wonders on dry skin. Look for a moisturizer that provides rich nourishment and a boost of hydration to dry skin. Use the Carrot Seed Facial Lotion, full of the natural goodness of carrot seed oil and vetiver oil, to make dry skin supple and radiant.
Can I skip the moisturizer as I have oily skin?
No, you should not. Your skin needs hydration and moisture, even if it is already oily. Skipping the moisturizing step will only cause your skin to produce more oil and sebum to compensate for the dryness. This increased oil production will eventually lead to breakouts and acne. The key to avoiding all this is to keep the skin hydrated to its required level so that it doesn’t have to compensate on its own.
How does combination skin feel?
When you have combination skin, your T-zone feels oily, but the other parts of your face feel dry or normal. A person with a combination skin type can feel that their nose, forehead, and chin areas (the T-zone) are oily while their cheeks are dry.
What ingredients are better for the skin?
Natural ingredients are always the best for skin as they are all organic. They do not contain any chemicals, parabens, minerals, preservatives, alcohols, sulfates, or any other artificial ingredient that proves harmful for the skin and leaves the skin dull and aged in the long run.
