Oddly enough, ever since I took Biochemistry in college, I have been interested in skincare (that and my sister who is a legit skincare guru). In Biochem, we actually had topics covering soaps (they're actually salts of fatty acids), keratin (it's actually a protein in you hair in nails), cell life and how aging relates to telomere shortening. It was then that I began questioning masks that claim to do magical things to your skin overnight. Thus I dived into the wormhole of skincare and I think I found some winners!
SUNSCREEN:
Ok, NGL, as a melanated girl, I never thought I needed sunscreen. That is completely FALSE. In fact, the darker your skin, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with stage 3 or 4 skin cancer because our darker skin makes it harder to catch skin cancer in the earlier stages. THUS, protect yo skin girl! Also, as I've gotten older, my skin know sunburn which is just such an amazing bonus to aging -_-. My absolute favorite sunscreen is by La Roche Posay. It's definitely on the pricer side, but it's a great sunscreen and when it comes to skincare and health, I find it's best to go with what's effective vs what's cheap.
My favorite Sunscreens:
Anthelios Sport Sunscreen: https://tinyurl.com/y4edp4ds
I burn quite easily for a brown skinned gal, and this sunscreen has not failed me yet! I live in Texas where it's normal for the temperature to be 100+ from July-October and I need this sunscreen to protect me. Side note, please pray that it gets colder in Texas, I'm done sweating an ENTIRE bucket when I step outside.
Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer: https://tinyurl.com/y2egwpdv
This facial sunscreen + moisturizer is AMAZING. I RARELY wear makeup to class, so all I do is dab on a bit of this sunscreen and skirt out the door for physics. Seriously amazing.
MOISTURIZER:
I've played around with a couple of moisturizers and I finally feel like I found the PERFECT one. Shout out to my sister for introducing me to COSRX and this amazing moisturizer.
Light Fit Real Water Toner to Cream: https://tinyurl.com/y2ztb3hl
I put on this cream at night right after I've cleansed my face. In just 1 week, my skin was visibly smoother and brighter. My face has never felt softer! I also love that it comes in a pump because I find it more sanitary, and it prevents you from using way to much of the product! Also, if you sign up for their email list, they give you 10% off your first order.
FACIAL CLEANSER:
Ok, this may be surprising to some people, but I use BABY SOAP as my face wash! I know that may seem incredibly weird, but it's the only thing that has worked for me. I had a lot of acne growing up and my insecurities dealing with acne led me to trying every single "pore clarifying" cleanser. I even went as far as getting a prescription cream for my acne ( WORST IDEA EVER). I got fed up trying every cleanser and them not magically cleaning out my pores and making me acne free. I then just decided to try baby soap. See my theory is that no one wants to harm babies right? So their soap has to be free of toxins and chemicals. I've used baby soap for years now and it's been the best thing for my skin. No it does not prevent pimples. It doesn't brighten, tone, remove fine lines. HOWEVER, it cleans. I know my face is free of grime, and I know that I didn't put random chemicals on my skin. Baby soap is incredibly light and won't hurt your skin on a daily use. I do get facials done (I even do them myself sometimes), but facials are not supposed to be daily or even weekly.
Favorite Baby Soap Brands:
Johnson and Johnson, Honest, Hello Bello.
FACIALS:
Ever since I turned 16, I have gotten a facial done twice a year. I've usually gotten them done once summer was over and once before spring starts. Facials can be quite expensive, but I feel like every once in awhile, we need to treat our skin to a deep cleaning to unclog any pores and impurities. I usually get my facials done at Indian salons (they're a lot cheaper then mainstream ones, and being that their Indian, they know how to work with my skin). I always get the basic facial which usually consists of a blackhead removal, pore opening treatments, and cream massages. I believe I'm way too young to get any chemical-esq facials so I stay away from chemical peels, anti-wrinkle treatments, or skin-brightening. I also feel like you can get GREAT facials at home! I love Orgins products and any kbeauty face masks. I live in Austin (which tends to be HOT and dry ALL THE TIME), so I love putting on a hydrating mask whenever I feel like my skin's looking like a bit dry.
FOOD:
The food you eat greatly impacts your body and even your skin. One thing that really helped me clear up my acne was figuring out what foods triggered it. For me that was spicy food, sweet food, and milk based chocolate. It was really hard for me to give up spicy food (i'm Indian), in fact before having skin problems I could eat chili peppers straight and found jalepenos to not be spicy enough for me. I've gradually increased my spice tolerance since my acne cleared, but unfortunately I find jalepenos to be spicy now. Since giving up milk chocolate, I only ever crave dark chocolate and find milk chocolate to be too sweet. Another important thing is fluids. Drink water! Hydration is KEY. And while I love my wine, alcohol can actually dry out your skin. Now i'm not saying don't drink, but make sure you rehydrate your body and show your skin some love.
I hope y'all really like this post, please let me know if y'all have any other tips!
XX,
Srini
FOLLOW ME: @srinisblog
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