A Brown Girl's Beauty Guide

When my acne reached its lowest point about a year ago, I decided enough was enough and started following a basic skincare regimen. Up until that point, I didn't follow any kind of skincare regimen. I would wash my face once a day (during my morning shower) and I would go to bed without removing my makeup. Granted, I didn't wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis - only kajal, lipstick and some compact powder. But still, I was not taking care of my skin in any shape or form. Once the acne issue started, I figured the most basic skincare routine would be enough to get my perfect skin back - cleanse, tone and moisturize. I was wrong. It did nothing. Since then, my routine has gone through quite a number of changes, but I won't bore you with all the tedious details of why and how my routine has changed over the past couple of months. Here's the daily routine that I am following currently. It seems to be working well enough for me so far. Step 1 - Remove Makeup: ...

I live in a pretty humid city, so I usually don't moisturize my face in the day (unless it feels super dry). I find that putting on cream-based products on my face while I'm out and about makes me sweat like crazy. So, the only time my face gets pampered is at night. But ever since my acne problem started a year ago, I've been having trouble finding a good night cream for my face. I have tried a couple of options but they almost always end up breaking me out. I used Nivea Soft Light Moisturiser for a while, but it caused me to break out. I used Bio Oil once (which was one of the worst skincare decisions I have made) and it made my skin erupt into a ginormous pimple. I used this Korean product called Mizon Snail Recovery Gel Cream, which was hailed by many blogs as an acne cure, but again it broke me out. I haven't seen any adverse effects while using Lactocalamine, but I feel like it doesn't so much moisturize my skin as mattify it. Also, I sweat a bit while us...

Here's what the blurb on Nykaa says about this product: This spot correcting face pack treats pimples and helps control the bacteria that causes breakouts, redness and other skin irritations. Features: Effectively treats pimples and acne Controls trouble causing bacteria Suitable for oily and acne prone skin Organically Pure & preservative free Dermatologist tested for safety, no animal testing Key Ingredients & Benefits : Myristica is the Nutmeg spice, known for its comforting properties, but valued for centuries as an effective anti-bacterial and antiseptic agent. Treats pimples and helps control the bacteria that cause breakouts, redness and skin irritations. This spot correcting face pack is currently available on Nykaa at an offer price of Rs. 149/-, but I bought it for  Rs. 199/- at a mall in Pune. You get 20 grams of product for Rs. 199, which is neither too cheap nor too expensive. It comes in a tub packaging, which is usual for most Biot...

There are countless articles on the internet that describe the amazing benefits of using turmeric for your skin. Turmeric is supposed to be anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-aging, all of which are great when it comes to fighting acne. It is a really popular beauty ingredient used in a lot of DIY face packs in India. But for some reason, I have always shied away from using it. Maybe it is because of my childhood friend Aishwarya whose face was always stained yellow from excessive use of turmeric. I guess I didn't want to be called 'the girl with the yellow face'.  About a week ago, I switched from using a Biotique toner to an ACV toner. I also started using a tea tree oil face wash, which combined with the ACV toner, made my skin feel extremely dry. I usually use Lactocalamine as a night cream, which is not really a moisturizer, but it works for me. But that night, I felt that my skin needed a little more moisture. So, I decided to use Bio Oil to moisturi...

I never really had acne growing up. My skin was clear as water in my teenage years, so I didn't have the necessity to follow any skincare regimen. In fact, I only washed my face once a day when I was younger i.e. when I took a shower in the morning, and often went to bed with a makeup on my face. So, I was kind of surprised when I got my first acne breakout two years back. I was twenty three at the time and two years into an IT career that was turning out to be very stressful. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was hormonal - but that ugly red bump on my face bugged me so much. Little did I know my acne would only grow worse from there. Since that first breakout, acne has been a constant part of my life. I always get acne during that time of the month. I also get acne if I'm really stressed at work, which is pretty much all the time. To make things worse, they're not the type of acne that's tiny and would fade by itself in a couple of days. The acne I get is almost al...