Day and Night Skincare Regimes for Desi Skin

Taking care of our skin is something that many of us take pride in. Yet there are still a number of us who neglect the importance of skincare.

On countless occasions, it can be seen that girls will resort to makeup products to mask their skin’s imperfections. However, this focus on covering blemishes, spots and so on is what leads to the worsening of the skin’s condition.

By layering on makeup, the pores in the skin begin to clog. As a result, this product buildup restricts the skin’s ability to breathe, leading to the dreaded breakouts we try so hard to avoid.

Therefore, updating your skincare regime to ensure it is specific to your skin’s needs is vital. Not only will this improve your skin’s natural appearance, but will also help you choose makeup products that are more suited to your skin type.

To help you in your search for the perfect skincare products for you, we asked 4 everyday Desi girls to reveal what has saved their oily, combination, dry and normal skin types.

So, get prepared ladies, as we explore the best skincare products that you will be dying to try!

Normal Skin

It is common to think that ‘normal’ skin types do not need the same extra attention as other problematic skin types do. However, this could not be any further from the truth!

Failing to provide your skin with the nourishing treatment it needs to stay healthy can cause other skin problems to arise. For instance, hyper pigmentation, breakouts and issues related to weather changes.

Speaking to Harleen Sahota, 18, she emphasises the importance of keeping on top of her skincare routine even when her skin issues are minimal.

Rarely suffering from breakouts, and only experiencing minor hyper pigmentation, Harleen prefers to stick to products that are focused on maintaining the skin’s natural balance.

Telling us all about the products that work for her, she shares her daily skincare regime with us:

Morning Skincare Routine:

• Facewash: Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Wash Scrub Mask – £5.99
• Toner: Nivea Purifying Toner – £3.59
• Moisturiser: Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion – £8.99

Being an 18-year-old, it’s not always possible to afford the most luxury skincare brands. So, Harleen enlightens us on the drugstore products that are just as great for half the price!

She says: “Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Wash Scrub Mask is one of the best scrubs I have come across.

“It tackles multiple problems and is only £5.99, which is definitely amazing. It has kept my breakouts at bay because it thoroughly removes all impurities.”

She also highly recommends the Nivea Purifying Toner and Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion, labelling them as “perfect products for maintaining your skin’s natural moisture and providing a smooth base for your makeup”.

Another great feature to add is that they are all ideal for sensitive skin!

Night Skincare Routine:

• Facewash: Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Wash Scrub Mask – £5.99
• Toner: Bodyshop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner – £7.50
• Oil: Bodyshop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil – £16.00

Keeping her facewash the same, Harleen chooses a different toner for her night skincare routine and opts for an oil instead of cream.

She says: “I adore Bodyshop products as they are against animal testing; this is something that I look out for. Their Vitamin E Hydrating Toner has been amazing at lessening my hyperpigmentation.

“The vitamin E in both the toner and Overnight Serum-In-Oil also leaves my skin feeling rejuvenated by the morning.”

She concludes that they are both “fantastic” products that she would highly recommend to any teenager or adult looking for that “extra boost of hydration”.

Combination Skin

Combination skin is a skin type that unfortunately involves having both oily as well as dry skin.

Being someone who suffers from this, Rita Panchal, 20, understands the difficulties with finding products that tackle the oily t-zone without drying out other areas of the face. However, after stumbling upon Kiehl’s skincare range, she says her skin has never looked better!

Using only natural ingredients, she explains how Kiehl’s have formulated skincare products for every skin type. So creating the regime that works perfectly for you could not get any easier. She shares hers with us:

Morning Skincare Routine

• Facewash: Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash – £9.00 – £46.00
• Toner: Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner – £34.50 – £54.00
• Eye Cream: Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado – £22.50 – £34.00
• Moisturiser: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream – £24.50 – £45.00

Mentioning the general benefits of “perfecting” her morning routine, Rita says that the products she now uses have led to a “massive difference” in her appearance. She now has “cleaner and fresher skin, with minimal redness”.

In her opinion, Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash is the “most effective face wash” she has ever used. With the Calendula’s soothing properties, Rita describes her skin as “calmer”, reducing the frequency of the “large breakouts” she would regularly experience.

Also, paired with the Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner, she says that both of these products have really helped with “removing the dirt and impurities” that can become trapped in her pores.

When it comes to applying her creams, Rita uses the Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado under her eyes. She emphasises that she always “dabs” this product so that it does not stretch the delicate eye area.

Continuing on how she finishes her morning regime:

“I use approximately 3 finger-tips worth of Ultra Facial Cream. Though this may seem a small amount, a little definitely goes a long way with this product. It provides me with the ideal amount of moisture for my skin to feel hydrated all day, leaving me with no greasy feeling!”

Night Skincare Routine:

• Facewash: Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
• Toner: Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner
• Eye Cream: Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
• Oil: Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate – £38.00 – £95.00
• Overnight Mask: Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque – £29.00

Rita’s night skincare routine sees no changes in terms of the face wash, toner and eye cream used. However, she highlights that “the most essential part” of her night skincare routine is the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate.

She gushes: “If I could recommend a must-have night skincare product for every skin type, this would be it!”

Describing how the product works, she explains: “With only a few drops, my skin transforms from tired to revitalised and plump in one night. The essential oils such as Lavender and Primrose, that are included in this product, have definitely helped to restore the radiance in my face!”

Every other day, Rita mentions that she would also apply the Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque. This can be left on overnight.

Her favourite benefit of this product is that it “truly replenishes the skin”. After being out all day, the dirt from surrounding pollution can alter the skin’s texture. She informs us that this is when the masque is perfect to use as it works on restoring your skin overnight, so you wake up “feeling renewed and energised”.

Oily Skin

Oily skin can be extremely difficult to take care of. Not only does the layer of oil leave your skin acne-prone but it can also make you feel rather unattractive. A shiny face is rarely ever a good look!

This makes it all the more essential to invest in good skincare. You will require products that can successfully remove the puddles of excess oil without stripping the skin’s natural oils that keep it looking healthy.

Lucky for all of you girls with oily skin, there are many brands who offer products specifically made for this exact job.

Filling us in on her holy grail products, Lily Bansal, 26, explains how after discovering the Mario Badescu range, her oily face days are now a thing of the past.

Morning Skincare Routine:

• Facewash: Mario Badescu Botanical Facial Gel – £14.50
• Cleanser: Mario Badescu Cucumber Cleansing Lotion – £13.50
• Moisturiser: Mario Badescu AHA & Ceramide Moisturiser – £19.50

Taking us through her morning skincare routine, Lily tells us how the Mario Badescu skincare range actually works.

She says: “I start off with the Botanical Facial Gel. It has really helped with the build-up of oil that I would experience everyday. I’ve also found that it doesn’t dry out my face with continued use, which was essential for me”

She continues:

“Now, I used to never really fuss about cleansers. But the Cucumber Cleansing Lotion has helped with giving my skin that extra clean after my face wash. It has definitely reduced the sheen that would usually mask my face.”

Finishing off her morning routine with the AHA & Ceramide Moisturiser, she explains: “This moisturiser is great if you normally find moisturisers too thick for your oily skin. The lightweight formula contains lemon and aloe vera. So, it doesn’t clog my pores and the citrus element helps my skin feel rejuvenated all day!”

Night Skincare Routine:

• Facewash: Mario Badescu Botanical Facial Gel – £14.50
• Eye Cream: Mario Badescu Olive Eye Cream – £18.50
• Moisturiser: Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream – £18.50

Moving onto her night skincare routine, Lily explains how she found that using creams specific for the night were more beneficial for her.

She says: “I work late nights sometimes so the Olive Eye Cream helps reduce the puffiness of my tired eyes! Then, the Seaweed Night Cream is just for locking in moisture overnight. It’s my favourite night cream now because it’s designed to prevent clogged pores – now I don’t wake up to nasty spots caused by oil build-up.”

Dry Skin

Flaking and dry skin can be a nightmare to deal with, especially in the winter months. The lack of natural lipids and fatty oils, that would normally provide protection, can be extremely damaging to the skin.

Not only is the texture of your skin affected but also its appearance, often leaving it dull.

The key is to revitalise your skin by using products that are focused on hydrating and restoring the skin’s natural oils, without leading to the release of excess sebum.

Ravina Kaur, 22, has had to deal with dry skin throughout all of her school life. She explains how finding the products that were “just right” for her was difficult as she did not know what her skin needed.

However, after discovering the La Roche-Posay range, she now boasts a glowing complexion that has helped to improve her confidence in her appearance. Here is what she uses:

Morning Skincare Routine

• Facewash: La Roche-Posay Lipikar Syndet AP+ Body Wash – £10.00
• Moisturiser: La Roche-Posay Nutritic Intense Rich – £16.50

When asked what she loved about these products, Ravina said: “These products honestly saved my skin at its worst! Though being a body wash, La Roche-Posay Lipikar Syndet AP+ worked wonders for my face. It doesn’t aggravate my sensitive skin, and leaves it feeling soft and supple after each use.”

Moving onto her cream, she says: “As my moisturiser, I opted to stay with La Roche-Posay. Their Nutritic Intense Rich cream really gives my skin a deep treatment. It’s as if my dry skin just absorbs all of the moisture it provides. It’s 100% my go-to cream now!”

Night Skincare Routine

• Facewash: La Roche-Posay Lipikar Syndet AP+ Body Wash
• Oil: Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate – £38.00 – £95.00

Discussing her night skincare routine, she says:

“Sticking to my face wash was essential because it’s the one that works best. However, I do now use Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. It has helped to relax my skin overnight so now I’m always waking up with a natural glow.”

Picking the Products for You

Hearing about all of these fantastic products, it is easy to get carried away and buy the whole regime! But it is important to remember that every skin type is different. There could be various reasons underlying your skin’s condition.

Where possible, try sample versions or buy smaller sizes of the product to determine how they react with your skin. Just be aware that some skincare products will not have immediate effects, it can take time to see results – so, be patient.

Do your research, ask skin specialists in stores, and also consider your diet. Regardless of what skincare products you use, if you are consuming unhealthy foods, your skin is unlikely to get any better.

So, we hope that you have been left feeling inspired to take your skincare regime to the next level, and make sure that you keep an eye out for the many more skincare tips to come!