2018 saw some new & different resolutions that I have decided to undertake. Its primarily about taking better care of myself, especially on skincare, Yes, I always assumed men and skincare is never really a thing, until recently. For me , taking care of skin was just washing my face with water, probably twice a day.
Having an oily skin, acne breakouts was quite frequent in my face. The blackheads and pimple scars remained though the acne went off. I have never really bothered to cut down on junk foods or oily stuff and the acne followed pretty much the next day. But with some motivation and a lot of nudging from the best friend Deepika, I finally accepted to undertake a new “Mission Skincare”.
Here are some of my scribbled notes from my best friend’s advice
Healthwise I have given a lot of attention to my body with a good fitness routine at the gym, 5 times a week.
But skincare was something that slipped my attention and never really worked . I have tried a lot of ointments, treatments and facewashes available in the market. Post that I just stopped trying.
Skincare Routine
A skincare routine doesnt start or end with applying an acne gel. That alone never really works. It involves a complete rehaul of your daily routine , diet schedule and cleansing your system as well. This holistic skin care routine was probably the best thing that I’ve done so far and the results seem to show its working after 2-3 weeks itself.
Here’s how I look now 🙂
(Picture was taken today (Feb 19) and no filters/edits has been made on the same).
Here’s my new routine:
Morning :
- Washing the face with a good Face wash (primarily meant for oily skin)
- Once the face is towel dried, apply the Aloe Vera Face Gel on the affected area.
- Before heading out for the day, apply a good sunscreen on the face and skin.
Evening : Once back home, wash the face again, aply a good moisturiser to nourish the skin .
Night : Again use the Acne gel (Post washing) and leave it to dry.
Green Tea : Preferably have one cup in the morning and one in the evening
So having taken up the resolution , I am trying out a whole new set of products from an Organic brand called “Chandhani Skin Naturals”. This included the following items (The best part is , the whole set (excluding the honey) costed me less than 500 INR (all inclusive).
1. Chandhani Aloe Vera Acne Gel
2. Dioli Green Tea
3. Veritaa Anti Dandruff Shampoo
4. Dioli Slim Honey
1. Chandhani Aloe Vera Acne Gel (with Tea Tree Oil) – Price : Rs.100
This was really a boon for me. An acne gel that had both Aloe Vera and Tea tree oil , combined with Salicylic acid ( Another anti acne component ), this cleared my acne breakout in just over a week. I haven’t really endorsed or encouraged any specific cosmetic before , but this turned out be a really effective one .
Though there are only traces of acne now, the large portion of pimples have vanished and the blackheads disappearing . Though tea tree oil usually carries a strong odour, the gel has been mixed with some perfume and gives a very nice fragrance.. (Strongly recommend this for your pimples, though you could also consult a doctor, if its very high).
2. Venitaa AntiDandruff Shampoo – Price : Rs.168
Another product I picked up was the above one, called Venitaa Anti Dandruff shampoo because of three reasons :
1.Tea tree oil based anti-dandruff shampoo ( Instead of any other chemicals)
2. Sulfate and Paraben Free shampoo ( Usually available only in very expensive shampoos)
3. Apple Cider Vinegar (a strong agent for prevention of dandruff and bacteria)
I have regularly tried other anti dandruff shampoos, but havent seen much success. However I can quite positively say, there’s been a substantial reduction in dandruff and the hair texture is slowly becoming smoother too . Again, everything requires a consistent usage as prescribed and what works for me, may or may not work for others. So give it a try for yourself and get to decide.
3. Dioli Green Tea (Concentrated Liquid) – Price : Rs.180
Let me be frank here. I am not a major fan of green tea. But the past one year or so , I have taken up to drinking green tree atleast once a day at office, as soon as I begin my work. I usually take a random tea bag , dip it in half cup of hot water , mix it with normal water and stir it well and drink it in one gulp. I may not appreciate the taste of it, but I know it has kept my metabolism, immunity and health in top condition.
So my friend introduced me to India’s first “Concentrated” liquid Green Tea. So the tea comes like a liquid sachet (4ml). You just have to cut open and pour the conents onto a cup of hot water and stir it. You get a steaming cup of very strong green tea.
From what I saw , you can use it to make two cups of green tea from a single sachet and more importantly the taste is far less bitter than other brands.
4. Slimming Honey
Not exactly as a part of primary routine, I am also trying to add honey to my diet. Though this is a great product for weight loss, I am adding it in food like between bread slices or even mixing it with a few tiffin/breakfast items , mainly to add to a nutritional diet and a much better alternative for sugar.