Do you think skincare products are ‘chemical-laden’ or your DIY homemade face masks are all-natural and good for your skin? Let us tell you that water is a chemical, and snake venom is 100% natural. So, by extension, not all ‘chemicals’ are harmful, and not all ‘natural’ ingredients are good for you.
Dear brothers, have you decided on what to gift your darling sister this Raksha Bandhan? If you're still looking for the best one, skincare products could a good choice. You can gift her a skincare kits, where you can add sunscreens, Vitamin C serum, retinol serum, under eye gel serum, etc. But make sure you don't get carried away by those promotional activities, influencers and online offers when buying these products, as sometimes it can end up doing more harm than good to your sibling's skin. When it comes to skin care, one needs to buy responsibly after thoroughly doing their research.
Now the question is What you should look for when buying skincare products for your sisters? Let's ask the experts.
Best skin care products for Raksha Bandhan gift would be sunscreens, Vitamin C or retinol serum, according to Dr. Naga Sahithi, Consultant, Dermatology, Apollo TeleHealth.
Talking about good sunscreens, she said, "Photoprotective agents protect the skin by preventing and minimizing the damaging effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays of natural light and delays ageing. Ideal sunscreening agents should be safe, chemically inert, non-irritating, nontoxic, photostable, and able to provide complete protection to the skin against damage from solar radiation. They should be formulated in a cosmetically acceptable form and ingredients should remain on the upper layers of the skin even after sweating and swimming. They should also effectively block both UVB and UVA rays, which is possible with an agent that has an SPF of 30 or greater. Sunscreen should be applied daily morning even while staying at home."
Dr. Sahithi replied, "For age above 30, starting Vit C serum and retinol serum at night would be better. The benefit of vitamin C is that it's an antioxidant, so it helps prevent the forming of free radicals, which go on to break down collagen and elastin. In the world of pro-aging (that is, caring for your skin as you age) retinoids rule. There's strong evidence that these vitamin A derivatives smooth fine lines and wrinkles, create a more luminous, even complexion, and fight acne."
Anjula Masurkar, Clinical Director, ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, noted that research is important before buying any skincare products.
"In today's social media age, it's easy to get carried away by the barrage of promotional activities and offers online when it comes to buying your sibling the best gift for Raksha Bandhan. Our purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by influencers and online endorsements and therefore one needs to buy responsibly after thoroughly doing their research," she said.
For example, when choosing under eye skincare products, one needs to make sure they are specially designed for the sensitive and delicate under eye skin and that these products are developed by a company that has expertise in eye care and eye beauty, Masurkar added.
She claimed that their company have launched an under-eye gel serum, called Eyecirque, which not only meets the above criteria but it is also 100 percent plant-based.
"It is developed as a biocellular formula containing vitamin A+ C+ E complex, anti-ageing antioxidants, skin brightening agents and naturally occurring ultra-moisturizing ingredients. It also contains Aquaxyl, a complex containing a combination of various plant-derived natural healthy sugars that allows for 3D hydration of the skin under the eyes. Aquaxyl controls water circulation and increases water reserves in the skin, and also boosts the production of hyaluronic acid, essential lipids and proteins that are naturally found in skin tissue giving it structure and essential moisture. The Vitamin C contained in the product is widely used for depigmentation of hyperpigmented areas of the skin around the eyes. Vitamin E is another important ingredient, which acts at a cellular level to protect and repair the skin from excessive sun exposure and air pollution," she added.
