I don’t like suggesting serums for Indian winters, as its only really cold for a month and then your stuck with a product that is likely to expire before you need to use it again.
My tip is to mix small of amounts of your richer night moisturiser with your day moisturiser too.
If that doesn’t keep your skin hydrated then here is a list of suitable additions to your routine. These serums/balms are rich in fatty acids (giving you hydration) as well as anti-oxidants (which are anti-aging).
These are my favourites:
Forest Essential’s Tejasvi Emulsion
The cow’s ghee will instantly add hydration to your skin. If you’ve never used ghee on your face start with a small amount (half a teaspoon) and leave it on for a maximum of initially 3 minutes, working upto 10 minutes.
100% cold pressed Prickly Pear Oil
Prickly pear is found in Mexico and Morocco. I have only ever used Moroccan prickly pear oil and I can’t find any data to suggest one region offers an advantage over the other…
Moroccan prickly pear oil has the highest Vitamin E (anti-oxidant) content of all beauty oils. This excellent blurb accurately summarises its benefits:
Prickly Pear Oil is a light, quick absorbing, stable and highly versatile oil. The high Vitamin E content makes it a potent antioxidant. It improves skin elasticity and is an effective addition to anti-aging formulations. It acts as a powerful moisturizer and leaves the skin feeling velvety soft.
The main downside is its price: Kahina’s 50 ml will set you back US$ 170 and I fair no better with my regular 30ml for US$ 95 by IZIL…
To add this to your routine, cleanse, tone and then use 1-2 drops on your face. Its totally ok to put the drops directly onto your face and not your hands first.
100% cold pressed Argan Oil
Argan Oil has less Vitamin E and fatty acid content then Prickly Pear Oil. That’s ok. It’s still hydrating for your face and you can use this on your hair, cuticles and body. There is no reason to overpay and the Ordinary’s version at US$8 for 30ml works just as well as Kahina’s pricier version.
You should know that Argan Oil’s smell offends many, many users. I won’t deny that the more expensive version that I use (IZIL’s Argan Oil) has an absolutely putrid stench.
Its disgusting and it took me about a fortnight to not notice it. But honestly if you’ve ever used Kama Ayurveda’s Bringadi Oil or Forest Essential’s Jasmine Intense perfume or products containing cow’s urine, trust me you won’t even know what the fuss is about.
Tatcha Gold Cameillia Beauty Oil
It says a lot about the brand when it was started by people who loved what they were doing and a bigger fish came and bought them out. This brand has been around for ages. This beauty oil contains cold-pressed Camellia oil and 23K gold and if that’s good enough for Japanese women, I say its good enough for me.
You can use this product all year round…
On the fence about this serum….
I have had a few requests to review the Ojas Replenishing Balm. I used it a few times when it was intensely cold with a night cream. On all occasions, my skin was noticeably hydrated the next day. But this is not the expected outcome that’s been promoted by Forest Essentials. Am I missing something? Also, I am unsure if the Tejasvi Emulsion I referred to above is a better alternative. The difference is important as this costs INR 3,800 and the Tejasvi Emulsion costs INR 1,825.
An update will follow!
Closing
I would love to hear what your “go-to” winter skin treatment is…Please leave a comment below or drop me a line at email@happyskindays.com
Credit: Photo by Alexandru Zdrobău on Unsplash