Reader Query - Skin Care Routine For Combination Skin

Anubha, a young girl asks -

"My skin type is combination..sometimes when I apply lotus shea-butter it makes my skin very oily but shiny. As such I don't have any skin problems but some pigmentation near my eye. I tried applying vitamin E capsules but I started getting rashes so I stopped using that. I use Lotus Herbal toner,scrub and facewash.
Please tell me a daily routine of how to take care of my skin to make it look good always"

Hi Anubha, I have struggled with combination skin all my life so here are some recommendations from my personal experience - but recommendations are for young skin like yours which should not be treated with too many chemicals.

1. Avoid oily food that is very spicy as much as possible and drink lots of water throughout the day. If your stomach stays happy it will show on your skin!


2. Every single day make sure you wash your face in the morning and at night before you go to sleep - no matter how late it is, no matter how tired you are - do not skip cleansing your face before sleeping. Use a gentle face wash for this purpose - I recommend the Himalaya Neem Face wash (I tried the Lotus Herbals face wash but liked the one from Himalaya more)

3. After washing your face with a neem based face wash you can use natural rose water as a toner - this is the safest and gentlest toner with no harsh chemicals. You can try Hamdard Gulabari - in summers store it in the fridge so that whenever you use it you will get a cool sensation on the skin.

4. During the humid or extremely hot months of the year skip the moisturizer if it makes your skin too oily. I know a lot of people rave about the wash-tone-moisturize routine but if a moisturizer is going to increase oiliness you are well off without it. The only moisturizer that worked for me without giving oiliness was the Clean n Clear oil-free moisturizer used sparingly. And dear, shea-butter is not for your face - it is too oily for combination skin so stay away from it. Use it on your body specially knees and elbows to keep them soft and supple. For the face no thick creams or moisturizers at all.

5. At night after washing your face you can apply the rose water and moisturizer.

6. Once a week treat your skin to a nice scrub followed by a face pack. For weekly scrubbing you can use the Lotus Herbals scrub or the apricot scrub from Everyuth. Do not scrub too hard, just gently scrub for about 2 minutes and then wash off. Follow this with with Himalaya Neem Face Pack - this will ensure you always have problem free skin. You can use fruit based face packs once in a while for a special party as they give an instant glow to the skin. But for regular use I will recommend neem based face packs. If you are not lazy like me you can make your own home based face pack - just take a tablespoon of chick pea flour (besan), add a small dollop of fresh cream from the milk (malai) and a teaspoon of lime juice and a small pinch of turmeric - make a paste (add some water if its too thick) - apply the paste on the face for about 10 minutes then gently wash off by scrubbing in circular motions. Make sure not to scrub too hard.

I hope these tips help you out. Remember these are just some tips based on my experience. Over time you will realize what works best for you. And since you are still very young just keep your skin happy by letting it breathe naturally - don't put too much makeup and whenever you do, don't forget to wash it all off before going to bed!