I Stopped Using Moisturisers. Here’s What Happened.

Charu Gaur

I always wanted to write a headline like this one, the one made people click to find out what happened. You clicked, so yay! Now, let’s talk about moisturisers. I love moisturisers, absolutely do. While I worked as Grazia India as their digital editor, I got to try so many different kinds to test and review. Trust me, leaving a job like that can put a dent in your bank account because, by the time you leave, you’re a beauty snob. I can do without splurging on makeup but skincare products are my weakness. I’m certain that my face cream obsession has majorly contributed to Clinique, Estée Lauder, Kiehl’s and Innisfree’s thriving profits. So it’s shocking, even to me, that I moved on from moisturisers.

Last year, for the first time in my life, I had to deal with bad skin drama. Lack of sleep, stress and the general manic issues of building a startup took its toll. It was nothing serious but since I hadn’t faced any skin troubles in more than a decade, it felt like a huge deal. I had these tiny opaque bumps on my face and I ignored them for a very long time which turned those little bumps into volcanic boils. You see, when it comes to medical issues, I believe in the “ignore and it’ll go away” theory. Which, let me tell you is NOT a smart way to deal with those issues and nor is it a theory.

I finally saw a dermatologist – Jaishree Sharad. Who, as a part of introductory questions, asked me my age and when I told her I was 34 she reacted like I was a teenager who ran away from home to work in movies. So yayy to splurging on all those moisturisers! Once she got rid of those pesky bumps and I felt like a human being again, I decided to simplify my skincare with a legit and achievable skincare routine. If not mid-20s, mid-30s is a good time to start. It’s never too late.

Post that ordeal, I started using facial oils and felt that they worked wonderfully for me. If you pick the right ones, they leave your skin feeling well-hydrated, supple and radiant all day/night long. In case you’re worried, face oils do not leave your skin oily or lead to eruptions. They give you the feeling that you’re using something more natural and organic. So, I slowly moved on from moisturisers to a serums + facial oils routine and trimmed my beauty top shelf. My decision to switch doesn’t reflect negatively on face creams, I don’t even think this is a long-term resolution, it just somehow felt like a natural progression at the time and it has worked quite effectively for me till now. This is my current skincare routine –

1. I use Avene Cleanance Gel to wash my face as it’s soap-free and keeps excess sebum in check.
2. I then use rose or cucumber water as a toner. I like my toners as I like my cocktail – chilled. So I keep them in the fridge.
3. Depending on my mood, I choose between Ras Luxury Oils Radiance Face Elixir (it’s so pure, smells like love and makes your skin come alive instantly) and Decléor Aromaessence Rose D’orient oil serum which is paraben-free and you just need two drops for it to work its magic and calm your skin.
4. At night, I massage my face with Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate which is essentially an oil. I have read multiple reviews of this product and some people say the smell is too strong and not worth the price but I totally disagree. I love the smell and I think it’s perfectly effective.
5. I love scrubs and face packs. I try to exfoliate and use a mask twice a week and envy girls who do this daily. My favourites right now are: Enn’s Berry Bang anti-ageing face mask which is also a perfectly good scrub, the good old DIY Fuller’s Earth+lemon+yogurt+rose water face pack and Innisfree Wine Jelly sleeping pack. 

This is it. This is all I use. On an average 4 products a day. I run a startup, I love things that don’t take time but are immensely effective. Also, I am inherently lazy. But you never know, probably next week I will be TOTALLY into the Korean 9 step regime but for now, I am a face oil girl. That’s who I am.

Clinique Moisture Surge

P.S: If you’re not buying my face oil obsession, I would recommend Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. It was one of the best launches last year and hands down the best moisturiser I’ve ever used. It felt so good on the skin, I finished my jar in just a few weeks. Get it, you’ll thank me.

Charu Gaur

Charu Gaur is the founder/editor of Runway Square. Don’t ask her to meet over tea or coffee. She’s currently working on her selfie game which recently went for a toss. Tips are welcome.

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