How I got rid of my Acne in a polluted city like Delhi
Delhi is a city in India where the pollution levels are too high. The current Real Air time quality index of Delhi is 506, and consider it hazardous if it is more than 300. So it is tough to take care of your skin in such an atmosphere.
I had severe acne when I was in my early teens, and it was terrible, everybody used to tease me for all the red bumps I had on my forehead, back and chest area. I got rid of acne as I grew up by using medicines prescribed by my dermatologist, but after coming to Delhi, I started getting those red bumps back on my face, and I looked older than my actual age. It took me a lot of time and change in my lifestyle and skincare products to get to a better place. I don’t have perfect skin yet, but I have come through a lot and would like to share my journey with all of you.
So I have categorized my skincare journey into three parts:
- General lifestyle changes
- Diet
- Skincare products
So let us start, shall we?
1. General lifestyle changes
- Stopped washing my face more than twice a day.
People who have acne-prone skin always have this tendency to wash their face all the time, but the reality is we are washing off necessary oils from our face, which gives our face the natural shine and glow. If our face is too dry, then our skin will produce more oil to compensate for it, which results in more breakouts. So don’t wash your face more than two times a day.
- Stopped using wet wipes
I was one of those people who loved using wet wipes to clear sweat on my face. If you are one of them, then stop doing it now. Wet wipes contain too many surfactants that are too harsh for our skin and results in more irritation to the surface of the skin.
- Stopped touching my face continuously
I am guilty of always touching my face with my hands. We have way too many germs in our hands, and we transfer it to our face whenever we touch it. So please keep your hands to yourself and don’t rub it all over your face.
- Keeping my phone and pillow covers clean.
Similar to our hands, our mobile phones and pillow covers are also very dirty, and we need to keep them clean because they are in constant contact with our face. Change your pillow cover and clean your phone screen every week.
- Using my towel in beauty salons
In many Indian beauty parlors, I have seen that they use towels on our faces, which are so dirty and unwashed. Using those towels can quickly transfer any germs to your face, which is very unhygienic. So it is better always to bring your own towel to the salon.
2. Diet Changes
Changing my diet has been a challenging issue for me cause I am a big fan of chocolate and dairy products which are both bad for acne-prone skin. I know not all of us can stop eating what we love. Neither can I, but I decided to control how much I eat.
- I reduced the sugar content in my diet.
Sugar is too harmful to our skin, so if you are a sweet tooth like me and cannot live without sugar then instead of removing it completely from your diet, try to minimize the amount you eat. The best way to do this is to treat yourself with some sweet whenever you complete a big task of your day which takes a lot of time. This way you won’t eat that much sugar and your work will be completed as well.
- I stopped eating after 8 p.m.
I have seen a major difference in my weight and skin once I started the habit of not eating after 8 p.m. Your body needs time to digest all the food that you ate in a day and it needs to relax. This will help your skin in a weird way and it makes you feel good as well. Try to eat after 12 hours in the morning.
- I included more fruits in my diet.
It is kind of self-explanatory ;)
- I try to drink more than 2L water a day.
Everybody knows how important water is for health and the same goes for skin. Water is necessary for healthy skin. Don’t drink loads of water in one go. Try to drink small sips of water for the whole day.
- I don’t eat large portions of food in one go. I take tiny meals in my day.
This is just to keep my digestive system clean because somewhere I heard that what you take inside is what is shown outside. So I don’t want to burden my digestive system by eating too much in one go.
3. Skincare products I started using
Finding skincare products was very difficult for me because most of the drugstore products contain many harmful chemicals. And as you can see in my old picture, my skin was reacting more in the opposite way. I tried many products, and after a lot of searching, I found some excellent products that transformed my skin.
- Plum green tea pore cleansing face wash
Our skin’s natural pH is around 4.5 to 7 and using a face wash that is too alkaline can overly strip the skin, which can cause more irritation and dehydrate the skin. Plum green tea pore cleansing face wash is perfect for acne-prone skin as it cleanses the face without drying it.
- Khadi aloe vera herbal gel
Aloe vera gel is the savior of acne-prone skin people. It has so many nutrients that soothe the skin and gives a calming sensation. As soon as I started using this product, my skin started showing a significant difference. I swear by this product and would recommend everyone to use it whether you have acne-prone skin or not.
- Khadi global vitamin c serum
Vitamin C serum is used for brightening the skin and remove acne scars and dark spots. It also protects the skin from UV rays damage. It produces collagen and elastin in the skin, which helps to plump up the skin. Khadi is an affordable and toxin-free Indian brand which gives us the right product.
- Blossom Kochhar aroma magic sunblock lotion with SPF 30
Sunscreen is a must-have for everyone as most of the skin damage happens due to Sunrays, and it is essential to protect our skin from that as it can cause premature ageing and fine wrinkles. Blossom Kochhar’s sunscreen has zinc oxide in it, which is an excellent ingredient in sunscreens.
- Mama earth’s C3 face mask
Any person who lives in Delhi needs a clay face mask to get all that gunk out of their pores. Mama earth’s C3 face mask has charcoal, coffee, clay and fruit extracts in it and is perfect to use twice a week to get that smooth feeling skin. Remember to be gentle with your face and not rub it aggressively on your face.
- Plum grape seed and sea buckthorn glow restore face oil blend
It is a misconception that people with oily skin cannot use oil or moisturiser on their face, and they leave their skin unattended. That’s the worst you could do with your skin. Please apply a moisturiser or a non-comedogenic oil every night to give your skin all the benefits of it. I love using Plum’s grape seed and sea buckthorn face oil as it doesn’t feel greasy on the skin and gives me all the nutrients that my skin requires.
So these are the changes that I had to make to get better skin, but it’s not a 1-week process. Getting rid of acne takes time, and the most important thing is to accept your skin and love your self. The more you love your skin, the more you will take care of it. So be patient and enjoy the process:)
