A Skin Care Affair

Have you ever tried to wash your face like they do in facewash commercials? You know, hurling a hand full of water from miles away from your face aiming for at least a little bit of your face. We all try to replicate what we see in media and achieve a near glass like clear and seemingly pore-less skin. However clear skin is far from the basic routines and food habits that we hear ever so often. Fashion & lifetsyle blogger Amber Javed, founder of ‘A Wardrobe Affair’ has been an acne sufferer, and has figured out various tips, tricks and products that can help get closer to these goals and be your best luminous self. Going through Amber’s skincare routine was an eye opener as to how you just can’t flounder through your skin care routine. So we have put together some of the gems that we found on her Instagram page. When it comes to skincare, she gets straight down to business and talks about getting to the root of the issue first because she believes that its never just a function of one miracle product or magic potion. No amount of rose water or aloe vera is going to fix that messed up sleeping routine or unhealthy eating habits. In order to achieve clearer skin, you have to first figure out the root of the issue and work towards fixing that. Some of the most common culprits includes health problems such a polycystic ovarian syndrome, gut intestinal problems , allergies from gluten, dairy and sugar and sometimes just straight up unhealthy lifestyle (bad sleeping habits , poor hygiene). The very first line of attack should be figuring out, dear God why? Why am I the chosen one? How? Once you’ve discovered the root of the problem can you start the battle plan and start by treating your body inside and out. Whether it’s taking medication (hormonal therapies, antibiotics, ointments) or just changing your lifestyle (regulating sleep and managing stress, drinking water, quiting certain food groups and / or smoking), get to it and stick to it, religiously. Skin can take months and years to heal and you have to really do a lot of hit and trial to see whats working for you and what is not. Get medical tests done, consult derms, understand your skin type and see patterns. When you first hop on to a skincare journey, it’s easy to forego that nightly routine or skip on that sunscreen but vigilance is key. As Amber writes “It takes a lot of consistency, patience and observation to know what products and routines works for you”. She swears by and suggests a proper skincare regime that can help (if not complete rule out) in preventing new pimples. When it comes to acne, the age ol’ phrase of “prevention is better than cure” should be your defining rule. What? Her skincare routine is inspired, tested and tried. So the very first thing you should be doing is getting rid of that makeup that has been clogging up your precious pores all day. Leaving even the slightest bit of makeup on before you go to sleep is a cardinal sin in skincare Bible. When it comes to cleansing, she prefers doing a 2-step cleansing to get all the makeup and gunk out. Amber uses L’Oreal Paris Miceller Cleansing Water or Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil to remove all the makeup, followed by a water based cleanser such as Purity Made Simple Cleanser by Philosophy. A toner is very underrated but critical product to use after cleansing, to add in moisture and balance back to skin after it has been stripped away by the cleansers. She uses the very mild AHA/BHA Clarifying Toner by COSRX or if you’re on a budget, a homemade toner can be equally effective; mix one tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar (with The Mother) in a glass of water , dab this mixture on a cotton pad and swipe off your face gently before moving on to the next step. You can also add in some refrigerated Facial Radiance Pads by First Aid Beauty to add a little exfoliation action. Once your skin is squeaky clean, it is time to start layering it up with hydrating / moisturizing elements and treatments. She swears by Glycolic Night Serum - Drunk Elephant to target pigmentation, remove dead skin and brighten up skin tone. Follow up with a spot treatment on active pimples such as Adepco Cream (a retinoid) or duac gel. Add another line of barrier by adding a mask to your routine (DIY Face-Masks You Need This Summer has some great mask ideas for you) . A hydrating mask like Origins Drink Up Intensive Hydrating mask can be especially effective if you have dry acne-prone skin. If you are having a sudden breakout , a salycylic acid peel can do wonders to stop it from spreading and targeting active acne. Please consult your dermatologist before getting one – or get a DIY peel with less potency for starters, such as “The Ordinary’s AHA/BHA peeling solution”. And ladies, always ALWAYS ALWAYS (Amber couldn’t stress this enough) use a sunblock before stepping out in the sun . She recommends this Allure award winning weightless piece of beauty, La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Sunscreen and Supergoop! Invincible Setting Powder (super handy if you don’t want to keep reapplying sunblock throughout the day). Facemasks recommended by Amber I know we’ve just tossed a bunch of products at you, but as you’ll witness Ambers skin care journey on her Instagram and Facebook page you’ll realise the reason; they can be very efficient at keeping the acne at bay.