Shop by skin concern
Dry skin lacks oil; dehydrated skin lacks water, and most Indian skin in winter or in an air-conditioned office is both. The fix is less about one rich cream and more about stopping the leak: gentle cleansing, water pulled in, and a layer that holds it there.
Dry skin feels rough, looks flaky and can be dry everywhere, including the body. Dehydrated skin feels tight after washing, looks dull, shows fine lines that vanish when you press the skin, and can still be oily in the T-zone. Oily skin can be dehydrated, which is why stripping it makes it worse. Hyaluronic acid treats dehydration by pulling water into the skin; shea butter treats dryness by replacing the oils that hold it there.
Face: a gentle cleanser once in the evening and plain water in the morning if the skin is very dry; the 10% niacinamide serum, whose hyaluronic acid hydrates while it supports the skin barrier; a moisturiser; sunscreen. Body: the shea butter and hyaluronic acid lotion within three minutes of the shower, on damp skin, with extra attention to shins, elbows and knees. Lips: the beeswax and shea butter balm through the day and a thick layer at night.
Lukewarm water, never hot. Short showers. Pat dry, do not rub. And drink water, which does not moisturise skin directly but does keep dehydration from starting on the inside.
Dry skin can use actives, carefully. Niacinamide is the friend of dry skin; glycolic acid once a week lifts flaky build-up; retinol works at 0.2% with a moisturiser sandwich. Salicylic acid is the one to limit, because it is drying by design, and it belongs on breakout spots rather than the whole face.
North Indian winters dry skin from two sides: cold, dry air outdoors and room heaters indoors, both pulling water out of the skin. Keep the heater on low and a bowl of water near it, wear a cotton layer under woollens so wool never sits on bare skin, and shorten the hot bath, which feels wonderful and strips more oil than anything else in the day. Itchy, cracked or bleeding patches that do not settle with a week of this routine can be eczema, which needs a doctor.
Aisa jisme shea butter jaisa oil ho aur hyaluronic acid jaisa paani kheenchne wala ingredient. Body ke liye Kishmi ka lotion nahane ke 3 minute ke andar, geeli skin par lagayein. Face par niacinamide serum aur moisturiser.
Sparingly: on breakout spots only, two nights a week, with moisturiser over it. Dry skin with acne does better with niacinamide as the daily serum and salicylic acid as the occasional treatment.
The cleanser is removing the skin's own oils. Switch to lukewarm water, wash once a day, and moisturise within a minute of patting dry.
Garam paani band, nahane ke turant baad body lotion, raat ko lip balm ki moti layer, aur hyaluronic acid wala serum chehre par. Heater aur AC dono skin ka paani kheenchte hain, isliye din mein ek baar dobara moisturiser lagayein.
It keeps dehydration from starting on the inside, but it does not replace a moisturiser. Skin loses water to the air faster than drinking can replace it; a barrier on top is what holds it in.
