The temperatures across the continents taking a nosedive have prompted us all into action. And, sure enough, we have come out with all guns blazing. We have seamlessly switched things up in our wardrobes — the summer dresses have been relegated to the back of the closet as we rekindle the flames of love with our fashionable knitwear. The cold lemonade we guzzled down to beat the heat has been replaced by ‘Shyam ki chai’ or a latte (whatever floats your boat). The beach outings are dwindling, as we’d much rather enjoy a sing-along around a bonfire to keep us toasty warm.
To sum it up, we have made varied accommodations in almost every sphere of life. These changes in our way of life help us embrace the weather transition with no singultus whatsoever. As it goes without saying, our anatomy is susceptible to all alterations. And the climate is no different – the temperature dip signalling us for a unique stratagem.
Even equipped with the above knowledge, we tend to go wrong with our winter skincare. The rookie mistake of not switching up products according to the climate and sticking to the same curation of offerings that bode well for the skin during summer is more prevalent than we think. For the uninitiated, the lack of humidity (during winter) in the atmosphere zaps out all the moisture from the skin, making it dry and flaky. A dedicated winter regimen that helps us double down on hydration and adequate nourishment can help circumvent this problem at hand. Enter CSMS. A regimen tailor-made for the Indian skin type and concerns. It further consolidates the standard skincare routine into four simple steps, called CSMS, which stands for cleanser, serum, moisturiser and sunscreen (CSMS). The CSMS routine is curated specially for the Indian skin with the expertise of top dermatologists to deliver best results.
Beauty Book even reached out to leading influencers - Chetali Chada and Shraddha Gurung for their views on the routine. Scroll ahead to read about their CSMS routine, their favourite winter picks and more.
To help understand winter skincare better, Beauty Book reached out to leading influencers – Chetali Chadha and Shraddha Gurung. Scroll ahead to read about their I-Beauty CSMS routine, which is curated specifically for the Indian skin, their favourite winter picks and more.
Chetali Chadha
The CSMS routine that I follow is easy to follow and very effective. Anyone from a skincare beginner to a seasoned enthusiast can easily pick it up! My skin type is combination and is the trickiest of the lot. I have concerns from both sides of the spectrum. I have to change my skincare routine as per the season. In winter, I lean more towards hydrating products – like a hydrating ceramide-based moisturiser.
For my AM ritual I go in for a non-stripping cleanser, followed by a treatment that helps combat all my skin needs, like niacinamide, a versatile ingredient. It maintains skin barrier function, controls sebum, minimises enlarged pores, fades blemishes and administers an even skin tone. I switch this up with a vitamin C (on some days) serum, a potent antioxidant. For moisturiser in winter, I move to a cream-based product and, for sunscreen, I like to go with a mineral formula with SPF 50 and something that doesn’t leave a white cast.
For my PM routine, I use a cleansing balm or oil to break down sunscreen and makeup and follow it with a gentle cleanser. I follow this up with my skin treatment. I like to use a salicylic acid serum for five days and retinol for two days. I top it off with a moisturiser, a formulation that is imbued with ceramide and hyaluronic acid to replace my gel-based summer moisturisers.
Some of my top picks for this season
Simple’s gentle cleanser works very well for my skin. After which, I use the minimalist’s salicylic acid and Niacinamide serums. Both are great products and so is hydration. I have switched to the minimalist ceramide with madecassoside and sepicalm. I follow this up with Dr Seth’s Ceramide and Vitamin C-infused sunscreen.
Shraddha Gurung
After grappling with many episodes of adult acne, I decided to eradicate the redundant steps from my regimen. Simplifying my skincare aligned with I-Beauty’s steps of C-S-M-S has worked well for my skin and is now a part of my everyday AM-PM ritual.
I do the cleanse-serum-moisture and sunscreen application for my AM and PM routines. Changing up the usage of the serums, I usually alternate between Vitamin C, Salicylic acid and (sometimes) niacinamide, based on the concern that is posed in that period. For the cold, windy climate, I switch my regular moisturiser with a thicker cream, preferably an oil-based concoction.
My non-negotiables for winter
I use a gentle cleanser- The Kashmiri Saffron Cleanser From Forest Essentials. I follow this up with a vitamin C serum and have been loving the one by Garnier. In case my skin feels dry, which tends to happen often during winter, I layer up an HA serum. My go-to pick is the hyaluronic acid serum by L’oreal-it works very well for my skin type. For moisturisation, I use Loreal moisturiser. Also a special mention to the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream that works well under makeup. For SPF, I use Laneige as the formulation is potent, lightweight and checks all my requirement boxes.
