Dr. Aanchal MD.

"Axis Y is known for their dark spot correcting serum which has niacinamide and ceramides, panthenol, which feels very soothing on the skin. So if you are somebody struggling with dark spots where you feel whatever you use on the skin irritates the skin, then this brand might be worth looking into. They have serums, creams and moisturizers which work really well specifically for dark spots."

"The Copper Peptide Serum by Amino is really good. It's slightly on the expensive side, but you can use this on alternate nights and try to save on the amount that you use so that this serum will last longer for you. This contains copper peptides which are humectants that have been moisturizing the skin, and also peptides send signals to the fibroblast cells to make more collagen. So if you use it for about 6 to 8 weeks you will notice an improvement in fine lines and also in open pores and overall skin quality. You can use it sparingly about three to four times in a week and even that is enough in order to see results."

"This has 23% vitamin C along with vitamin E and hyaluronic acid. It has to be stored in the fridge. It has a slightly dark brown to yellowish color. You just need a few drops to cover the whole face. What I like about this formulation is it is a very potent, effective form of vitamin C. What I didn't like is it is a slightly sticky formulation, so people who have oily skin may not like it."

"I had a great opportunity learning about Eucerin, and the best thing about it is they've done a lot of research, especially on human skin, which is very promising for us as clinical practitioners to understand its safety profile and its comparative study with hydroquinone and how superior it is. I have a lot of faith in molecules which have more research compared to no research. What I like about Thiamidol is that it's very safe, very gentle on the skin, and shows good results, and the best thing is the way it makes your skin feel, it improves your overall skin texture too. The way this dual serum has been formulated, it not only targets the pigment but improves the overall skin, so I get patients who tell me it's looking a little glowy, a little more plump, and I think that's also what makes them want to use it for longer. The beauty about Thiamidol is you can go on and on for the patient to use it, unlike other molecules which irritate, even on a vacation it's absolutely safe to use. That's my go-to molecule. As somebody who struggles with melasma, I personally use anti-melasma products, and I've noticed it really improves the quality of the skin. The reduction in dark spots is slow, like anything else, two to three weeks or four weeks you have to give it to see results, but the quality of skin improvement is quite instant, in three to four days you can notice your skin looks much better."

"The Foxtale Vitamin C Serum contains L-ascorbic acid, which is the most potent form of vitamin C. It also has vitamin E, which helps in stabilizing the formulation and also gives an added antioxidant benefit. It's a biphasic formulation, it spreads easily and does not feel sticky. What I like about this product is it's an effective potent formulation that helps in brightening the skin. What I didn't like about this product is it has fragrance, so I wish it was fragrance free, and also it will not suit sensitive skin type."

"Third product is the CeraVe Oil Control Gel Creme. It contains ceramide, which helps in reducing acne and acne related dark spots. It contains glycerine, which helps in moisturizing the skin as it's a humectant. Contains hyaluronic acid, which is a humectant, and ceramides, which help in repairing skin barrier and soothing the skin. So all these ingredients make this product a perfect one for those with oily sensitive skin. If you are someone who feels that whatever moisturizer you use you break out and makes your acne worse, then this product is the one for you. This will help in soothing the skin, maintain skin barrier, moisturize the skin without feeling heavy or sticky, and it's not going to exacerbate your acne."

"CeraVe Moisturizing Cream has a thick, rich texture and formulation that's an occlusive cream ideal for those with very dry to extremely dry skin. It's best suited for atopic dermatitis patients in winter with low humid climate, post-procedure skin, even as a nighttime barrier repair cream in elderly patients with xerosis and for body use. You can apply it on the hands, legs, and elbows as well. It has three essential ceramides NP, AP and EOP, balanced with cholesterol and free fatty acids. It uses MVE technology which is fragrance-free, non-comedogenic and is suitable for compromised and sensitive skin."

"The CeraVe Daily Facial Moisturizing Lotion has a texture and formulation which is very lightweight, fast absorbing, it's non-greasy, and is best suited for normal to dry skin in humid climates and for daytime use. You can even use it on schoolgoing children. Patients who dislike using very heavy creams will also enjoy using it. It maintains hydration without clogging pores. It can be layered under sunscreen and even children and schoolgoing kids can use this as kids have immature skin barrier, higher water loss and are more prone to eczema. This works well in elderly as well as they have reduced ceramide synthesis. They have a thinner epidermis and increased itch. CeraVe lotion improves comfort and reduces risk of skin tears and infections."

"This Hyphen Barrier Care Cream has two variants. One for normal to dry skin contains tamanu oil and chia seed extracts, both of which provide good hydration to the skin and moisturize the skin well for a long time. It feels very lightweight still moisturizing on the skin. The second variant is for oily skin and contains aloe vera extract and chamomile extract. Aloe vera helps in soothing the skin, calming the skin down, and has anti-inflammatory properties, so that even if you have redness, itching, irritation, it can help in soothing and calming the skin. Chamomile also has anti-inflammatory properties and helps in soothing the skin. [...] This Barrier Care Cream contains aloe vera extract and chamomile oil which helps in soothing the skin and relieving redness that can be associated with acne. [...] It is lightweight, non-sticky, and noncomedogenic."

"Choose your cleanser wisely. You can be very tempted to choose that harsh cleanser that you feel really cleanses the skin and removes all the oil and dead skin, but that's not what you want to do. Use a gentle cleanser, or something with salicylic acid mixed with something like a ceramide, so that it controls your oil without drying your skin out. The CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is a good choice if you are looking to cleanse your skin without drying or irritating it."

"It has salicylic acid which reduces bumpiness of the skin and also oil secretion from the skin, and niacinamide which also reduces sebum production. So it's a good combination of ingredients which helps in reducing the oil buildup on the skin and also dead skin buildup on the skin. [...] It also contains gluconolactone, which is a polyhydroxy acid that gently exfoliates the skin without drying the skin out. If you have rough skin, you can use this. If you want to use a chemical exfoliant, then this is a good choice. If you feel that your skin looks dry and dull and you want an exfoliant, then you can use this cleanser. This cleanser can also be used for body acne, for ingrown hair, and even for keratosis pilaris. When you chemically exfoliate it, it will expose smoother skin and make your skin appear less bumpy and smoother to feel. You can use this on the body as well."

"It works really well for dry and sensitive skin. It does not form a very luxurious foam but it still cleanses effectively and the presence of panol and hyaluronic acid makes it very gentle on the skin. [...] It suits all skin types but especially people with dry or sensitive skin are really going to enjoy this cleanser. [...] It does not remove makeup so if you are somebody who uses makeup on a regular basis you might have to double cleanse."

"The Foxtale Retinol 0.15% Serum contains retinol along with EGCG and moisturizing agents. You just need a pea-sized amount and it'll form a thin film on your skin, so make sure to apply a moisturizer over this. What I like about this product is it contains EGCG which gives that added antioxidant boost to the skin. EGCG also helps in reducing puffiness on the skin. Also that it's fragrance free. What I didn't like about this product, nothing really. It's a good retinol that can be used in your nighttime skincare routine."

"When retinol is combined with peptides, the results are even better. Retinol can be irritating on the skin, but combining it with peptides helps in moisturizing the skin and reducing the irritation. Also, peptides are strong humectants so they pull water to the upper surface of the skin and have a moisturizing and plumping effect on the skin. Peptides also send signals for collagen synthesis, so the combination of retinol and peptides work really well in improving fine lines and wrinkles. The serum reduces fine lines, slows the process of photoaging, and also reduces dark spots. It's a transparent liquid, it's slightly tacky, it's not oily. Use two to three drops on the whole face at night, apply it on a clean, dry face, never on damp skin. If skin is dry, you can use a layer of moisturizer first and then use the serum on top. This will suit all skin types, whether you have dry skin, normal, combination, or oily. You should avoid it if you have very sensitive, dry, flaky, damaged skin. Always start slow with the serum, start with about twice a week at night, and if you're able to tolerate it, then you can use it on alternate nights and then every night. Retinol should not be used in pregnancy, so avoid this in pregnancy."

"The Olay Retinol 24 range is popular worldwide and is a great product for beginners. This entire range contains retinol, retinol palmitate, pentapeptide, and niacinamide. Retinol and retinol help in boosting collagen synthesis and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Both products are fragrance free. The presence of niacinamide with retinol causes redistribution of melanin in the skin and reduces dark spots. Palmityl pentapeptide is a humectant so it draws water and plumps up the skin. It also stimulates the skin to make more collagen. This gives skin a healthy glow and makes the skin appear more plump and even tone. Retinol is a high potency ingredient and can also sensitize the skin to sun, so that's why it is best to use retinol at night. Retinol also gets deactivated on exposure to sunlight so it is best used at night."

"I've been using this for a long time. It is a good serum to use if you're just planning to air dry your hair or blow dry. If you're planning to style it, then I feel the serum is not enough to protect the hair from the heat. You can use a few drops in your hair. This does not weigh your hair down too much, so this is a good choice even if you are somebody whose scalp gets oily on the second or third day. [...] The serum that I mentioned before can be a little thick, but this one does work well and does not feel too heavy on the hair."

"Once you apply this liberally leave it on for about five minutes and wash it off with cool water, remember to never use hot water to wash it off as this can lead to more dryness and frizziness. The pros of this product are it smoothens the hair strands, it reduces frizz, it adds more shine to the hair and makes the hair look more healthy. The cons are it can weigh your hair down, so if you have thin hair then you will feel that the volume is gone and that your hair is looking a little flat. A hair mask is a thick moisturizer, so if you have dry frizzy hair, color treated hair, damaged hair then you want to use a hair mask. You can save it for those days when your hair requires that extra love and care and you feel it requires more moisture."

"This serum contains a bifida lysate ferment, which is a patented ingredient patented by the company Estee. This ingredient helps in soothing the skin and maintaining the barrier function of skin, it is a probiotic. Along with this, it also has adenosine, which helps in slowing the process of aging. It feels really moisturizing, nourishing, hydrating on the skin. It also contains some anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents which help in lightening dark spots. Overall, it is just very nourishing on the skin, so this serum works really well. The Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum has been a cult favorite of many. It's very very expensive, I have still been using the PR packages that have been sent because it's really expensive, but if you are somebody who is thinking of splurging on a night serum then this one is a really good choice. [...] You don't need to use it every night, you can even just use this only on days where you feel that your skin requires that extra love and that extra moisture and nourishment. I like to use it in very small drops. I first apply my treatment cream for my melasma and then I use the serum and then go ahead and apply a layer of moisturizer, that's how I prefer to use it. You can use this just as the only serum that you use on your face and then go on with a moisturizer, that is also fine."

"This is the Eucerin pigment control sunscreen with SPF 50 and PA protection, containing Uvinul T, Tinosorb S, Avobenzone, Octocrylene, Octisalate, and Homosalate. It gives a dewy finish, so I prefer it in patients who have dry skin. It also contains Thiamidol, which is known to reduce dark spots, so if you have melasma, stubborn dark spots, or acne dark spots, you will enjoy using it. It makes your skin feel moisturized. If you have very oily skin and don't like that dewiness, you might not like the sunscreen, otherwise it's a really good sunscreen. Yes, it does have fragrance. It retails for 620 rupees for 50 ml."

"It feels very comfortable to use. I do feel that it has made my skin texture and quality better. It's a little too early to comment on wrinkles, but definitely my skin just seems to look better. I do have a little bit of redness on the cheeks area on the sides, but I feel with this it did improve. This has many different modes, so I sometimes like to use the glow mode and the firm mode. These are the two that I use the most. If you are somebody with oily skin, even the clear mode can really help. The battery also lasts a long time. You don't need to keep recharging it. Because it covers the entire lip area, even the lines around the lips do tend to get better. It's a comfortable, good device to use."

"This current LED mask is one of the best devices that I have used. It uses both red light and infrared light to deliver results. The penetration goes up to 4 mm deep in order to tighten the skin and also improve the quality of your skin and skin complexion. This mask uses the correct wavelength which penetrates deep enough to show you results and improvement in fine lines and wrinkles. The mask uses a patented pillow technology which allows exposure to every part of your face for optimal results. This device speeds up the healing process of the skin and helps in reducing pigmentation, inflammation and redness. It also helps to reduce rosacea and eczema. It is very comfortable to use."