Dr. Aanchal MD.

"It's a really nice serum which helps in reducing dark spots. Theamid is really effective and I feel that this is expensive but if you are thinking of investing on something to improve your skin tone overall and improve skin quality then I feel this serum is worth the price. You just have to use a very small quantity, just one pump on the affected area. I prefer to use it in the morning time on the melasma patches. If you have more even dullness, then you can use a very small quantity all over your face in multiple small dots so that you can use this serum for a longer time. This is a good serum that you can use in order to reduce your dark spots. It helps in keeping melasma suppressed for longer. A good ingredient to include in your routine and a good product if you are somebody struggling with 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."

"Paula's Choice Discoloration Repair Serum can be used depending upon your budget and availability. For achieving an even skin tone, serums that contain skin lightening agents which reduce melanin production are important. Paula's Choice Discoloration Repair Serum contains ingredients like kojic acid, alpha arbutin, azelaic acid, licorice extract, and niacinamide that can help in reducing dark spots."

"Vitamin C serum can help in reducing your dark spots, dullness, making your skin tone more even. It makes your skin appear brighter so it is a good ingredient to include in your skincare routine. I usually prefer to use vitamin C in the morning. I always like to apply vitamin C as the first layer because it is an unstable molecule you don't want to layer too many products. So first use a vitamin C and then you can go ahead and apply either your niacinamide or hyaluronic acid over it and then use a moisturizer and sunscreen. Vitamin C can also be layered with other ingredients like alpha arbutin, kojic acid, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid."

"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."

"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."

"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 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, a thinner epidermis and increased itch. CeraVe lotion improves comfort and reduces risk of skin tears and infections."

"CeraVe moisturizers have easy spreadability and can be used anywhere on the body. I even like to use it on my heels as it helps in preventing cracked heels. You can use it on the face and on the body wherever you want to, so this winter you can keep your skin moisturized and hydrated by using these moisturizers. I really like these products and I'm sure if you try these out you'll love them too."

"You can use a petroleum jelly, a little bit of petroleum jelly over the eye area and around the nose and around the mouth can be really helpful in preventing the dryness in these areas. What happens with petroleum jelly is it forms an occlusive layer on the surface of the skin and reduces the water loss that can occur from your skin overnight. This helps in keeping your skin hydrated and supple for a long time. You can do your skincare routine as is and then just apply a layer of petroleum jelly just around the eyes, nose and mouth. This can help in reducing the dryness. Using a little bit of petroleum jelly can really help in kind of sealing that area, protecting it from the saliva and also from other irritants that could possibly accumulate in this area when you sleep."

"The Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum is a cult favorite. It's very expensive, but if you are somebody thinking of splurging on a night serum, then this one is a really good choice. This serum contains a bifida lysate ferment, which is a patented ingredient that 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. This serum works really well. 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."

"Micro needling RF is my go-to tool when it comes to acne scars or stretch marks. If you have very deep scars or you're more mature, crossed 35, 40, you have scars and you have a little bit of sagging, it's a wonderful tool because it's radio frequency which is heating your collagen and tightening the skin and those needles are sort of breaking the fibrous bands and also making way for whatever solutions that you want to pour, whether it's exosomes or PRP."

"On paper, it sounds right because the low heat and more air flow makes sense scientifically. But I have to say, if you're styling your hair on a regular basis, like I used to do with heating irons, then Dyson is definitely better. It's not no heat, it's low heat. Damage definitely reduces. But if you've never styled your hair in your life and you think buying Dyson will make you start, that's never going to happen because it's tedious. It's not as easy as they claim it to be. With a regular iron, doing your hair is much faster and quicker in terms of time consumption. Yes, definitely the glossy look I love it, but it takes a bit of training to use. The curve is not so easy to learn which side to roll it on."

"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."

"Retinol usage can be tricky, especially if you have dry sensitive skin or you're a beginner in your skincare and haven't understood the skin requirements completely. When you're starting out or have dry sensitive skin, we always suggest that you use the sandwich method: apply a layer of moisturizer, wait for about 15 to 20 minutes, then use a thin layer of retinol, and after two to three minutes apply a layer of moisturizer. If you have oily skin you can just go ahead and apply retinol as the first layer and seal it with a moisturizer. I suggest you not use certain ingredients when using retinol such as benzoyl peroxide, vitamin C, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid, because this can cause irritation to the skin and make your redness, burning, itching, stinging worse."

"The only thing about this Deconstruct Gel Sunscreen is the presence of avobenzone, oxybenzone and octinoxate which are not the most photostable. So hence you need to reapply it every 3 hours if in case. I'm hoping that the brand will take feedback and use new age filters with better photostability. But if you're looking for a sunscreen with no white cast that blends easily and is comfortable on the skin, this one is a good choice. If they solve the problem of photostability and use new age filters which are better suited for the Indian climate while maintaining this formulation and texture then this sunscreen has the potential to be one of the best sunscreens out there. It has a water resistant formulation."

"My favorite way to put it out is jack of all trades, master of none. So it can be there in anything. It can be paired well with every ingredient mostly and it can help with every concern. So it's just there. It's good to have but it's not a mandatory ingredient. It helps with oil control a little bit, dark spots a little bit, skin rejuvenation. It does a lot of things and I fail to understand the exact mechanism of action of niacinamide. Every time I read about it I'm left with a little bit of confusion. But I think it's not necessary to have, it's good to have. I look at niacinamide as like a supportive ingredient. Alone it will not do anything but it is a very good supportive ingredient. It helps with better action of everything else that it's paired with. I usually prefer niacinamide in slightly younger patients who have decent skin and who want to maintain their skin, don't have real complaints but want to improve the quality of the skin. But niacinamide as an alone ingredient is not much of a help, so as a single ingredient serum I don't think so. I think it's waste of money and time. Niacinamide with zinc is a great combination, niacinamide with salicylic acid is a great combination, in a vitamin C if you have niacinamide that's also okay, retinol with niacinamide also makes it a little more tolerable on the skin."

"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."