Do you really need sunscreen on a cloudy day?

Image: monsoonsalon.com

Ah, the relief that monsoon brings—cool rainy days to beat the harsh summer heat, especially in a hot, humid city like Mumbai. While I know that friends in UK, US and other places are enjoying their summer and clear skies, for a change, we Mumbaikars are rejoicing the refreshing monsoon.

A change in the season usually indicates a change in skincare too. So, while I’m ditching the cooling ingredients that were my go-to in the summer, talked about in detail here, I’m more careful than ever about continuing using sunscreen.

Many people, including my beloved husband, believe that ‘no sun = no sunscreen’. Not true! Just because you cannot see the sun does not mean its rays don’t reach you.

UVB rays (which cause burning/tanning) and UVA rays (which cause ageing) are nasty things that must be avoided, not because you care about vanity but to prevent skin cancer.

On cloudy/rainy days, you may not get burned by the UVB rays as the clouds block them, UVA rays still manage to get through the cloud cover and cause skin damage. Experts even say that if the UVA rays bounce off the edge of certain clouds, their intensity increases. Furthermore, if the cloud cover is thin, they may not be able to block even the UVB rays.

Bottom line is ‘don’t forget your sunscreen’.

Enjoy your monsoon!

How Korean beauty filled a skincare vacuum in my life

There was a time in my life—not too long ago—when I used to not use a moisturiser or sunscreen. This wasn’t too far back in time but as recent as last year! Many people who live in humid climates will agree with me when I say that thick creamy sunscreens can make one feel greasy and leave a ghostly white cast, so my decision to not wear one was understandable. But what surprises me today is that apart from the icky, white-cast sunscreen, I completely neglected my skin. Things like ph levels, moisture barrier and dehydration were as alien to me as well…aliens!

So what changed in the past few months that now I’m sitting here typing it all out in a stream of consciousness baring my soul (and skin) for you all? What changed so much that I want to stop you in your tracks, grab your hand, make you sit down and explain why you shouldn’t be committing skin blasphemies?

K-beauty…that’s what happened!

While I credit my increasingly improving makeup skills to the ultimate makeup guru—Lisa Eldridge, popular for turning the likes of Kate Winslet, Kiera Knightley and many others into effortless beauties, my class on skincare kick started with Korean beauty or K-beauty as it’s popularly known amongst skincare aficionados.

Earlier this year, I was introduced to K-beauty but I don’t remember exactly how. It could have been a mix of Asian beauty blogs, a random Google search and/or the idea of buying a face wash—the only thing I could relate to skincare until then. But I do remember where exactly this obsession began. If you’re into K-beauty you’d probably know about jolse.com and many other such websites that sell Korean beauty products worldwide. Prior to this, I was known to occasionally log in to a couple of beauty prods sites in India for the random body lotion or face pack purchase, but one toe into the K-beauty waters and I knew that I was in for a deluge!

Before I knew it, one click led to another—one review led to a few (hundred) others—skin types turned out to be as basic as the alphabet and I could see the mecca of ageless, spotless and radiant beauty beckoning me over.

So, over the next few posts, I plan to share the significant milestones that I completed in my skincare journey and I can see, looking back, that I have come a long way. This is the beginning to my skincare story and the lessons I’ve learnt and the tips that I can confidently share with you all. Stay tuned!

At the beginning

Writing the very first post for any blog is a bit awkward--much like the first day of school, first date, first day of professional life and many such firsts.

But every story has a beginning and so does this. After having blogged (on and off) for more than ten years now--I think my first blog ever was created in 2004--this is my third one. And while my first blog (no longer functional) is floating somewhere in the blogosphere as you read this, the second one is very much active.

So, coming back to this new baby. Why create another blog when you already have one up and running? The reason is a completely new passion of mine, which doesn't really fit under the description of 'the daydreamer'.

Skincare.

Yes, you could get a bit dreamy about skincare products or flawlessly beautiful skin, technically speaking, but this blog is not about that.

This blog is about being skincare-savvy, 'listening' to your skin, figuring out why some things in skincare and makeup work while others don't, how to make the most of what you have whether physiologically or financially, how to shop like a smart customer when it comes to skincare and makeup and then some more. To sum it up, this blog is about being a Skin Sleuth.

So, here it goes.