Monsoon Skincare Routine For Acne-Prone Skin

Hindustan Times

23-05-2025

The recent rain spell has been a welcome change. A much-needed breather from the sun's fury and the uninterrupted heat waves. But does your skin feel the same?
Monsoon brings new challenges for your skin, especially if you grapple with oiliness or acne. The surge of humidity in the air cues more sebum production, leading to clogged pores, uninhibited bacterial growth, and inflammation. Results? Recurring acne episodes may have you down in the dumps.
But not anymore. To streamline efforts for acne-free skin, we bring you an expert-approved minimalist routine. Centered around deep cleansing, sustained hydration, and targeted treatment, this no-fancy, no-frills approach is bound to elevate your skincare game exponentially this rainy season.
To help you bask in the rain sans any skin woes, it important to understand acne-prone skin and its many triggers.
1. Everyday stress: If out-of-the-blue pimples have you miffed, buck the blame on stress. An extremely stressful lifestyle leads to high cortisol levels, which in turn accelerate sebum production. This grease binds dirt, grime, and dead cells to itself, often aggravating into breakouts.
2. Overactive sebaceous glands: Sebaceous glands produce natural oil for your skin's moisturization, protection against irritants, and more. However, excess sebum generation makes the skin more susceptible to unwarranted shine, enlarged pores, and acne, both inflammatory and non-inflammatory.
3. Genetics: You read that right. Your skin may be genetically predisposed to varied forms of acne vulgaris.
4. Inappropriate skincare products: Certain formulations, especially heavy creams and moisturizers, tend to clog the pores, leading to whiteheads, blackheads, or even zits. So, if you have acne-prone skin, check for the non-comedogenic value marker on every product on your shelf.
5. Hormonal imbalances: Hormonal disorders, especially around puberty, menstruation, and pregnancy, can lead to acne vulgaris. This condition may manifest in the form of excessive sebum production, inflammation, and bacterial growth, leading to breakouts.
Slathering numerous formulas for no rhyme or reason can agitate acne-prone skin. To prevent overwhelming the skin, stick to active-infused cleanser-serum-moisturizer that guarantees results. Here's how -
1. Start with a potent cleanser: Use an efficacious yet gentle cleanser to remove dirt, grime, and dead cells from the skin. Pick a formula with Salicylic Acid or Niacinamide that blots humidity-induced sebum and prevents clogged pores. Ensure that the cleaner doesn't dry out the skin in a bid to counter heavy greasiness. Foxtale's Acne Control Face Wash checks all of the above boxes!
Take a coin-sized amount of the cleanser and gently massage it into your skin for 30 seconds. Use a light hand to avoid straining the skin. Once through, rinse off with cold water to seal maximum hydration into the skin.
2. Tone to rebalance skin: If your skin spills sebum, left, right, or center, our Exfoliating Toner can be a valuable addition to your vanity. This featherlight essence blots shine and tightens pores, making your skin appear soft and smooth. Moreover, just a spritz of the formula parts a soothing, calming effect on the skin while expelling residual impurities.
How to use: Spritz or dab the toner on your skin using a cotton pad. Carry out this step right after cleansing to rebalance your skin.
3. Treat with serum: Excess moisture content in the air, heavy perspiration, and never- ending pollution during monsoon take a toll on acne-prone skin. To help combat unwanted shine, clogged pores, whiteheads, blackheads, and more, add an AHA BHA- powered serum to your rotation. Use this efficacious formula 2 to 3 times a week to slough off buildup and encourage healthy regeneration of skin cells. If your acne vulgaris manifests only in the form of unwarranted shine on the T-zone, try Foxtale's Niacinamide Serum.
How to use: Summon the AHA BHA Serum in your nighttime routine for best results. Gently dab the formula while observing caution around sensitive areas (re: mouth, eyes, nose).
Alternatively, you can add Niacinamide serum in your morning or nighttime routine – only after conducting a patch test.
4. Moisturize-moisturize-moisturize: We get it. The muggy weather may nudge you to skimp on moisturizer altogether, but you must resist the urge! The right moisturizer for the season doesn't feel greasy or icky on application. It keeps skin hydration intact, preventing the sebaceous glands from slipping into overdrive. We recommend a lightweight, non-comedogenic, and breathable formula that balances oil control and ample hydration this monsoon.
How to use: Once the treatment melds into your skin, apply a generous layer of moisturizer. Use upward strokes of your fingertips to massage the cream on your face, earlobes, and neck.
5. Mask It: Apart from your daily AM-PM rituals, applying a satiating mask 2 to 3 times proves to be a game changer for the skin type. Try Foxtale's De-Tan Face Mask this monsoon to fight tanning, clogged pores, and blackheads while ensuring a hydration boost to the skin. The viral purple mask doesn't make your skin feel dry or tight, unlike traditional de-tan packs.
How to use: After cleansing, apply a thin, even layer of the clay mask. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then rinse off with lukewarm or cold water. Avoid hot water, as it zaps moisture molecules from the skin, making it appear flaky and dull.
6. Sun Protection: Skipping sunscreen on overcast or rainy days? If yes, it's time to remedy the situation. You see, menacing UV rays easily percolate bands of clouds to wreak havoc on the skin – often flaring up acne. Use Foxtale's matte sunscreen for oily skin to keep breakouts and other forms of sun damage at bay. The uber light SPF is non- comedogenic and doesn't run with water or sweat. A must-have for your monsoon vanity.
How to use: Take 2 fingers' worth of sunscreen and apply it on your face, neck, and earlobes. If you plan on staying outdoors for prolonged periods, reapply every 2 hours for infallible sun protection.
Maintaining acne-prone skin can be a wee tricky during monsoon. But with the measured adjustments to your skincare routine and lifestyle, you can achieve healthy, glowing skin.
Here are some dos and don'ts that you should bear in mind for a balanced microbiome.
1. Use only non-comedogenic products to prevent clogged pores, whiteheads, blackheads, and acne.
2. Stick to a consistent routine every day. Refrain from introducing new formulas that
might flare up your skin's underlying concerns. If you do, a patch test is non-negotiable.
3. Change your pillowcase regularly. Your skin deposits dead cells, oils, and sweat onto the cover's surfaces, making it a bacterial breeding ground. So, using the same old case can lead to new acne eruptions or aggravate pre-existing ones.
1. Overwashing makes your skin feel stripped, cueing the sebaceous glands to go overboard. Results? More greasiness and shine than you started with.
2. Skipping moisturizer is the quickest way for grease to reappear on your skin. The lack of a moisturizing seal dehydrates the skin, leading to an inevitable spike in sebum production.
3. If you have acne-prone or oily skin, steer clear of alcohol-based toners. The topical application of alcohol notoriously dehydrates the skin, leading to oiliness. When further aggravated, you may experience clogged, enlarged pores and acne.
Note to readers: This article is part of HT's paid consumer connect initiative and is independently created by the brand. HT assumes no editorial responsibility for the content, including its accuracy, completeness, or any errors or omissions. Readers are advised to verify all information independently.
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