Here's How You Can Get the Glowing Skin of Your Dreams This Winter!

When it comes to skincare, a cloud of questions always keeps on floating in our mind —

'What's the right skincare regime for me?'

'Is my current moisturizer suited for my oily skin?'

'Can I get glowing skin by just double tapping flawless pictures of influencers on Instagram?'

You get the drift,right? So, when Cosmo got an opportunity to interact with Mr. Patrick Liew, Retail & Education Director at L'Oreal Group Luxe Asia Pacific, we grabbed it like we grab our Vitamin C serums (we know you do too!). Here's the excerpt of our conversation:

With winter setting in, what’s the one thing that we must include in our skincare regime?

The skin is the largest organ in our body and its main function is protection and, so, with seasonal shifts, it starts adjusting itself. This happens when it senses a change in temperature, humidity, and even sunlight for that matter. Therefore, it's important to take into consideration the ingredients that we use during this season, and adopt a proper skincare routine, which is soothing and calming.

It is all about creating an environment for the skin. Be it summer, spring, fall, or winter — harmful UV rays are present throughout the year. The skin is the first layer to get attacked by these harmful UV rays and starts showing first sign of damage, pigmentation, fine lines, and down skin, which is usually caused by oxidation. Hence, protection is important, all year round. At Kiehl’s, we also lay emphasis on a personalised skincare routine, based on the needs of the skin. We have soothing creams, not just for hydration but also for creating an environment. The most important thing is having a healthy skin barrier. Hence, beside from UV protection, a whole set of personalised routine according to the skin type is important.

Can you give us a breakdown of a skincare routine for dry skin, oily skin, and combination skin, using Kiehl’s products?

Most times, people think that a skincare routine with a plethora of complicated products is better, and hence, their skin is getting better care. But that’s not true. It should always be based on their skin type. It is imperative to note the problems of the skin that one needs to overcome. Any good skincare regimen has four essential steps that need to be followed:

(a) The first step, which is the most logical one, is cleansing. No matter what the routine, it is important to use a good cleanser. Differentiating between skin types usually takes knowledge and a good understanding. At Kiehl’s, we always invite the customer for a personalised skincare consultation to understand their skin and requirement. After which, we help share a routine that is tailored to help them achieve healthier skin.

Cleansers you can use for different skin types: 
Dry – Kiehl’s Cucumber Herbal Conditioning Cleanser
Oily – Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser
Combination – Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser, Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash

(b) Next step, which is often debated about, is an ideal and suitable toner. Toning is not just about a second layer of washing; it is basically used to cleanse whatever your cleanser wasn’t able to. But that often leads people to believe that they didn’t use a good cleanser in the first place. And while that may be true in some cases, toning is honestly more about balance. After cleansing, we are stripping off not just the dirt and pollutants, or the excessive oil, we are also shocking our skin, which tends to disturb the balance. So, we need to restore balance to our skin. More importantly, after cleansing, our pH levels are not the same. Therefore, a good toner is a great way to soothe the skin and get it ready for the next step.

Toners you can use for different skin types:
Dry – Kiehl’s Cucumber Herbal Alcohol-Free Toner
Oily – Kiehl’s Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion
Combination – Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Toner

(c) For the third step, I strongly recommend using a good serum or essence. It is not always important to select the most popular or trending product. It is important to note the ingredients that go into the serum. But the treatment of the essence/serum is, again, very personalised. At Kiehl’s, the very first thing we recommend is choosing an essence/serum by asking people what they wish their skin's texture to feel like, ideally.

Serums you can use for different skin types:

Dry – Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate
Oily – Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate
Combination – Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate

(d) The fourth step is a good moisturiser, again, according to the skin type, to make sure to seal the regimen and maintain hydration of the skin.

Moisturisers you can use for different skin types:
Dry – Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Brightening & Soothing Moisture Treatment
Oily – Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
Combination – Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream

We’ve noticed that many celebrities and influencers have super-glowing skin. What’s the secret to that?

Each woman has her own glow, and we believe that it is vital to create an environment for the skin so it can repair itself and retain it. For many years now, I have recommended our award-winning serum – Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Serum. People always ask me, "Why midnight? Why not 10pm or 11pm instead?" It is because, around midnight, we are in deep sleep, and it is at that time that our skin and body naturally in repair themselves. One of the ingredients in this product is lavender, which has a very soothing and calming scent, and this goodness of lavender also helps in getting a good night sleep.

You can always use makeup on your skin, but why not activate your own internal skin instead, to give yourself that repair and natural glow. That is what our product, Kiehl’s Midnight  Recovery Concentrate promises, a glowing & healthier looking skin.

Multi-masking is a huge trend. What should one keep in mind while trying it out? Also, can you recommend masks for different concerns?

Multi-masking is gaining a lot of popularity, as it is a fun and interesting concept. We are all busy people, and it usually takes a lot of time to apply one mask for one concern, and then wait for it to work on your skin. It's the main reason why multi-masking is a smart choice when you are time-bound, and really works wonders when you understand your skin type. For multi-masking, you start with your T-zone, where we recommend applying a more pure and fine mask. I suggest the Kiehl’s Rare Earth Mask, which is our globally, No. 1 mask. It is effective on the whole face, especially for the T-zone and nose area because this area has more oil glands, and more sebum. On the cheek area, a more soothing mask is recommended, such as, the latest addition to our family, Kiehl’s Ginger Leaf & Hibiscus Mask, which has instantly gained popularity as it creates more firmness. This product is very sought-after as it uses naturally derived ingredients to create a firming effect on the skin.

Multi-masking is like a party, to make your routine fun. But we should also consider the seasonal effects on our skin, while multi-masking. For instance, in the summers, we would want to apply a cooling mask like the Kiehl’s Calendula & Aloe Hydrating Mask. But in winter, we require something warmer, like the Kiehl’s Ginger Leaf & Hibiscus Mask.

Sheet masks are all the rage these days…but would you recommend it over the traditional masks?

Sheet Masks have really hit a high point in the market, in the past three years, as it's very convenient to use and apply. Whether you are using sheet masks or traditional masks, it's always important to extract every benefit for your skin. If we use a product, we would definitely want it to give maximum nourishment, a rich texture, and pamper our skin to its full extent. Hence, we require something that is more convenient and less time-consuming.

We are launching one of our favourite masks at Kiehl’s India – the Kiehl’s Instant Renewal Concentrate Mask. I wouldn’t call it a sheet mask in its entirety, as it also has all the properties of a traditional mask. It is made with 3 beautiful cold-pressed oils, and is called a Hydro-Mask as it is infused with all the benefits of these oils into one hydro-formed mask. When applied on the face, it comfortably sticks on the face and rests well without much hassle.

Can you give us your skincare routine? And a few product recommendations for our male readers.

Most men think that skincare is feminine. But I strongly disagree. I honestly feel that if you look good, you feel good — it's a proven fact. Taking care of your skin doesn’t haven't to be dictated by your gender. It is about self love and the desire to look good, for yourself. Men tend to have a thicker skin than women and hence has a stronger barrier against external pollutants. However, when we start aging, it does hit us hard. So, our main concern should not be to overcome aging when it starts, but to prevent it for as long as possible, in a healthy and suitable way. I strongly recommend a good UV protection cream. Kiehl’s Super Fluid Daily UV Defense SPF 50+ is a great sunscreen with pollution protection. While this is a unisex product, we also offer a UV Defence sunscreen just for men, which is Kiehl’s Facial Fuel SPF 15.