Skincare guide for dark skin

No matter how overpromising fairness creams might sound, the truth is – what makes a person beautiful is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a positive outlook. Dark is beautiful and certainly demands as much attention as a light skin-tone would. We spoke with celebrity cosmetologist Dr. Blossom Kochhar to unravel the best ways of standing out if you are a dusky beauty.

Indians believe that fair is beautiful, but we all know about the enigma of ‘dark beauty’. If taken care, dusky skin can beat the ‘sexiness’ of a fair skin. What is your opinion?

Sadly in India, we equate beauty with fair skin. It is a constant buzz and we grow up being conditioned that ‘fair skin means beautiful’. The ads do not help at all.

The word beautiful must not be associated with just fair skin. A person can be dark or brown toned and still be beautiful. In a country that is obsessed with fairness, we need to ask ourselves, do we still have a hangover of the colonial era?

How important is skincare discipline for dusky skin?

Everything depends on skincare discipline. Our skin performs a lot of important functions for us, but most of the times we do not treat it well.

A good skin care discipline begins with ensuring that the skin is cleansed well, toned, moisturised and protected from the UV rays by using a sunscreen or a sun block. What kind of product needs to be used depends on an individual’s skin type.

It is believed that moisturizing or oiling deepens the skin tone. Is that true? If not, then what kind of moisturizers would you recommend to people with a dusky skin?

Moisturisers do not deepen the skin tone. It is a must for all types of skin. Regardless of the skin tone, if one has a dry skin, one must use a lotion based moisturiser and if one has an oily skin, oil-free moisture is recommended.

Which hair colours would you recommend for a dark skin tone?

I would suggest:

Warm chocolate shades
Auburn Hued
Sun kissed blonde shades
Brunette hue

These can be added to the hair in the form of highlights, balayage or ombre all over (Global). These colours flatter the skin tones and make it look outstanding.

What should be the skincare regime for dark skin?

There is no difference in the skin care routine. Regardless of the skin colour, in order to have good skin or to maintain a good skin, one must follow the classic steps of skin care – CTM + S. This means cleansing, toning, moisturising and sun protection. What SPF numbers are to be used depends on the lifestyle (more of indoor or outdoor), texture (lotion, cream or gel) depends on the skin types.

Should applying foundation be a no-no for people with such skin tones?