The real deal

While the top shelf of her dresser flaunts the latest exosome-infused skincare, microcurrent devices and more, TARINI SOOD reminds us of the unsung heroes tucked away on the bottom shelf—the staples that reliably restore her skin whenever it feels overwhelmed

- TARINI SOOD

EVERYONE HAS A wind-down ritual: habits or routines that help them transition out of the chaos of the day. For me, Friday evenings were centred around a seven-step skincare routine to decompress after a demanding workweek. On one such day, I was especially eager for step two: exfoliation. Surely that new Korean AHA-BHA toner would banish the stubborn breakout dotting my left cheek, an unwelcome precursor to my period. So I cleansed my face, soaked a cotton pad with the solution and pressed it firmly against the offending area for a full minute—in hindsight, a step I should have approached with more caution. The result? A chemical burn that left me with a hard brown scab the size of a fifty-paisa coin for an entire week.