12 Beauty Lessons For 2024

New year, same old me-just upgraded using skills I first learnt last year.

- RITUPARNA SOM

January 1 is the absolute worst. A day filled with so much pressure: to set goals, improve oneself and in the vein of marginal toxic positivity-be hopeful. I've decided to join the crew by going old school and setting myself targets, but with a twist. No blank slates; these are works in progress from last year that I want to upgrade. There's an odd delight in picking up something unfinished-less pressure, more pleasure. And instead of ticking them off as achievements, I'm considering what these might look like if I absorbed them into the daily fabric of my life. Here are lessons from the universe of beauty and wellness that I'm carrying into the new year.

TRYING SKIN FASTING

Going against the grain of skintok to streamline my arsenal of products, I ask dermatologist Dr Chytra Anand if nanotechnology and biotechnology might be what I'm looking for. Nanotechnology effectively delivers active ingredients in concentrated doses, she says, while biotechnology relies on bio-fermented ingredients. "These support skin health at a foundational level, so you don't need a multitude of products."

A quick check reveals I'm on the wagon already-my sensitive skin can use only mineral sunscreens whose key ingredients (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) are reduced to nanoparticles for more efficient protection. Some popular collagen-boosting peptides and exfoliating kojic acid have been created via biotechnology. Biossance's best-selling 100% Squalane Oil is made from Brazilian sugarcane fermented in a lab, not the traditional shark liver. Morning and night skincare routine? Check.

EMBRACING MY NATURAL SKIN