Dark Patches on Skin {Reader's Query}

I am publishing one of the reader's query and would really appreciate if you guys can give any pointers to the problem.

My daughter is 7 yrs old. There are some dark patches on her neck and elbow and knees. that makes her more dark . Can u pl. suggest me what shud i do ?

My reply.

regd the dark patches, are they coming now or were they there since before (may be from birth). I would say use sunscreen on her. I wouldn't suggest you to use any DIY or anything on her coz she is too young to get into all that. just face wash and moisturize properly. rest, you can take care of as she grows up but don't for go sunscreen. (I am sorry for this typo but I meant DIY) 

Her query continued.

Thanx a lot for ur reply. These dark patches are not because of this recipe. I dont know when they came but probably for last 2 yrs they are. I used many medicines given by Drs. but no use. sometimes they disappear but come again. Dr. say its eczema but some of them say no eczema. I dont know what is this but it really made my and my daughter's life a hell. I accept color has no value now a days but on the other hand when somebody ask or make a fun at least that person (my daughter) gets hurt. She asks me to make her fair like others because she does not like when girls give comments. Anyways i m using ur recipe.lets wait and watch & hope for the option. When she was 2 yrs old she was fair (I used to apply besan and yogurt daily) but after that her color started becoming dark and when she was 5 yrs old then these black patches problem started. 

My reply.

hi Sandhya...yes, I do understand how it is when people make fun!!! especially on children it has even adverse effects. one thing I would suggest is sunscreen. another, what I am thinking is that she has probably got hyper pigmentation problem or melanin has been over-produced.

Honestly, I am baffled with the issue. I would suggest her to go to a doc but knowing the dermatologists, I know how irritating it can get and not to mention, the expenses!! In case, you have any experience with this issue, a lot of help would be appreciated. And, I do know that I am not a doc or anyone.

Prominent Skin Conditions {Infographic}

Specialized Ingredients and Skin Care {Skin Care}

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So, I had decided early this year that I would resort to anti-aging skin care but unfortunately I am not really doing anything except trying to use sunscreen without fail! That itself is of such a big help that you do not really need anything else. 

But, of course, you must have come across the information suggesting Retinoids, AHA's and all kinds of things to get rid of wrinkles and other aging signs! Well, I totally agree that they work really well but I am of the league that better not try them unless you really need them or use them sparingly!

Retinoids and sisters/brothers are very strong!

I have heard retinoids being used for the eye area to prevent crow's feet and fine lines around the eyes, majorly. They might also be useful for frown and laugh lines. But, the issue with them is that they make your skin extremely photo-sensitive and if you do not use adequate amount of sunscreen to protect your skin, you might be doing more damage to your skin!

Moisturizer Havoc

I have an example to quote in this. I had reviewed my mum's long-time moisturizer, moisturex, long time back. But, soon after I had read the ingredients, it struck me that the product might not have been as good for her as I am supposing. The product has 10% of lactic acid and daily application of it has probably made my mum's skin sensitive. Many of the reader's comments also suggested this perception!

My mum has very sensitive skin and now I have realized that she can not even use something else because nothing else suits her! I once tried giving her a pampering treatment using Pond's flawless white face mask sheets. After keeping it for like 10-15 minutes, she removed it and let the gooey stuff on the mask seep into her skin. But, soon after she started complaining that her skin was burning! I have tried those same sheets and never have I felt it doing anything to my skin, good or bad, lest burn my skin or tingle it!

May be I am presuming too much when I think the product has made my mum's skin sensitive! Her skin often flushes when she comes back from being in sun but I do not remember if she had the very problem before using the above-mentioned product. So, I can not really conclude that the product made her skin sensitive or photo-sensitive!

Usage of Fresh Fruits on Skin

Ohk, not only the products but also the home remedies which we try out on a daily basis might not be a great idea! Few months back I had done a post on pH levels of citrus fruits to determine how safe lemon is for daily usage. And, turns out, it can make you age faster even if you see great results because it is very acidic!

Same goes for fruits rich in AHA's like papaya or pineapple. They should NOT be used on skin for more than 5 minutes and should be used at most twice a week! AHA's are very strong acids which no doubt are really beneficial to skin but they can be dangerous if misused a lot! In fact, in higher concentrations, they can cause skin peeling.

Vitamin C serums

There are a lot of DIY's I have been seeing over-time using ascorbic acid or like. I have thought of doing them myself as well. But, may be they should also be used occasionally like once or twice a week for a skin prep instead of making it a daily routine.

Salicylic Acid Face Washes

No doubt, they are amazing on acne-prone skin but they do dry out the skin a lot, the effects of which might not be felt immediately. I have never really prescribed to the usage of such products but lately I had used Garnier Pure Active which has the acid as one of its ingredients. No doubt, I loved it but it fails miserably on dry skin and I am not using it in the longer run! 

Long back I had talked about the aspirin face mask, DIY's for which can be found immediately on googling but should not be used in more than a concentration of 1-2% because they can result in drying of skin and hyperpigmentation, not to say photo-sensitivity!

Thus, these are my personal observations and opinions that any product having specialized ingredients should be used with care and caution and exactly as prescribed. Any deviance from the instructions can actually be really harmful for skin. 

Please note that this post is entirely my opinion and observations put in words. I would love to know what you think about the issue. So, comment on!

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Cosmedic Alpha Q Brightening Face Wash {Product Review}

This month might be feel a bit full of reviews coz I have received too many products in the last month and I have been delaying the reviews since long!!

Price: Rs 245 for 60 ml

Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Sodium Lactate, Cocodiethanolamide, Lactic Acid, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycerin, Polyquaternium–7, Glycolic Acid, Ethylene Glycol Monostearate, PEG-150 Distearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Parfum

Pros

cleanses well

is gentle on skin even after having SLS

Cons

may not suit dry and sensitive skin

can sting the skin sometimes

My Experience

I had requested a sample of this product because I wanted to see how a product with SLS would be different. I was skeptical of the product having SLS so I asked them about it. Check out what they say about it.

You are absolutely correct that SLS can be an irritant. However, the R&D department discovered that the majority of the irritation is derived from the high pH of SLS and the negative charge that SLS carries. So, we offer a technology known as Sali-Q for the Active Cleanser and Alpha-Q for the Brightening Face Wash where we both mediate the negative charge and bring the pH to a skin-safe level. So despite the SLS, with our proprietary technology, we find there has been no reports of irritation at all in our clinical trials.

After going through that, my curiosity was naturally piqued and they, very obligingly, sent me a sample. Yes, their soothing face wash doesn't have SLS. Rest all have it. Anyways, coming back to the product, honestly, I am quite confused.

It was a 60ml bottle which lasted me for a month with generous usage which was pretty decent. The product is white in color and really creamy. Two to three dollops lather enough but not much surprisingly. But, the product cleanses well.

I felt, in the starting, that it leaves a film behind but I guess it gets removed with the use of warm water and proper water usage. It does require a bit of more water to cleanse. But, the main issue with the product which I faced was dry patches.

It is dry and cold as we all know. And, my skin is more prone to dryness so any cold makes my skin react very easily. And, the product has alpha-hydroxy acids which might have not suited my skin and made it drier.

I can say confidently that this product was the culprit because I did try discontinuing the product in between and the dry patches used to heal. Also, as soon as the face wash was finished, my dry patches were also gone. So, that was a big minus.

But, somehow, I think that this product would have suited me perfectly in summers. Regarding the brightening claim, I did not really see any changes as such. Unfortunately, there was no improvement in the black heads either. Or, may be there was. I am not quite sure on this count. 

In final count, the product does sting if it gets into the eyes. And, another thing worth mentioning is that it does sting a bit sometimes just like some face masks do but nothing to be afraid of. The product would suit oily skins more than dry and sensitive. I think its worth a try.

PS: Product sent by brand.