Dull skin, spots, crazy acne breakouts, and pigmentation are by far the most common skin woes that pregnant women have complained about. Most of these skin concerns are triggered due to your hormonal levels going out of control during this time, but some of them could result due to environmental stressors such as pollutants and UV exposure, or even the lack of following a potent and consistent skincare routine.
Most times, resorting to the internet and adding to your cart unique beauty formulations that promise to resolve all your skin concerns at once may seem like a good idea to you. But the truth is, without a basic skincare routine, your skin woes aren’t going anywhere, honey! If you are not following a basic CTM routine, irrespective of your age and skin type, you are perhaps doing more harm to your skin than you can ever imagine. And no, without a consistent CTM routine, your expensive serum/moisturiser formulations won’t even work their magic on your skin.
Now you may be wondering, “What is this new term CTM? What does it even mean?” Don’t worry, we are going to give you an entire beauty lesson on what exactly this routine is, and what steps it entails.
What Is A CTM Skincare Routine?
A CTM routine basically translates to cleaning, toning, and moisturising your skin. It is a simple, yet the most-trusted by derms and effective beauty routine that involves washing your face with a cleanser to remove surface dirt and grime, followed by using a toner to recoup the natural pH level of your skin and topping off with a creamy and rich moisturiser to keep your skin nourished and hydrated for long hours.
To boost the efficacy of this routine, you may also go in with sunscreen at the end to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays. This 3-step targeted skincare routine is beneficial for improving your skin tone, radiance, and health. Additionally, it must be followed twice a day, irrespective of your skin type to tackle your pregnancy-related skin concerns.
Benefits Of Following A CTM Routine
Now that you know about the workings of a dedicated CTM routine, let’s look at some of the benefits this beauty regimen has to offer:
- It cleanses your skin thoroughly: Throughout the day, your skin is exposed to pollutants and impurities that settle deep into your pores and clog them. Moreover, exposure to the sun’s rays impacts your skin adversely and makes your skin look dull. A good-quality cleanser can help eliminate all these impurities from your skin, unclog pores, and give you a clear-looking complexion.
- It helps tighten your pores: During cleansing, your skin is gently exfoliated, which may leave some of your pores open. But open pores can again increase the risk of acne and dullness. This is where the second step of the CTM routine, toning, comes into action! Toning your skin creates a protective barrier, which further tightens your skin pores, and boosts firmness.
- It helps keep your skin’s pH levels in check: Your skin’s pH level may get imbalanced after using a cleanser or a face wash. Hence, it is necessary to use a toner as it helps balance the pH levels and keeps controls oil production to prevent acne breakouts.
- It helps replenish lost moisture: The third step of your CTM routine—moisturising is essential to lock in all the moisture to your skin and improve hydration. Additionally, a moisturiser helps deliver vitamins and fatty acids to your skin, which are essential for maintaining soft, supple skin.
How To Follow A CTM Routine According To Your Skin Type
Every skin type is different, and hence you need different CTM routines to address your skin concerns. While the steps remain the same, what changes are the ingredients used in the routines. For instance, for dry and combination skin, active ingredients like vitamin C work the best, and oily skin woes are handled better by niacinamide and green tea.
CTM Routine For Dry, Combination Skin
Dry and combination skin usually has a damaged moisture barrier. This can result in invisible cracks in your skin that allow moisture to escape and irritants to enter easily, making your skin prone to irritation, dullness, and dark spots. Hence, it is essential to have a CTM routine with skincare ingredients that strengthen your skin’s natural barrier and prevent transepidermal water loss and improve hydration.
You can consider incorporating an All-Day Glow Vitamin C Kit into your routine, complete with a natural vitamin C face wash, natural vitamin C daily face toner, and natural vitamin C face cream.
Cleanser: The face wash contains orange peels, pro-vitamin B5, vitamin C, and willow herb that gently exfoliates your skin to remove impurities, soothe irritation, and prevent pollution and UV-induced damage to reveal smoother and clearer skin.
Toner: The toner is alcohol-free and contains antioxidant-rich ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide, green tea, aloe vera, and plant-based AHAs that rebalance your skin’s pH levels, restore moisture, and protect against environmental stress.
Moisturiser: The rich, creamy moisturiser contains the goodness of vitamin C, ferulic acid, and squalane that help nourish your skin, retain lost moisture, and guard against UVA/UVB rays. Regular application of this moisturiser may also help neutralise free radical damage and reveal a radiant and glowing complexion.
CTM Routine For Oily Skin
Genetically, oily skin has larger oil glands and thus a high sebum content. So the goal here is to lessen the oil activity, while still keeping your skin cells hydrated. Hence, the CTM routine for oily skin should contain ingredients that help control excess oil. You may opt for a dedicated oily skin CTM kit with green tea-infused face wash, toner, and face cream.
Cleanser: Oily skin breeds more bacteria, which can lead to frequent bacteria. Hence, wash your face twice a day with a natural green tea face wash containing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients like niacinamide, aloe vera, and Kaolin clay. Green tea and niacinamide can help regulate sebum production and fight acne-causing bacteria, and aloe vera extracts can soothe skin inflammation, while Kaolin clay removes excess dirt from your skin.
Toner: Look for a natural, alcohol-free toner with ingredients like apple cider vinegar, green tea, aloe vera, and cucumber to hold water to your skin and soothe it, balance your skin’s pH levels, and tighten enlarged skin pores.
Moisturiser: Opt for a natural green tea face cream with additional antifungal and antibacterial ingredients like niacinamide, willow bark, and aloe vera that keep your skin clear, and brighten dull spots. The face cream can also be useful in conditioning your skin and regulating oil production to prevent acne.
A CTM routine can give your skin all the TLC that it deserves and also target specific pregnancy skin concerns according to your skin type. These are very simple skincare steps and don’t even require a lot of your time, so make sure to incorporate the routine both in your AM and PM routine. Let’s go, three steps to younger, healthy, and radiant-looking skin.
Also Read:
Vitamin C for dry skin: Dealing with dull and parched skin? Check out our list of amazing vitamin C skincare products that help treat dry skin effectively.
Best pregnancy skincare products: Are you on the hunt for pregnancy-safe skincare products? We have got you covered with an entire list.
Featured image: Alia Bhatt/Instagram
