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Five Vitamin C Serums Worth Adding To Your Post-Monsoon Skincare Routine

Five Vitamin C Serums Worth Adding To Your Post-Monsoon Skincare Routine

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Monsoon humidity, pollution and unpredictable sun exposure can leave skin looking tired and uneven by the time September rolls around. This is exactly when a good vitamin C serum earns its place in your post-monsoon skincare routine. Known for its brightening and antioxidant properties, vitamin C serum benefits range from fading pigmentation and dark spots to reviving dull, monsoon-worn skin.

If you are searching for the best vitamin C serums this season, here are five options available in India from the luxury skincare world, arranged from the most indulgent splurge to the most accessible.

The Ultra-Luxe Picks

Augustinus Bader The Vitamin C Serum

Available on Tira for around Rs 33,700 for 30ml, this comes backed by the brand’s signature TFC8 technology. It is designed to brighten skin tone while supporting the skin’s natural repair process, making it a strong pick for anyone who wants premium vitamin C skincare with a cult following.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic

A cult favourite widely stocked across Indian skincare retailers, this one costs roughly Rs 20,000 for 30ml. It combines 15% vitamin C with vitamin E and ferulic acid, and is often called the gold standard for a vitamin C serum for pigmentation. Clinical studies point to a marked reduction in UV-related skin damage, along with firmer, more even-toned skin over time.

Sunday Riley C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum

Rounding off the ultra-luxe tier is this pick from Sephora India, priced at about Rs 8,200 for 30ml. Formulated with THD ascorbate, a stable form of vitamin C, it targets dark spots, minimises the look of pores and softens fine lines, all while keeping sensitivity in check.

Also Read: Why Niacinamide Is The ‘It’ Ingredient For Skin Brightening, And Anti-Ageing

It is a strong pick for anyone chasing the best vitamin C serum for glowing skin without irritation.

Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate

For those who want high-end skincare products at a gentler price point, this one is available at Kiehl’s India for around Rs 6,600 for 50ml. With 10.5% L-Ascorbic Acid and 2 percent Ascorbyl Glucoside, it visibly softens fine lines, refines pores and boosts overall radiance, and it is gentle enough for regular use, even on sensitive skin.

Lumineve Youth Radiance Serum with 10% Vitamin C and Ferulic Acid

Closing out the list is this serum from Lumineve, available for Rs 1,499 for 30ml. Built on liposomal technology, the formula wraps vitamin C in nano-sized lipid spheres, allowing deeper penetration and better absorption. It brightens a dull, uneven complexion, supports hydration and strengthens the skin barrier, all in one bottle, making it an easy entry point into premium vitamin C skincare.

Also Read: The 30-40-50 Rule: A Dermatologist’s Guide To Evolving Skincare Goals

Whichever bottle earns a place on your vanity, a vitamin C serum remains one of luxury skincare’s enduring staples, the kind of investment that rewards patience with a complexion that simply looks lit from within.

Published At: 10 September 2026 04:00 PM

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Squalane Moisturizers Worth Adding to Your Routine

Squalane Moisturizers Worth Adding to Your Routine

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Squalane has become one of the most talked-about ingredients in skincare over the last few years, appearing in everything from lightweight serums to rich overnight creams.

Unlike some trend-driven skincare ingredients, squalane is valued largely because of how well it works with the skin’s natural moisture barrier.

The skin naturally produces a lipid called squalene, which helps keep the surface soft, balanced, and moisturized. Over time, natural squalene levels gradually decline, which is one reason skin can start to feel drier, tighter, or less resilient with age and environmental stress.

Squalane is the stabilized version used in skincare formulations. Because it closely mimics the skin’s natural oils, it’s widely used in moisturizers designed to support hydration without feeling overly heavy or greasy.

Today, squalane is commonly recommended for a wide range of skin types, including oily, dry, combination, and sensitive skin. Its versatility has also made it increasingly popular within minimalist skincare routines that focus on fewer, barrier-supportive ingredients.

Dermatologists often recommend squalane-based moisturizers because they tend to layer well within both simple and ingredient-focused skincare routines.

Here’s what to know about how squalane works, how it compares with other moisturizing ingredients, and what to look for in a moisturizer that includes it.

Squalene vs. Squalane: What’s the Difference?

The names are similar, but they refer to two different forms of the ingredient.

Squalene (with an “e”) is a lipid naturally produced by the skin. While it plays an important role in maintaining moisture balance, it oxidizes quickly when exposed to air, which makes it difficult to use effectively in skincare formulations.

Squalane (with an “a”) is the hydrogenated, more stable version commonly used in skincare products.

Feature
Squalene
Squalane

Source
Naturally produced by skin
Used in skincare formulations

Stability
Oxidizes quickly
Highly stable

Texture
Lightweight oil
Lightweight, silky emollient

Shelf Life
Short
Long-lasting

Skin Compatibility
Natural skin lipid
Mimics naturally occurring skin lipids

Common Sources
Sebaceous glands
Sugarcane, olives, rice bran

Historically, some forms of squalane were sourced from shark liver oil. Today, many skincare brands use plant-derived squalane from sources like sugarcane, olives, or rice bran instead.

What Squalane Does for the Skin

Squalane is often described as a moisturizing ingredient, but its role in skincare goes beyond basic hydration. Here are some of the main ways squalane supports the skin within a daily skincare routine:

  • Helps Support the Skin Barrier

Squalane functions as an emollient, helping soften the skin while reducing moisture loss from the surface. Because it closely resembles naturally occurring skin lipids, it’s frequently included in products designed to support a compromised or dryness-prone skin barrier.

  • Delivers Lightweight Hydration

Unlike heavier occlusive ingredients that can feel greasy or overly rich, squalane is known for its lightweight texture and quick absorption. This is one reason it’s commonly used even in products formulated for oily or acne-prone skin types.

  • Works Well Alongside Other Ingredients

Squalane is often paired with ingredients like:

  • hyaluronic acid
  • ceramides
  • niacinamide
  • peptides
  • antioxidant-rich botanical extracts

Its texture makes it easy to layer within both simple and more advanced skincare routines.

  • Helps Maintain Skin Comfort

Because squalane is generally well tolerated, it’s frequently recommended in routines focused on dryness, sensitivity, or barrier support.

Squalane vs. Hyaluronic Acid vs. Ceramides

These ingredients are often grouped together in moisturizing products, but they each support the skin differently.

Ingredient
Main Function
Best Known For
Texture

Squalane
Emollient
Softening and sealing in moisture
Lightweight, silky

Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Drawing water into the skin
Lightweight, hydrating

Ceramides
Barrier lipid
Supporting the skin barrier
Richer, protective

Rather than competing ingredients, they’re often complementary.

A simple layering approach may include a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid followed by a ceramide-rich or squalane-based moisturizer to help support moisture retention and overall skin barrier function.

Many moisturizers now combine multiple barrier-supportive ingredients together in a single formula.

Is Squalane Good for Every Skin Type?

Squalane is considered one of the more versatile moisturizing ingredients because of its lightweight feel and broad compatibility. Its lightweight, non-greasy texture makes it suitable for a wide range of skin concerns, including dryness, sensitivity, dehydration, and excess oil.

Skin Type
How Squalane May Help
Pair It With
Verdict

Oily or acne-prone
Lightweight hydration without a greasy finish
Niacinamide or lightweight gel moisturizer
✅ Well suited

Dry or dehydrated
Helps reduce moisture loss and support skin comfort
Hyaluronic acid serum
✅ Highly compatible

Sensitive or reactive
Often well tolerated in barrier-supportive routines
Ceramide cream or fragrance-free moisturizer
✅ Gentle option

Combination
Lightweight enough for oily areas while supporting drier patches
Apply more selectively if preferred
✅ Versatile

Mature (30+)
Supports softness and overall moisture balance
Retinol or bakuchiol + SPF
✅ Commonly recommended

What to Look for in a Squalane Moisturizer

Not all squalane moisturizers are formulated the same way. Texture, supporting ingredients, and overall formulation all influence how a product performs. Here are some of the main things to look for when choosing a formula:

Many modern formulations use plant-derived squalane sourced from sugarcane or olives.

  • Barrier-Supportive Ingredients

Squalane is often paired with ingredients like:

  • ceramides
  • hyaluronic acid
  • niacinamide
  • botanical antioxidants

These combinations can help support hydration and overall skin comfort.

A well-formulated squalane moisturizer should absorb easily without leaving a greasy or heavy finish. Lightweight cream or gel-cream textures often work especially well for daytime layering under sunscreen and makeup.

People with sensitive skin may prefer formulas without heavy fragrance or high concentrations of drying alcohols.

How to Layer Squalane in Your Routine

Because squalane helps soften and seal in moisture, it’s typically applied after lighter water-based products and before SPF.

A simple morning and evening routine may look something like this:

Morning Routine
Evening Routine

Gentle cleanser
Gentle or double cleanse

Hydrating serum
Treatment serum or retinoid

Squalane moisturizer
Squalane moisturizer

SPF 30+
Optional facial oil

Squalane also layers easily alongside ingredients like vitamin C, niacinamide, peptides, and hyaluronic acid in both simple and active-focused skincare routines.

Choosing a Lightweight Moisturizer for Daytime Use

For daytime use, many people prefer a lightweight moisturizer that combines hydration with barrier-supportive ingredients without feeling overly rich under sunscreen or makeup.

Squalane is often paired with ingredients like botanical antioxidants, hydrators, and soothing plant extracts to support daily moisture balance while maintaining a lightweight texture.

Products like Three Ships’ Radiance grape stem cell + squalane day cream combine sugarcane-derived squalane with antioxidant-rich botanical ingredients in a formula designed for everyday hydration and skin barrier support.

Grape stem cell extract is commonly included in skincare formulations because of its antioxidant content, particularly polyphenols and resveratrol, which are often associated with antioxidant support against environmental stressors.

The Bottom Line

Squalane is widely used in skincare because it helps support hydration and skin comfort without feeling overly heavy or greasy.

Because it layers easily alongside other skincare ingredients, squalane works well in both simple and more advanced skincare routines.

Whether used in a simple moisturizer or paired with ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, or antioxidants, squalane can help maintain moisture balance and overall skin comfort.

For people looking for lightweight daily hydration, a well-formulated squalane day cream can support moisture balance without adding unnecessary heaviness.

Its compatibility with different skin types and skincare ingredients is part of the reason squalane remains a popular choice in modern skincare formulations.

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Princeton Medspa Partners ("PMP") Expands Its Portfolio with Acquisition of Allura Skin, Laser & Wellness Clinics

Beauty’s Next Wave Sees Consumers Adding Aesthetic Procedures and Longevity Treatments to Regular Routines

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Subject: SVY

  • Report from BCG and WWD Highlights “Optimizer” Consumers Reshaping the Beauty Market
  • 80% Say Beauty Is About How They Feel Physically and Mentally, Not Just Appearance
  • 75% Use AI to Research Beauty, with 1 in 4 Relying on It as Their Primary Source

BOSTON, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Beauty is expanding beyond traditional categories as consumers increasingly layer aesthetic procedures and performance and longevity treatments on top of their foundational routines. At the center of this shift is the beauty “optimizer,” a consumer turning to a wider range of solutions to meet their needs. About 70% are open to non-traditional beauty solutions, and roughly 80% say beauty is about mental and physical wellbeing, not just appearance.

The “optimizer”?now representing 6% of US adults, or approximately 15 million people?spent $3,000 on average in the past year across traditional beauty, aesthetic procedures, and performance and longevity categories. If this segment were to double, it could unlock more than $30 billion across the broader beauty market.

These are among the findings of a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), titled Consumers Are Shaping a New Age of Optimization in Beauty, based on an April survey of 5,000 US beauty consumers.

“Skin care, makeup, and hair care still anchor beauty routines, but consumers are increasingly layering aesthetic procedures, wellness, and longevity-driven solutions into the mix,” said Jenny B. Fine, Editor in Chief, Beauty Inc and Executive Editor, Beauty, WWD. “Today’s beauty consumer is highly informed, deeply results-oriented, and more willing than ever to move fluidly across categories in pursuit of optimization, efficacy, and long-term well-being.”

New Categories Deepen Engagement in Traditional Beauty

About 70% of optimizers say aesthetic procedures are a regular part of their routines. This drives greater engagement in traditional beauty categories, with 70% investing more in premium or medical-grade skin care, and 50% adding more steps or ingredients to their routines.

GLP-1s are also creating new beauty needs. Approximately 30% of optimizers report using them in the past 12 months. Of those who reported changes in facial volume, skin quality, dryness, or breakouts, about half are turning to more luxury or medical-grade skin care. Nearly 80% of those who reported sagging or loose skin have increased their use of fillers, injectables, skin tightening, contouring, or laser treatments.

Optimizers are also four times more likely than overall beauty consumers to use longevity and anti-aging supplements, and twice as likely to use beauty supplements.

How Consumers Research Beauty

About 75% of optimizers used AI in the last month to research beauty, wellness, or longevity, and 25% say it is their primary source. Among male optimizers, 40% use AI to build personalized beauty routines?2.6 times the rate of women.

Social media still plays a role in discovery, though trust is shifting. About 40% of optimizers discover products through influencer posts or social media ads, but only 1 in 20 cite social media as their most trusted source. Friends and family are the most common source of discovery, while medical professionals are the most trusted. Around 75% say they choose brands based on proven efficacy and scientific validation.

An Expanded Definition of Beauty

As optimizers engage with beauty differently than the average beauty consumer, brands and retailers should rethink how they attract this growing segment.

“Traditional beauty still anchors the category, but the definition is expanding,” said Pierre Dupreelle, a BCG managing director and senior partner, and global beauty sector leader. “Rather than rely on a few hero products, consumers are layering solutions across aesthetics, performance, and longevity categories to get the results they want. Brands need to pay attention to this shift as these consumers signal where beauty is going next.”

Media Contacts:

BCG: Eric Gregoire, [email protected]
WWD: Abby Kalicka, [email protected]

Download the report here:
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2026/consumers-shape-a-new-age-of-optimization-in-beauty

About WWD

Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) provides a balance of timely, credible business news and key fashion trends for leading retailers, designers, manufacturers, marketers, financiers, Wall Street analysts, international moguls, media executives, ad agencies, trend-makers, and global consumers. Founded in 1910 by Edmund Fairchild and helmed for over two decades by legendary publisher John B. Fairchild, WWD has been the daily media of record and the industry voice of authority for over 115 years. Operated and published by Penske Media Corporation under Fairchild Media Group, WWD reaches a global audience of nearly 16 million+ every month across print, digital, mobile, video, social, and events, including the annual WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit and Global Summits in 3 international markets. As an increasingly complex marketplace heightens the need for information and competitive intelligence, WWD delivers spirited coverage with frequency, integrity, and a legacy of getting it right and getting it first.

About Boston Consulting Group
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders?empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

News published on 13 may 2026 at 00:01 and distributed by:

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Makeup Expert Namrata Soni Disagrees With 10-Step Skincare Routine, Says ‘You’re Just Adding Sweat’ | Beauty News

Makeup Expert Namrata Soni Disagrees With 10-Step Skincare Routine, Says ‘You’re Just Adding Sweat’ | Beauty News

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Last Updated:November 27, 2025, 11:55 IST

Namrata Soni shares why it’s important to start a skincare routine at a certain age and explains why the popular ten-step beauty regimen isn’t practical in India.

Makeup artist Namrata Soni gets candid about skincare and beauty treatments

Celebrity makeup expert Namrata Soni has reignited the conversation around modern beauty standards, emphasising that global skincare trends don’t always align with Indian skin types and climate conditions.

During a discussion with ANI, she reflected on the changing expectations within the beauty industry and touched upon the widespread influence of Botox, fillers and digital filters in shaping today’s ideas of “flawless” skin.

Soni explained that India’s high humidity levels, combined with daily lifestyle factors, make elaborate multi-step routines impractical for many people. Sharing her professional perspective, she said, “We live in a country where the 10-step skincare routine does not work because we have a lot of humidity. So that means after step one itself, you’re perspiring. Imagine you’re putting that on, then you’re sweating, then you’re putting on another. So you’re like literally putting sweat between each layer of your skin. It’s crazy. Just keep it simple. Cleanser, moisturiser, sunscreen and eye cream at night. That’s all you need.”

Influence of Filters, Botox and Cosmetic Procedures on Beauty Expectations

Soni further pointed out how social media’s filtered perfection and accessible cosmetic procedures have reshaped what is now considered “normal” or “ideal” skin. According to her, the pressure to always appear camera-ready has increased significantly.

Addressing the impact of these technological and cosmetic enhancements, she stated, “We live in a world of Botox and fillers and surgeries. It’s so easy with lasers and CO2 to have that kind of skin today.”

Why Indians Age Differently: Soni Explains The Role Of Elasticity And Melanin

Soni also highlighted that Indian skin, which naturally contains more melanin and elasticity, often ages more slowly compared to Western skin types. Because of this, she believes that starting a skincare routine too early is unnecessary and can even be counterproductive.

She clarified her stance, noting, “Mid-20s is when you start a skincare routine. I mean, people have started at 16 and 14, which I don’t understand. I don’t understand girls going to Sephora and buying skincare at 14 and 16. But I would say like 23, 24. And it does not have to be a crazy routine. It just could be an amazing moisturiser meant for your skin type and a lip balm and a sunscreen.”

Creating Netra Mantena’s Royal Bridal Look in Udaipur

Most recently, Namrata Soni crafted the breathtaking bridal look of Netra Mantena, daughter of Orlando-based billionaires Padmaja and Rama Raju Mantena. Netra tied the knot with Vamsi Gadiraju, co-founder of Superorder, in a lavish wedding celebration held in Udaipur. Soni crafted a delicate yet regal makeup look that highlighted Netra’s natural beauty while perfectly complementing her striking red lehenga.

Namrata Soni’s Journey: From Industry Challenges To A Celeb Favourite

Renowned for her refined techniques, signature soft-glam looks and dedication to her craft, Namrata Soni has built an impressive career working with some of Bollywood’s biggest names – Sonakshi Sinha, Sonam Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Twinkle Khanna and more.

In another conversation with ANI, she opened up about the initial hurdles she faced while entering a field that was once predominantly male-driven. Despite the challenges, she succeeded with the encouragement of leading stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Karan Johar, who recognised her talent early in her journey.

Over the years, Soni has earned multiple accolades, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. She also secured an IIFA Award for her acclaimed ageing makeup work in Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic film Om Shanti Om.

First Published:

November 27, 2025, 11:55 IST

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