Posted by The Orange SkinCare
Skincare has moved to reels. A fifteen-second clip can make a ritual look essential, but it rarely explains who it suits, what it might irritate or how much evidence sits behind it.
In September, two Indian publications took on the subject. The Times of India asked why viral DIY hacks, from “banana botox” to kitchen skincare, are trending again. The Tribune went further, putting five popular habits under the microscope with input from The Orange Skincare co-founder Diksha Bhardwaj. This post draws on the Tribune feature for specifics, and adds some general skincare education. It is not medical advice.
The question worth asking first
The Tribune’s framing is a good one: the gap between what goes viral and what holds up to scientific scrutiny is where a lot of skin trouble starts. Before copying any trend, it helps to ask who it is for, what it actually does and what could go wrong. The five habits below show how different the answers can be.
Five trends, five very different answers
Slugging: useful, if your skin suits it
Slugging means sealing skin overnight with an occlusive such as petroleum jelly. According to the Tribune feature, it doesn’t add hydration itself. It slows water loss, which is why skin can look plumper in the morning. The feature calls it effective and low-risk but skin-type dependent: better suited to dry or dehydrated skin, ideally over a moisturiser, and potentially a poor fit for oily or acne-prone skin. It also advises caution when layering over retinoids or acids, because sealing them in can intensify their effect.
Double cleansing: sound chemistry, easy to overdo
Sunscreen, makeup and excess sebum are oil-soluble, so an oil or balm cleanser followed by a water-based one can remove them more thoroughly. The feature’s caveat is overuse: doing it morning and night, or pairing two harsh foaming cleansers, can leave skin tight and reactive. For dry or sensitive skin, it suggests once a day or even less often may be enough.
Gua sha: a pleasant massage, not a sculpting tool
The feature separates the marketing from the effect. Scraping a stone across skin won’t reshape bone structure or fat pads, but massage can temporarily boost blood flow and help move fluid, so faces look less puffy for a few hours. Gentle pressure with a slippery oil is low-risk, while aggressive technique can cause redness or bruising, and an unwashed tool can spread bacteria.
“One swipe of SPF lasts all day”: a myth worth correcting
The feature is blunt here. Makeup with SPF rarely delivers its labelled protection, because far more product is needed than most people apply (it puts the figure at roughly seven times). UVA rays pass through window glass and cloud cover, and a single morning application degrades with sweat, touch and time. Reapplying every two to three hours during real sun exposure is standard advice.
Skin cycling: a trend with clinical roots
Rotating an exfoliation night, a retinoid night and one or two rest nights gives the barrier time to recover between actives. The feature describes it as flexible rather than a rigid formula: resilient skin may need fewer rest nights, reactive skin more.
A note on kitchen-shelf remedies
DIY ingredients are not automatically harmful, and plenty of people use them without trouble. The practical difference is predictability. A formulated product is made to be consistent from one batch to the next and is built for use on skin, while a fresh ingredient varies. Branded doesn’t mean better by default either: an exciting active can irritate as readily as anything from the pantry. If you want to experiment, patch test first, introduce one thing at a time and stop if your skin objects. For persistent concerns, a dermatologist is the right person to ask.
Where sunscreen fits
Of the five topics, sun protection is the least glamorous and the most consistent. If it is the habit you want to get right, a daily sunscreen you enjoy wearing is worth more than any viral add-on.
The Hybrid Daily Protection Sunscreen is SPF 50 PA+++, with a combination of organic and mineral UV filters. Its product page lists Ceramide Complex and Aquaxyl among its actives, along with glycerin and hyaluronic acid for hydration. The directions are in line with the Tribune advice: apply an adequate amount (2–3 finger lengths) as the last step of skincare, 15–20 minutes before sun exposure, reapply every two to three hours when outdoors or sweating, and use it daily, even indoors.
TheGlitz reviewed the sunscreen after receiving it from the brand, and found the texture lightweight and non-greasy, praising its mix of UV protection and barrier-supporting ingredients. That is one publication’s opinion of one product.
A simple filter for any trend
- Is it right for my skin type? Dry, oily, sensitive and acne-prone skin can respond very differently.
- What is it actually doing? Look for a mechanism, not just a before-and-after.
- What might it clash with? Actives, occlusives and exfoliation can compound each other.
- Is it promising a permanent change? Be wary if so. Many effects, like temporary de-puffing, are short-lived.
Skincare works best when it is informed, a little boring and tailored to you. To build a routine around sun protection, explore our Sunscreens collection or read more about our approach.
