The Adventure Without Sunscreen, Moisturizer, or Retinol
This is Part 2 of my Rishikesh series. To read the first, you’ll find links at the end.
Men doing skincare is still pretty much a taboo. And I am not kidding. But then I have my own set of excuses. Acne, first. Allergies, second. Do you still judge me? Alright, go ahead. Let me try finding f***s to give :)
Now, let’s talk about what happened on this trip. I misplaced my small bag. And Spoiler alert — it was a mistake my skin didn’t forgive lightly.
And I didn’t care enough to buy them again in my five days of Rishikesh.
Look, In my defence, the thought of rafting through rapids and hiking under the open sky was so thrilling that skincare seemed secondary. “What could go wrong in a few days?” I thought.
Turns out, a lot.
Day 1:
By evening, I had noticed a tautness around my cheeks and forehead. A quick look in the mirror revealed mild, small reddish patches forming on my nose and the tops of my cheeks. “Maybe it’s just the cold,” I assured myself and went to bed, ignoring the slight itchiness creeping in.
And another mistake was not washing my face at night.
Day 2:
My skin was looking weathered and dull — a stark contrast to the glowing complexion I’d left home with. The dryness from the cold water and wind had deepened, making every expression on my face feel stiff.
Day 3:
My forehead wore the brunt of the dryness, with visible lines forming that made me look older than I felt.
The lack of moisturizer was hitting hard. Without it, my skin’s barrier had weakened, allowing all the moisture to escape.
Day 4 & 5:
I had some acne on the chin too now. I’d probably thank the spicy food for it lol and lesser hydration
Back to Home :)
Once I returned home, the first thing I did was apologize to my skin with a proper skincare routine.
Here’s how I began the recovery process (Nothing fancy, just the same stuff)
- Hydrating Cleanser: A gentle cleanser to remove impurities without stripping moisture.
- Moisturizing Cream: I used a rich moisturizer to help rebuild my skin’s natural barrier.
- Sunscreeeeeeeen: No excuses now — sunscreen is the first thing I apply every morning.
- Retinol: Slowly reintroduced retinol into my routine to repair sun damage and boost cell turnover.
It took nearly two weeks of consistent care for my skin to return to its pre-trip state. The fine lines on my forehead softened, the redness faded, and the flakiness finally disappeared.
But the experience left a lasting impression.
Part 1 — https://medium.com/mr-plan-publication/the-river-the-cafe-and-a-monkeys-mischief-4ccc8ad64a02
In case we are meeting for the first time, come over here, it’ll be worth the roller coaster of articles that are gonna come up in the next few weeks.
Enjoyed the read? You can support my writing journey here — Buy me a coffee?