Popular blogger Shraddha Gurung busts some beauty myths and gives us a glimpse of her skincare regimen

Shraddha Gurung aka Lil Miss Gurung (her Instagram handle) has scores of loyal followers on Instagram, tracking all her beauty moves. This 23-year-old has been vocal about body and skin positivity. Her recent series called “We Need To Talk” stood out with over a million views. When we asked her about five skincare myths she has tried and found out to be false, she had quite a few insightful things to say. 

1. The first is the worst thing I could've done to my skin and that is scrubbing every day to get rid of dry skin. That is false! Excessive exfoliation cause micro-tears and will dry up your skin even further. So be careful. 

2. A lot of people think washing your face with hot water will open and clear up your pores. Again, false. Hot water can strip the first layer of your skin and cause burns too in some cases. You can use a hot towel or a little bit of steam to open up your pores. 

3. Also, when it comes to a few treatments, the general notion is that if it burns or stings bad, it's working. Not at all. Yes, some products have ingredients in them that might feel like a little burn for a few seconds (like glycolic acid) but that doesn't mean everything that burns is good. Mostly, it's not. These burns can cause a lot of harm. They mostly happen when you use a fake product with cheap ingredients in it or due to the presence of an ingredient that just doesn't work with your skin. 

4. Shaving will darken your skin, we used to think. This one is so false, it's hilarious. I've been shaving regularly for the past year now and no sort of discolouration happens!

5. Coconut oil is a great moisturiser. If you hear someone say this to you, run in the opposite direction. Coconut oil is too thick and is one of the most comedogenic oils. It's so thick that it prevents anything from either entering or leaving your skin and might clog your pores. 

If you wondered about what this beauty blogger’s skincare regimen is like, this is what she has to say:

My skincare routine has changed over the years. Right now, I've kept it minimal since we're all quarantined so we're barely exposed to any kind of dust, heat, or pollution. I start with a mild cleanser (Kama Ayurveda Rose Jasmine Cleanser) in the morning and finish up with my sunscreen (Lakme Sun Expert) and moisturizer (Clinique Moisture Surge). During the night is when I indulge a little. I cleanse and then tone with Pixi Glow Tonic, and then add a serum (Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair or Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi and sometimes Innisfree Green Tea) with my moisturiser (Etude Moist Collagen) before I go to bed.