Forehead lines and Facebook stories: The unsolicited skincare advice I never asked for

As soon as the second stage of my life began, the brioche bun sheen of youth faded to a dull matte greyish tone. If that was not enough, a friend pointed out the other day that I spoke with my forehead and the lines were quite attractive. “I get it Nawrin, I have prominent forehead lines!”

If that wasn’t enough, a Facebook Story from a younger colleague pointed out that viewers of Beverly Hills 90210 needed to add retinol to their skincare routine.

Enough said, I think I got all the hints.

Let’s get into the history a bit; 30 years ago, Retin A was discovered as an oil reducing acne solution — fast forward to 2024, it is used both to brighten the skin and improve skin tone and texture.

By now, you must be inquisitive about the God-gifted ingredients: Vitamin A derivatives that help accelerate the rate at which new cells migrate onto the surface and stimulate the skin cells to produce more collagen.

Many skin experts swear by calling Retinol the gold standard to delay ageing.

As someone who is always against experimenting with the skin for fear of triggering allergic reactions and untoward purges, I needed to find a natural alternative to the God- gifted ingredient. And immediately, my know-it-all friend points out Bakuchiol — derived from the leaves and seeds of the anti-inflammatory babchi plant, an herb common in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine.

It’s already been six months, and thankfully, my forehead appears less crinkled and there’s been no purge.

My next-door neighbour aunty, who finds physical faults in me every day, somehow shifted from “Why do you look so tired and dull” to “Wow, what’s your secret? You seem to be glowing today.”

This is it. This is confirmation enough. I am happy.