’m an absolute sucker for skincare. If it promises to brighten, reduce, lift, moisturize, regenerate – I’m there. In the last few years, the other concern that has popped up for many Pakistanis including me is availability of products. Whatever your holy grail skin or hair care product has been, chances are that it first became unavailable easily, and in the last six months, possibly quadrupled in price.

While you might be reluctant to give ‘organic’ skincare a shot, you might similarly be uneager to try out locally-made skincare products that contain ‘actives’. We all love ourselves some vitamin C, niacinamide or retinol, but do we trust Pakistan to formulate them into usable products?

Turns out, yep. Eager to simplify my skincare routine, I only use sunscreen in the day, and Tretinoin at night. Exfoliating and masking twice a week helps too, as do a product-free evening, and a couple of nights a week when moisturizer is the only product needed.

That set in place, some of the most-revered products of the moment come from The Ordinary. This is a drugstore brand that is relatively cheaper to invest in even if we convert the price to rupees, however that price has become steep with the exchange rate skyrocketing. Add duties and profit margins, and the products become even more out of reach.

So, even if one does have the purchasing power, one consideration is to switch to local options and support the businesses at home. While the last Skin Deep product I had tried – a watermelon enzyme mask – was less than satisfactory in texture and efficacy, the leap of faith taken for the Super Naturals line has paid off.

Here are the products I have test-driven for the last four weeks. For reference, my skin is over-40, very freckly, prone to hormonal acne, and can look really sad sometimes:

I Peel Good

This is Skin Deep’s dupe for The Ordinary’s AHA BHA Peeling Solution, and contains salicylic, glycolic and lactic acids. The formulation is a little milder than The Ordinary’s but somehow works for my skin in a manner that the Peeling Solution never did. Results are instantly visible, with skin looking clean and even, and any zits becoming significantly smaller after use.

Squalane AHA/BHA
Exfoliating Cleanser

This cleanser is meant to be used a couple times a week, exactly like a facewash, but it contains AHA and BHA acids, which means that as you work the cleanser into your skin, you're exfoliating away dead skin. Super simple to use, and integrate into your weekly routine, I would highly recommend this, but please do a patch test first and ensure you aren’t irritated by any of the ingredients.

Vit C Burst Antioxidant Face Serum

If pigmentation is one of your top skin troubles, welcome vitamin C into your life. The Skin Deep serum is a juicy concoction starring the most stable form of vitamin C: Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate. I wasn’t expecting much from this serum, but firstly, it has an immediate cosmetic effect, smoothing and brightening skin instantly, and has boosted the process of correcting sun damage, with prominent freckles slowly fading (very slowly). The freckles are still there, but not as obvious as they have been, and this in part is thanks to Tretinoin and sunscreen, with vitamin C adding a vibrant punch to the mix.

Superscreen 50 SPF PA+++

Superscreen promises dewy, no-white-cast coverage, which isn’t entirely the case; I tend to let the sunscreen sit on my skin for a bit and then work it in over a little while; obviously, there isn’t enough time to prep skin in the morning every day, which makes this a little difficult to use, but overall the payoff has been great. Superscreen again has a cosmetic advantage, making skin apparently glow, without leaving it greasy, and my skin can be super greasy at all times. With sunscreen I’d like to see my skin improving over a greater chunk of time, but so far, the results are good. Skin is happy, hydrated, not burning, and no new freckles have appeared on my nose in the last month.