I used this face cream for two weeks, and my skin is thanking me
Brighten, hydrate and nourish – Kama Ayurveda’s Kumkumadi Illuminating & Skin Perfecting Day Cream is a triple threat
When the Tweak team learnt that we’d get early access to the new Kama Ayurveda day cream, you best believe I made my way to their store with the josh of Jr NTR and Ram Charan in Naatu Naatu. Not only is it their first-ever day cream in the Kumkumadi Range, but it’s also powered up with the brand’s iconic Kumkumadi Thailam.
First, I should mention that the OG Kumkumadi Thailam and I have a history. When my sister first brought this product home about ten years ago, I scoffed at her belief that it could be ‘miraculous’ beauty fluid. She pleaded with me to try it for a few nights. Then one day as I was rushing out of the house for college, I caught my reflection in the mirror and stopped in my tracks. My skin looked like it was hiding tiny bioluminescent algae under the surface. I looked radiant.
When I moved to Mumbai, I went through one of my life’s worst break-ups. I had to say goodbye to the Kumkumadi Thailam. My skin was freaking out in the new climate. Being an excessive face sweater with irritated and acne-prone skin and having no relation to the Ambani/Adani families to help with the AC bill, I had to cut my routine to the bare minimum to deal with the humidity.
So I was thrilled to hear about Kama Ayurveda adding a day cream to the Kumkumadi Range that I could use every day. Two weeks into my test drive of the Kumkumadi Illuminating & Skin Perfecting Day Cream, I rekindled the spark with a long-lost love (read the story of this woman whose childhood love can’t get a divorce).
As is the case when new life is given to any old romance, I dove in with equal excitement and apprehension. My skin is moody. A propensity for dermatitis, acne, mild rosacea, dehydration but also oiliness; when it comes to leave-on products, disastrous past experiences still haunt me. But the allure of having Kumkumadi Thailam back in my life drew me in.
On day 1, I was an enthu cutlet and dug my fingers a little too deep into the jar and ended up with too much product on my face. I thought I would need a substantial amount to satisfy my thirsty skin, but oh boy, was I wrong.
A little goes a long way, because the airy texture melts into your skin, leaving it hydrated and moisturised without feeling like you’re wrapped in cellophane.
By day 4, I had figured out how much I needed and could already see the saffron in action.
Kama Ayurveda uses the finest Kashmiri saffron, sourcing 75% of it from women-owned farms in Pampore Valley, known for superior quality and higher potency levels than its counterparts. At first sniff, it smelt like a delicious serving of shahi tukda (here are six more no-bake desserts for hopeless chefs). I believe that’s the doing of saffron combined with vetiver extract or khus.
As a skincare ingredient, saffron is a powerhouse of vitamins A and C, which work hard to repair cell damage, fight pigmentation and illuminate skin. By the end of the first week, I saw a fresh radiance return to my skin.
It also worked well with make-up — no pilling or patchiness— and sunscreen.
On top of the Kama Ayurveda day cream, sunscreen spreads like makhan on hot toast. My skin didn’t feel suffocated even when I reapplied sunscreen later in the day.
While saffron may be the star, there’s more to the Kama Ayurveda day cream. The combination of Indian madder root powder, Lotus flower powder, Vetiver extract and Liquorice root powder gives the cream anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and skin-brightening properties that can calm and soothe skin while reducing hyperpigmentation and redness – all while keeping your skin hydrated and moisturised.
Experts say it takes at least a month to see the impact of a skincare product, but after two weeks of trial, my skin feels soft and supple without clogging my pores or making me sweat.
I wish I could say I repaid my sister’s kindness for introducing me to Kama Ayurveda’s Kumkumadi Thailam all those years ago, but this jar is all mine.
Get your hands on Kama Ayurveda’s Kumkumadi Illuminating & Skin Perfecting Day Cream on www.kamaayurveda.in or at a store near you. ₹1,695 – ₹2,995.