Our brilliant beauty contributor Sonia Haria has just published her first book South Asian Beauty, which was both a personal labour of love and quite possibly the biggest journalistic assignment of her career.
Sonia has worked on a busy beauty desk at a newspaper for the best part of 17 years, but found that as a journalist of South Asian descent, the wider industry hadn’t always catered for her beauty needs.
She is often asked for beauty advice, specifically from other South Asian women, about finding the right concealers and foundations for olive complexions; the best targeted pigmentation creams and vitamin C serums, as well as how to colour dark hair without it going brassy – all of which she covers in her book.
“Most were issues I had experience with in the beauty industry and tried to find solutions for, which wasn't always easy, but it's put me in a position of being someone who has tried and tested literally hundreds of products,” she explains.
These are two extracts from South Asian Beauty:
A good sunscreen for South Asian skin that won't leave a white cast:
“If you've got skin that isn't too oily or dry, I'd cleanse in the morning, apply an antioxidant vitamin C serum and then straight on with the sun protection. That's exactly what I do most days.
There are also some fantastic sunscreens now on the market that have antioxidants and tyrosinase-inhibitors, so you don't have to feel like you're using a lengthy or expensive regime. I often used the following two-step skincare in the morning: the SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Serum and then the Enlighten SPF40 Sunscreen by NeoStrata, which has a tyrosinase-inhibitor within on top.”
A quick DIY Ayurvedic ritual:
"Up until a few years ago I would stop my skincare at my neck. It's a whole different story for me now, I relish applying oil to my body, and it turns out oiling oneself is one of the most immediate Ayurvedic rituals you can do. It's great for the mind-body connection and making the skin look good as a result.
Ayurveda talks about abhyanga - the Sanskrit term for self-massage – as part of dinacharya, which is the Sanskrit term for engaging in daily rituals. I think applying oil to the body is one of the most powerful rituals you can do. It could be as simple as applying a little plain black sesame oil to your body every morning or evening.
While you can use it in lieu of a moisturiser after a bath or shower, many Ayurvedic doctors believe oiling the body 30 minutes before you shower helps to bring toxins to the surface. And then you can wash those toxins away."
Ahead the beauty questions Sonia is asked most – and her invaluable advice
What is a good concealer for South Asian complexions?
It has taken me the best part of twenty years to work out the perfect formula for concealing my dark circles, which is genetically something many of us are, ahem, blessed with.
My biggest bugbear is that until recently, many of the concealers and foundations on the market for brown skin have pink undertones. This drives me crazy! We need yellow or orange undertones to fix darkness and brighten the eye area.
Thankfully, brands are cottoning on. I love the EX1 Cosmetics Delete Fluide Concealer, which is specifically formulated for olive complexions.
It’s no wonder that Ayurveda, and South Asian beauty and wellness in general has a legion of fans.
What serum will correct my post-inflammatory pigmentation?
We’ve all been there. You get a spot on your skin – sometimes hormonal, sometimes not – and while the spot clears after a few days, the mark left on the skin will stubbornly last for months.
My favourite serum of the moment is the Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Serum. It’s not cheap, but boy does it work. Smooth on a drop or two every night and it gently but effectively helps to even the skin tone and add brightness to the skin.
Can you suggest a good everyday ‘nude’ lipstick?
A ‘nude’ lipstick in the traditional make-up sense is pale and beige, and only works on fair complexions. I think the most flattering nude shade for medium and deep brown skin has more of a pinky or peachy kick, and looks more vibrant and less like you’re wearing concealer across your lips.
Charlotte Tilbury does some of the best pinky-nude lipsticks on the market: the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Supermodel is one of my favourites for that your-lips-but-better look.
How do you keep your brows looking groomed?
I could discuss brows for hours. My first ever beauty treatment was at sixteen to get my brows threaded; for many South Asian girls, the ancient Indian hair removing process is one of the earliest beauty rites of passage.
I see my favourite eyebrow shaper Daxita Vaghela every six weeks or so for threading and a tint. Who needs Botox when you have a good brow shape?
In-between visits I use a thickening brow gel such as Glossier Boy Brow to brush them up and fix hairs in place. BBB London Brow Build Gel is a great option, too.
What is the best technique to colour my hair without it going orange?
Like many South Asian women, my hair is naturally jet black, but I like it to look a little softer and more brunette.
For the past few years, I’ve been seeing Anita Rice at the Buller & Rice Salon in London every six months or so. She paints a tint on my hair that only lifts the colour slightly. With each appointment, the shade lifts a little more.
I’ve now reached a dark brown balayage shade I absolutely love. It’s the lightest shade I can go without bleach, which suits me just fine. In-between appointments I use Moroccanoil Colour Depositing Mask in Cocoa, which knocks out any brassy tones.
What is the best treatment to help smooth acne scarring?
I get asked this question a lot, as acne scarring can look more obvious on darker complexions. I am a big fan of regular micro-needling and swear by the Skin Pen device, which is available nationwide in lots of great clinics.
Two of my favourite aestheticians – Nilam Holmes and Fatma Shaheen – use it for skin smoothing and collagen-building. If it’s good enough for them, it’s definitely good enough for me.
Which type of serum should I use to stop my skin from looking dull?
My ride-or-die skincare ingredient is vitamin C. I use it every single morning and have done so for the past ten years or so. I am convinced it’s the reason my skin looks better now in my mid-thirties than a decade ago – along with daily SPF, too!
I love the OG SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF Serum, but it is definitely an investment. Another great option is Balance Me Vitamin C Repair Serum, which I often recommend to friends looking to make a start on a more considered skincare regime.
What are the best blushers for South Asian complexions?
The textures, formulas and colour pay-off from blushers has improved so much in the past five years. You can now get really excellent glow-giving cream blushers that look incredible on brown skin.
Tower 28 is one of my favourites; the Tower 28 BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm in Golden Hour is the most flattering peachy-coral I’ve tried in years.
What’s the best hair removal machine?
I’ve been asked this question quite a few times because for South Asian skin tones, the wrong lasers and IPL can cause hyperpigmentation. Around ten years ago I had a course of the Soprano Ice laser for my underarms, and it did a great job with hardly any discomfort.
Other than that, I must say I’m pretty low maintenance – a basic razor in the shower for my legs suits me just fine.
Do you oil your scalp, and how often?
Hair oiling is an ancient Indian ritual that is part of so many shared childhood memories in south Asian households.
As a young girl, once a week my grandmother or mother would apply castor oil into my scalp and massage it in. Left overnight and washed out the next morning, hair oiling is said to promote healthier, thicker hair.
I still do it once a week as an adult and as a mother now myself, I oil my kids' hair, too. One of my favourites is the Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hair Oil.
You can order a copy of South Asian Beauty: The Ultimate Guide by Sonia Haria here.
