Katrina Kaif believes that looking her best is ultimately about feeling her best. From film sets, red carpets and magazine shoots to co-founding a homegrown makeup brand, beauty has long been an integral part of the Bollywood actor’s professional life. Since giving birth, however, her approach to beauty has shifted from focusing on outward appearances to understanding what works best for her.

But the internet has not been so kind. Comments underneath paparazzi videos have brutally dissected her postpartum body, drawing comparisons between her current appearance and that of her early years as a model. During a recent chat with The Hollywood Reporter India, Katrina Kaif got candid about being stereotyped.

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On changing beauty standards

“When I started out early through my modelling and acting career, there were a lot of stereotypes about what the beauty standards were. Now for me, looking my best is really about feeling my best, and that comes from taking care of myself as a whole,” she shared with the publication.

For Kaif, a “healthy diet, keeping the inflammation in your body under control, staying active, meditation, a phone-free daily hour of your morning and getting natural light first thing in the morning” makes a huge difference to how she feels, and ultimately how her skin behaves. “I think when you feel healthy, that confidence naturally reflects on the outside,” she added.

Dr Shireen Furtado, Sr. Consultant – Medical & Cosmetic Dermatology, Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore, says beauty standards change with time, and postpartum skin, hair and body changes are normal rather than problems that need to be immediately corrected. “New mothers can benefit from choosing realistic skincare goals based on comfort, skin health and personal preference instead of comparing themselves with celebrities or social media images,” she tells indianexpress.com.

Katrina with husband Vicky Kaushal at the Ambanis’ Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. (Source: Instagram/@ieentertainment)

Kaif’s postpartum skincare

Post-pregnancy, Kaif revealed that her “skin became even more sensitive”, so it was a really tricky time to understand what products were working for her. “Sensitive skin can behave very differently from one day to the next. Stress, inflammation and environment all play a big factor,” she said, adding that right now, in this phase, she is focusing on “deep cellular hydration”, supporting and strengthening her skin barrier and “keeping it calm and resilient”.

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Dr Furtado adds that after giving birth, a new mother’s skincare routine should focus on keeping the skin clean, moisturised and protected rather than trying to quickly return to a pre-pregnancy appearance. This is because hormonal changes, lack of sleep, stress and dehydration can make the skin more dry, sensitive, oily or prone to pigmentation.

According to her, new mothers should avoid unnecessary products and harsh scrubs, strong exfoliants, irritating fragrances and complicated routines when the skin feels sensitive. “Ingredients such as retinoids require particular caution during breastfeeding and should be discussed with a dermatologist before use,” she shares, while sheet masks or lightweight serums can be included if they are gentle, suitable for the individual’s skin type and do not cause irritation.

She recommends a simple routine with a gentle cleanser, moisturiser and broad-spectrum sunscreen to be a good starting point, adding that adequate water, balanced meals, regular movement, sufficient rest and stress management support overall skin health.