You’re a little older, your taste in clothes has changed from when you were in your teens and twenties and so has your skin. So now it’s time to change up your skin care products.
When you were a teenager you used products that were unpleasantly rough to take care of the “occasional” breakouts or acne, treating scars from pimple popping and trying to find ways to keep from looking extra oily by mid-day afternoon.
Often times we will either like a product so much that we overuse it to the point we end up damaging our skin barrier (thus skin becomes very sensitized) or we’re impatient because we find products that don’t work fast enough and we’re off to try the next product we see on YouTube an infomercial.
Your skin will begin to change as soon as you reach your thirties due to your hormones. It is thought that the products that they used to treat those breakouts will still work but many will begin to see that their breakouts or cystic acne show up often, especially along with the chin and jawline. Or your skin may be reacting to a new product, it doesn’t mean that you should stop but it has gone into a “fight or flight” concept. In a few days, the reaction will subside. But if it worsens then you know the product was just too harsh for your skin. This is when you’ll need to re-evaluate your health to try to determine the underlying cause as what’s creating the acne activity in that area and take steps to treat it.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to do a complete overhaul, you may need to make adjustments to the type of products you are using and just how much and how often to use. For example, if you’ve been using the wrong cleanser for your skin type, adding serums containing antioxidants to improve elasticity or collagen production. Adding retinol, changing lifestyle habits like omitting or reducing alcohol, quit smoking and getting enough sleep. (I know sleep may be harder for some than others 😕)
Often times, if you’ve been faithful to a particular brand or product for several years, chances are your skin has built up a tolerance which deems it necessary to make a change for improving skin health and growth. When changing out products, introduce one at a time to be able to evaluate your skin and as a rule of thumb, you want to allow at least four to six weeks to see the most benefit. If you change all of your products at the same time, you will have no way to know what product isn’t working or what caused a negative reaction.
If you’ve been using the same products for more than five years, your skin may have built up a tolerance. If your motto is “if it’s not broke, don’t’ fix it” especially those who that get breakouts and stick to a product line that’s worked and you fear that the breakouts will return; did you know you “most” people do outgrow acne?
While it’s always great when you find a product you love, your skin needs variety and change for renewal and healthy growth and it’s imperative to use products that will do the job for you today. If you are at a loss as to what your skin needs, what products to choose, I encourage you to reach out for help with your local esthetician or skin therapist.
As always I’m here to help!