Is my Skincare Routine Working? Ask yourself some questions…   When it comes to your skincare routine and the products you’ve selected, it’s easy to get confused and wonder whether or not they’re really working for you.  Even more frustrating, you might be wondering if the routine is making things worse!

• How do I know what to use? I get how confusing this can be, especially when you’re using an advanced skincare routine with several products.  We need a variety, but keep things to a minimum to give products a chance.
• Have you got unrealistic expectations?  Knowing what results to expect and why you might not be seeing exactly what you were hoping for is important.  Likewise if you see some expected results we need to look at why this  may be.

So, how do you really know you’re getting the best results possible from your skincare products?  The list below is something you can look at to help ensure you are getting the most from your skincare routine.

Product claims are typically either incredibly misleading or outright false.  An example of this is when a daytime moisturiser that claims to help all the signs of ageing, yet is minus some level of SPF.  If you’re not using a sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater 365 days a year, rain or shine, signs of ageing and many other skin concerns will just keep getting worse.

Stop looking for one miracle ingredient or one miracle product

The fact is there’s no single magic ingredient or miracle product for skin.  Just like our bodies need a wide variety of nutritional foods to stay healthy, our skin also needs a balanced “diet” of state of the art beneficial ingredients supplied through consistent use of a superior skincare routine.

The truth is that realistic expectations plus consistent use of an outstanding skincare routine is the only way to have the best skin of your life.

Searching for a miracle ingredient or one product that can do it all cheats your skin.  You’ll be losing out on the dramatic improvements you could get from using an array of necessary products with a variety of essential ingredients.

Select your products carefully – don’t just use something because your friend does

For some people, a basic skincare routine can work just fine but for others, it just won’t be enough to provide the best results.  Depending on your skin type, skin concerns, and preferences, a more advanced skincare routine will be important for you.

The complex needs of skin to keep it replenished with essential beneficial ingredients, protected from sun damage, enriched with hydration, nourished with skin-restoring ingredients to fight ageing, maintain an even skin tone and so on requires an array of appropriate products.

Don’t skip exfoliation or sunscreen – Nothing beats a gentle, leave-on AHA or BHA exfoliant.   Like putting butter on cold toast, it will not soak in.  This is like putting moisturiser on un-exfoliated skin it just won’t be effective.

Sunscreen is the fundamental way to start keeping every aspect of your skin young and beautiful.  When used as directed with other sun protection measures, this also plays a pivotal role in decreasing the risk of skin cancer.

For ideal, ultimate results, a skincare routine must be used regularly.  Some products you will need to use twice a day (cleanser, serums and moisturisers), others once a day.  Some others once a week, such as advanced exfoliants such as enzyme peels and products for targeted solutions.

It’s also important to use products in the right order.   Take a look at ‘Addressing Skin Concerns’ to learn what types of products are best and in what order to apply them!

Don’t expect instant results

You didn’t suddenly wake up with sun damage and wrinkles, so don’t expect to be able to radically diminish them overnight, either.  Continued use is necessary to maintain the results, so again, consistency is key.  For example, products for uneven skin tone or skin lightening products for dark spots can take several weeks before results become visible.

Spots can take their time to clear as some of this could be down to diet and the way your body reacts to certain foods, as well as hormone imbalances and continuous changes in our bodies.  This can be hard and can take some investigation.  Acne doesn’t always just clear itself with products there can be so much more to it.  Have a read here.

Aggravating ingredients

Gentle is the most pivotal aspect of exceptional skincare.  Non-irritating skincare products are vitally important.  If the products you use cause sensitivity, it will leave your skin vulnerable to environmental damage.   Products can make our skin sensitised rather than our skin be sensitive.  So just be aware of this.  If something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.

Just check ingredients though, as products like enzyme peels can make skin red, which is not necessarily sensitivity.

Also keep in mind that your skin’s surface doesn’t always show negative reactions to problematic ingredients, yet the damage is still taking place, beyond where you can see it.  You may not see or feel the reaction, but if the product you are using isn’t gentle the damage is silently occurring, leading to problems down the road.

You never really know exactly how your skin will respond to even the best formulated products, so you have to pay attention to how your skin reacts.

Tingling can be a problem because it can be a sign of aggravation, not a sign that a product is “working.”  This is not always the case, so just pay attention to what you are using and how it feels on your skin.

Minefield

Skincare can be a minefield, I would always recommend going to a reputable salon and building up a trust, where the therapist gets to know your skin and you know you can ask questions without her/him just trying to sell to you…

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR SKIN!

Lots of love

Louisa xx