Here are some reasons why you feel like your skincare products does not work:
#1 You follow every popular skincare trend and new products on the market.
With the expanding global cosmetic skincare market, you will see new products advertise to beauty lovers almost every day and some of the products have been hyped up as trends. Though, it’s very exciting and tempting to try out every new skincare product or to follow certain trends as soon as they come out from different brands, please check out the list of ingredients first before you try them, whether it is compatible with other products that you are currently using and/or to your skin types of suitability.
Start your skincare routine by cover the basics of cleansing, hydrating and protection, before you dive into the corrective and preventative treatments. Your basic routine should consist of a mild cleanser, non-comedogenic (not clog pores), lightweight moisturizer and sunscreen with SPF of at least 30+ that protect against UVA & UVB.
#2 You are using products in wrong orders or too many in your skincare routine.
Once you have a strong basic routine, you could start to target your skin problems such as acne, dehydration or aging with treatment products.
It is important to apply new products in certain order, after cleansing, layering targeting products from lightest to the thickest formulation. This will allow better adsorption of those products into the skin and work effectively. I usually leave around 20–30 secs between each products to allow enough time for them to dry but still damp for the next layer to go on.
Please notes that applying too many products in the wrong order increases the chances that the ingredients in those products to counteract with each other.
#3 You are not applying skincare products quick enough after cleansing.
Have you ever felt tight, dry right after shower or cleansing? This is because while cleansing could get rid of impurities, make up, etc. on your skin, it also removes your natural oils, and your skin can get dehydrated very quickly. Aim to apply moisturizer within 1 minute after cleansing so your skin doesn’t feel tight and dry after.
Instead of pat dry my face with towel after cleansing/shower, I use toner mist/spray within 10 sec after and leave it dry but slight damp for the next product to go on.
#4 Over-exfoliate or too little.
Exfoliators could be either physical (beads, grains, shell) and chemical (AlphaHydroxyAcid, BetaHydroxy Acid, PolyHydroxyAcid).
Chemical exfoliators encourage healthy cell turnover, helps improve dull, uneven texture on your skin. If you skin is prone to breakouts and clogged pores like mine, AHAs and BHAs would help when using regularly. It is recommended to exfoliate at least once a week to promote faster cell turnover.
Try to test out your skin by exfoliate 1 a week, then build up your skin’s tolerance to 2–3 times a week.
#5 You are not patience enough.
Throughout your life, your skin will change constantly, for better or worse. In fact, your skin will regenerate itself approximately every 27–40 days.
With this in mind, any new products that got introduce to your routine, could take between 4–6 weeks to see any real difference or to see if those work for your target’s issue.
However, if you have been following the same routine for months, and it has been working just fine but lately you feel like it's not working anymore.
This could mean that your skin is changes, those current ingredients could still do their job, but your skin has already benefited the most from it, now is the time to look for others target and preventive products instead.
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