Have you ever started using a new product and you can’t really tell if it’s helping your skin, doing nothing at all, or making it worse?
A new product in your routine can result in obvious improvements, blatant damage, and all the grey area in between. But it’s not always so easy to tell when it’s time to call it quits, revamp our skincare routine, and look for something new.
Here are some revealing signs that it’s time to renovate your routine.
are you getting new breakouts?
This is the first and most obvious sign that your skincare routine isn’t working for you. Unless you’re using products that affect cell turnover (benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, AHAs, retinoids), then your skin shouldn’t be breaking out.
If you find yourself suddenly breaking out, and it's getting progressively worse with continued use, it's time to stop. This is especially true of atypical breakouts, or breakouts in areas you don't usually get them. Consider this a flashing red sign telling you to change it up!
other undesirable changes
For the most part, good products will have both long-term and immediate skin benefits. If your skin is going through any other obvious negative changes – becoming more oily, flaky, red, irritated, dry, congested – then it should be considered a sign that some tweaking of your skincare routine is in order (again, unless using treated products). If a product is good, you should know it’s good right away just by the way it makes your skin look and feel.
you don´t enjoy it
Maybe this sounds silly to you, but over the years I've come to appreciate the importance of enjoying my skincare routine. Making my skin care feel like a chore only makes me resent my skin, causing more anxiety about my acne.
Setting aside time for myself each day, with a calming, gentle, non-rushed routine that I enjoy doing, is as therapeutic for my skin as the products themselves. If you find you’re laboring through your skin care just because you have to it’s probably a sign that your search for the perfect skincare routine continues.
is there anything you still want to improve?
Maybe your skincare routine has been working, but just not as well as you’d like. Wanting to change or improve your skin is a sign that you're still not happy with your current routine.
While flawless skin isn't realistic, and 100% improvement is improbable, we don’t have to settle for small or negligible changes. If you’re not getting what you want from your current routine, then you should consider it a work-in-progress. There are always new products to try that may work even better than the ones you’re using.
no change at all
One of the least obvious signs of a need to overhaul your skincare routine is simply no change at all. If after a few weeks of consistent and proper use you aren't seeing an improvement in your skin you're happy with, it's time to move on.
While everyone's idea of improvement will differ slightly, you’ll probably have a good idea that there’s been no change if you’re still dealing with all the same issues you were dealing with when you started your skincare routine.
Don’t feel discouraged if you’ve hit another dead end in your skincare routine – just trace your steps back and trailblaze a new path. It often takes many trial-and-error routines to find the right one.
No beauty routine can or should last forever - our skin changes often, with the seasons, lifestyle, age, etc. – and our skincare routine needs to adapt with us. If you’re breaking out, feeling underwhelmed with your results, or not seeing any change at all – it’s probably a sign that your skincare routine needs to undergo some changes.
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