Why It's Important to Rotate Your Skin Care

 

What if I told you that you don’t have to stick to the same old skin care routine day after day to achieve amazing results?

Most of us struggle just to find one skin care product that works, let alone several products. But the extra effort may end up being worth the reward.

If you have several co-occurring skin issues, or if you just want the ample benefits of diversity in your skin care, let me tell you why it’s an excellent idea to rotate your products.

WHY SWAP/ ROTATE SKIN CARE PRODUCTS AT ALL?

You don’t need to swap out skin care products to have great skin. Contrary to what some people might tell you, your skin doesn’t "get used to" your skin care routine. However, there are still many great reasons to rotate your products.

1. DIFFERENT PRODUCTS = DIFFERENT BENEFITS

Do you ever feel like there are so many different products and ingredients you want to benefit from, but you just don’t know how to fit them all into your routine? Rotating your skin care products allows you to do this quite easily.

Acne treatments and anti-aging products can be harsh and drying, which can disturb the skin's barrier over time. Similarly, using heavy moisturizers or emollients all the time can lead to clogged pores. Switching up your routine means you're giving your skin variety, which can enhance the healthy appearance of your skin.

2. CHOOSE TARGETED PRODUCTS

Why stick to just one product when there are so many fantastic ones you can try?!

Some products do it all while others have a more specific purpose. Unfortunately, the specialty products don't always mingle well with the acne products in our skin care routine. Rotating your products allows you to target different skin issues with specialty products.

3. YOU CAN ONLY USE SO MANY PRODUCTS AT ONCE

One thing I always hated about skin care was that I felt restricted to only a few products - I have to use an acne treatment, but this proved to complicate things when I also wanted to treat my skin texture, dark spots, fine lines and scarring, too.

Eventually, I realized that I could just alternate using certain products and still get amazing results! Now I get to incorporate all my skin care favorites into my routine without negatively affecting my skin.

4. YOU CAN'T MIX SOME PRODUCTS

Benzoyl peroxide takes care of my acne, retinol takes care of my wrinkles, and vitamin C brightens my complexion. The problem? I can't use any of them together.

Cycling or alternating products allows you to control when and how you use products so that you can still get the results you want.

5. TREAT COMBINATION SKIN MORE EFFECTIVELY

Combination skin is exceptionally common, and sometimes it’s hard to find the right skin care routine to suit it.

Having a diversity of products at your disposal enables you to treat issues in different areas of the face precisely how they need. This gives you better results and less unnecessary breakouts.

6. YOUR SKIN CHANGES

Have you ever used a product for a long time and suddenly it's not working for you anymore? It's not uncommon. In fact, sometimes our skin’s needs can even change day-to-day. Some days we need the acne treatment, and other days we just need something to brighten our complexion.

Your skin changes based on several factors (stress, changing seasons, travel, age, and hormones), and so your skin care should change, too.Having a few different products that you cycle through can help ensure that you'll have something on-hand that your skin will cooperate with as you need it.

7. IMPROVE ON ALREADY-GREAT RESULTS

Maybe your skin is already fine, and you don’t think you need to rotate your products. But what if you could take your skin from an 8/10 to a 10/10?

Sometimes progress with our skin stalemates - it gets better and better until it plateaus. Although our skin doesn't build up a resistance to products, every product will have its cap, and using a variety of products can push you past that threshold!

HOW DO I ROTATE SKIN CARE PRODUCTS?

A variety of antioxidants, a variety of acne treatments, a variety of treatments. All of this can spell big results.Now that I’ve piqued your interest, you might be wondering how you can rotate your skin care products to get the best results.

1. THE GOLDEN RULE: ONE NEW PRODUCT AT A TIME

This is always one of the most important things I stress to people. No matter how many products you use regularly, only try one new one at a time.

Using too many new products can have the opposite effect on your skin, either irritating it or not allowing it sufficient time to work. Each new product should be added in one at a time and given time to settle nicely into your routine before you consider adding another product.

2. PICK A PRODUCT YOUR SKIN NEEDS

Sure, a new toner might sound nice, but is it something your skin needs? Rotating your skin care products is about picking things that will improve your skin care, not clog it up with useless products.

3. FOLLOW A SKIN PLAN

Every skin plan will look a little different, but each one should at least have a cleanser, treatment, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. You can add in eye creams, toners, masks, and scrubs, as well.

Whatever you do, follow a specific plan. Infrequently using eye creams and retinoids isn’t going to benefit your skin, so you need to have some plan to follow so that you’re using products consistently and effectively.

For example, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays you could use a glycolic acid product, and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays you could use a retinoid. You could also swap use between morning and night, choosing to use an acne treatment in the morning and a retinoid at night. The possibilities are endless! 

4. DIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT

Rotating your skin care products isn’t going to boost your results if you’re rotating between three vitamin C serums and two benzoyl peroxide products. Your body doesn’t need just one type of food, so your skin doesn’t just need one type of skin care ingredient. Use this opportunity to try new and different ingredients from your current routine!

Using the same products for your skin every day may not be effective if you are not listening to your skin’s needs. If you’ve nailed your skin care routine? Great! But if you want to take your skin to the next level, then rotating your products is where it’s at.

Using these tips, you can keep your routine minimalist by day, and still get the benefits of using different products long-term.

Do you rotate your products, or do you use the same ones every day? Let us know below!