You have a cabinet full of products, but still haven’t reached your skin care goals. Let’s talk about why.
I’m honestly embarrassed to admit how many skin care products I own. According to the data I’m not alone. Skin care products are hot right now. Like reallllly hot.
The skin care market generated 17.5 billion dollars in revenue in 2020, and that’s just in the U.S. Globally, the sales value of facial skin care products is 62.3 billion dollars.
All this to say, there are a lot of products out there. It seems like every celebrity either endorses or owns a skin care line – Chrissy Teigen, Selena Gomez, Venus Williams, Kate Hudson, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, the Kardashians, etc. etc.
And their skin looks incredible. It couldn’t hurt to give the product a try, right? So you try the product and your results are, “meh”.
What’s their secret? And why isn’t your skin care routine producing the results you want?
Well, it’s complicated. But let’s take a look at a few reasons you might not be getting the results you’re looking for, and what to do about it.
1. You haven’t given it enough time.
It’s easy to want results fast. But getting results when it comes to skin takes time. For most skin care products, it typically takes at least eight to twelve weeks before you’ll begin to notice visible changes to your skin.
Consistency is also a factor. Often we think we are remembering to use a product in the recommended amount or intervals. In reality, we are not using the product daily, or we are using lower than the recommended amount.
What you can do: Be consistent and give it time. If you have a hard time remembering, then set the products out on the counter to remind you until it becomes a habit.
2. The Product is working, you just haven’t noticed.
You might not notice changes at first because the changes occur slowly. Take photos of your skin before starting a new skin product, then take progress photos every 4 weeks. After 12 weeks compare the first photo to the most recent. Hopefully you notice distinct improvements.
3. You are using the wrong products.
Product quality varies widely. Over the counter creams and lotions are classified as cosmetics by the Food and Drug Administration, meaning that they are not as highly regulated. Potency and quality varies from product to product. This is why medical grade skin care may offer better results than an over the counter purchase.
Different products also have different “formulations” for achieving the same desired outcome. For example, as noted by the Mayo Clinic, some products focus on softening wrinkles and contain substances like vitamin C, hydroxy acids, and vitamin A. Other products contain peptides to help stimulate collagen production to improve skin texture. Still, others contain niacinamide which helps the skin reduce water loss. There are a lot of ways to get to the end result.
What you can do: Do your homework and read labels. When you are researching, confirm that the product works for your skin type, read reviews, know the mechanism of action, and look for the potency of the main ingredient.
4. Your skin condition is too advanced for products to correct.
Many skin care products are helpful for skin maintenance, prevention and mild correction, but can’t address progressive skin concerns. For example, Vitamin C can repair SOME skin that is sun-damaged by suppressing pigment and brightening complexion. But if you laid out in the sun wearing baby oil for a decade, it’s not going to get rid of those sun spots. Sometimes, you need more than a product.
The skin consists of layers. The outermost layer is the epidermis. Typically, skin care products are going to impact the epidermis. The layer beneath the epidermis is the dermis, and that is where many signs of aging or skin damage originate. So if we want to really turn back time, we have to go deep.
What you can do: Get a skin care treatment. If you want to correct serious pigmentation, it will require a series of IPL or BBL treatments. Then, keep using vitamin C and sunscreen to keep your skin clear and healthy.
Taking a Combined Approach
Combining treatments and products will ensure you address all areas of your skin’s health, create better results, and maintain the results for longer.
For example, if you want to cleanse your skin to get rid of black heads and cloudiness you should try treatments like a facial or chemical peel. Then follow it up with a quality at home cleanser and a weekly pore cleansing mask. This will get your skin clean and glowing, improve pore size, control oil, smooth out your complexion and keep it that way.
Trying to improve skin texture? Laser skin resurfacing or microneedling treatments will significantly improve your skin’s texture (and pigment). Then add in a vitamin A like retinol or tretinoin and a quality moisturizer to maintain that plump, smooth appearance.
Still need convincing?
Take a look at these before and after pics from a product use study:
Now compare that to the results achieved here using a combination of treatments and products.
The difference is drastic.
Going back to all those skin care products advertised by celebrities. Their secret? They’re using those products AND getting regular deeper treatments. Find a combined approach that achieves the results you want and is best for your skin. And as always, if you don’t know where to start. Just ask!