Have you had the same beauty regiment for the past 10 years? Or do you change it up every day? You can actually get away with using a lot of the same products for a long time. At the same time, there are some "optimal" times when you should change it up. Why?
The facts:
The truth is that your skin won't get used to the ingredients that you're using for the most part. For example, if you've been using a vitamin C moisturizer in the evenings for the past few years, your skin won't get "immuned" to the vitamin C to the point that the effectiveness of it diminishes. It's similar to ingesting vitamins and minerals - eating an apple every day won't necessarily make an apple less healthy for you after a while. Your skin simply uses the nutrients from your skincare products to assist in cellular processes.
While your skin doesn't get used to ingredients, it does respond to environmental stimuli and can therefore adapt to some of the products that you're using. Mostly, your skin adapts in terms of moisture and sebum (oil production). If you deprive your skin (and your lips) of moisture, your skin will eventually respond in the long-term by producing more oil to keep
skin elastic. Similarly, if you overmoisturize, your skin will respond by producing less oil, since you're doing the job of keep skin moisturized. The overproduction of oil can lead to breakouts, while the underproduction of oil can lead to the development of a dry skin type. Thus, make sure that you are moisturizing your face just the right amount...in the morning and at night only. To prevent overmoisturizing, start with a light moisturizer like the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream ($27 in department stores). If that does the trick and seems to keep your skin soft for the rest of the day then great! If not, try a more heavy duty product like the Philosophy Hope in Jar Night ($50 at Sephora). For the daytime, try the Juice Beauty SPF 30 Oil-Free Moisturizer ($29 at Ulta), or the thicker Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer ($38 at Ulta). Of course, you may have to adjust
this routine depending on how dry/moist it is outside, but for the most part, this should be enough moisture for your face. The skin on your body isn't as delicate as your face, you should be fine using a light body moisturizer a few times per week. Additionally, the same rules apply to cleansing. If you wash your face too many times per day, you will strip your skin of good oils, causing you to overproduce oil. Limit face washing to night time, and mornings (unless you have super dry or sensitive skin).
What does that mean? Well, you don't need to be changing up your products frequently to keep them effective. However, you should be changing up your beauty routine during the following times:
- Seasonally: When the weather is hotter and/or more humid, your skin needs less moisturizer, since there is more moisture in the air. And don't forget that it tends to be
sunnier when it's hotter, so boost your level of sun protection. Wearing a moisturizer with mineral SPF of at least 30 like the Algenist Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50 ($38 at Sephora) on a daily basis is your best defense against sun-induced aging and melanoma.
- As you age: Your skin changes with time. You develop sun spots and wrinkles, collagen production slows, cells don't regenerate as efficiently, and your skin gets drier. On the bright side, your skin gets less shiny and acne-prone. So gradually, you will be transitioning from oil-free products that mattify shine, minimize pores, and medicate pimples to products that provide more intense hydration, brighten, firm, and increase elasticity. You can wait to see what your more specific aging needs are (dark spots? wrinkles?) as the signs come, or simply switch it up from your 20's to your 30's to your 40's...
- To treat any skin conditions: This is pretty much common sense. But sometimes during dry weather, using new products, or randomly, your skin can develop allergies, become irritated, or develop conditions like eczema. In these cases, you probably have to switch to gentler, hypoallergenic products geared toward sensitive skin.
What changes to your routine have you made recently, and why?
Hope everyone had a wonderful 2013! It was certainly a great year for the beauty industry. Some really innovative cosmetics launched in 2013. Here are some of my some of my favorite hot and healthy new products from this year:
1. DERMAdoctor DD Cream 15-Benefits-In-1 Dermatologically Defining BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($38 at Sephora)
DD creams have been getting more and more beauty buzz everyday. If you were impressed by the multi-tasking abilities of BB and CC creams, you'll love DD creams. They combine the best of both worlds...the anti-aging qualities of BB creams with the color correction of CC creams. And of course, they still have the protection, hydration, and coverage of both products. I think we'll be seeing tons of DD displays at Sephora and Ulta pretty soon, but the first major DD to hit the market is made by DERMAdoctor and launched a few months ago. It provides good coverage and has mineral-derived SPF (always a plus!).
2. Murad Essential-C Sun Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 35 PA+++ ($25 at Sephora)
The first rule in skincare is sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen! Unlike traditional drugstore sunscreen sticks, the Murad Sun Balm is really light-weight and non-greasy. It also contains vitamin C, which provides antioxidant protection against the sun and evens skin tone as you're wearing it. Plus, the vitamin C gives the balm a refreshing citrus smell, rather than the heavy sunscreen smell that you find with a lot of drugstore sunscreen sticks. For days on the beach, stick to sun products that are lotions with physical sunblocks for optimal protection against the sun. However, the Murad Sun Balm's convenient size and application makes it great for throwing in your purse...perfect for retouching your sunscreen on a sunny day or applying sunscreen on the go.
3. Philosophy Total Matteness Oil-Free Mattefying Pore Eraser ($40 at Sephora)
One way to make skin look firmer and more even is by minimizing pores. In addition to your toner, the Philosophy Pore Eraser can help! Natural bamboo extracts help mattify excess oil, and lentil seed extract helps refine pores. Overall, it's tough to find a good mattifying product that isn't necessarily geared for those with acne, but the Pore Eraser seems to do the trick. Additionally, this product is unique from other oily-skin treatments because it does not dry out skin and will even leave it soft to the touch.
4. Ole Henriksen Perfect Truth CC Eye Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($26 at Sephora)
Most CC products available are for your face, but Ole Henriksen makes a CC creme for your eyes too. Like a typical eye creme, it works to firm, hydrate, brighten, and depuff. It also contains SPF and pigments to provide coverage around the eye area, making it ideal for day wear. In fact, every woman should be wearing an eye cream - morning and night - in order to most effectively protect the delicate eye area. And a little under eye concealer goes a long way, making your entire complexion appear more even, awake, and radiant. Definitely a daily makeup must! So, now you can combine applying your eye creme and your under eye concealer into one, easy step.
5. Boscia Konjac Cleansing Sponge ($18 at Sephora)
It's not only about what cleanser you use to wash your face, but also how you wash your face. Clarisonic brushes have gotten popular recently, but sometimes they are a little too harsh to use every day. Instead, try pumping your face wash onto Boscia's new cleansing sponge. It is super soft and gentle enough to use daily, even around the eye area. At the same time, it provides very mild exfoliation. Infused with Japanese konjac root, this sponge will help detoxify, soften, and brighten as it cleanses. Much more effective than your average drugstore sponge!
Those are some of my favorite things from 2013. I'm super excited to see the products to come in 2014. Happy New Year everyone!
