Skincare Routine: The 4 Rules for Adding a Product

There are so many products we all want to try eventually, but how many times have we ended up making a mess by adding a new active ingredient we thought was perfect for our skin to our skincare routine?

Attenzione anche a come applichi il prodotto: forse ne stai applicando troppo o troppo spesso o puoi anche sbagliare l’ordine degli step della tua skincare. In questo caso controlla attentamente tutti i passaggi o chiedi un consiglio. La regola è di non lasciarti sedurre da una promozione o dal prodotto che ha funzionato benissimo su un’altra persona: acquista un cosmetico a seconda della tua reale necessità ed esigenza cutanea e, se hai la possibilità, chiedi consiglio ad uno specialista.

Where to Test It
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Now that you’re fairly convinced you need that skincare product, you need to figure out if your skin tolerates it well, and the best way to do that is to test it! Apply a small amount of product to a small area of your neck or the inner forearm (what doctors call a patch test) and leave it on.
How to interpret the results
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If there is no reaction such as redness, irritation, itching, dryness or even hives in the following days, the product can be safely used all over the face as well. Nevertheless, be careful around delicate areas such as the eye contour or lip contour. If the product did not cause any reaction on the test area, it could still irritate these areas, which have a thinner epidermal layer and are therefore more prone to irritation.
Watch out for Skin Purging
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Have you ever used a new product only to find your skin worsened instead of reaping the benefits? That’s the so-called skin purging phenomenon: a skin reaction that can occur after using new cosmetic products, such as those based on retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids (glycolic acid, malic acid) and beta-hydroxy acids (salicylic acid, which is definitely the active ingredient that triggers this phenomenon most often). Specifically, it involves an initial worsening of the skin with a higher number of blemish-like impurities, but importantly, these will gradually fade over time.

Why does this happen? These products speed up cell turnover, so clogged pores that lie beneath the skin and take 8 to 10 weeks to surface as pimples, whiteheads, or blackheads emerge more quickly onto the skin’s surface. This situation typically starts to improve after 6 to 8 weeks, so be patient and consistent with your use of the products.
What to do if the product doesn't work
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If instead, after two or three months of use, your skin continues to get worse, it’s time to stop using the product.
In fact, if your skin still reacts badly to the product, it may be better to stop using it, or use it differently: for example, you can use a BHA on your body instead of your face to target breakouts, ingrown hairs, stretch marks, keratosis pilaris, or post-waxing stains (only if they are not inflamed).
Also be careful how you apply the product: you might be using too much, using it too often, or even getting the order of your skincare steps wrong. In this case, carefully check all the steps or ask for advice. The rule is not to be swayed by a promotion or by a product that worked perfectly for someone else: buy cosmetics based on your actual skin needs and requirements, and if you can, ask a specialist for advice.