Skincare Routine: The 4 Rules for Adding a Product

There are so many products we might want to try at some point, but how many times have we had disasters when 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 check 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 inside of your forearm (what doctors call a patch test) and let it sit.
How to interpret the results
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If there is no reaction such as redness, irritation, itching, dryness or even puffiness in the following days, the product can be safely used all over the face. Nevertheless, be careful around delicate areas such as the Eye Contour or the lip contour. Even if the product did not cause any reaction on the test area, it may still irritate these areas, which have a thinner layer of the epidermis 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 have your Skin worsen instead of seeing benefits? This is the so-called skin purging phenomenon: a reaction of the Skin 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, undoubtedly the active ingredient that triggers this phenomenon most often). Specifically, it involves an initial worsening of the Skin with a higher prevalence of blemish-like impurities, but importantly, these gradually decrease over time.

Why does this happen? These products speed up cellular turnover, so clogged pores — which lie beneath the Skin and take 8 to 10 weeks to appear on the Skin as pimples, whiteheads, or blackheads — emerge more quickly onto the Skin’s surface. This situation typically starts to improve after 6-8 weeks, so be patient and consistent with your use of the products.
What should I do if the product doesn’t work properly
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If instead, after two or three months of use, your Skin continues to worsen, it is 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 perhaps use it differently: for example, you can use a BHA not on your face but on your body to combat blemishes, ingrown hairs, stretch marks, keratosis pilaris, or post-waxing spots (only if they are not inflamed).
Also be careful about how you apply the product: you might be using too much or too often, or you could even be 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 needs and Skin requirements, and if possible, consult a specialist.