Why your skincare routine isn’t working

Skincare is all the rage at the moment and as a result many of us are jumping onto the skincare bandwagon. However, for some skincare enthusiasts, the results may not be showing up as soon as you would have expected. For yet others, skincare concerns may be exacerbated.

If you are not seeing results from your skincare routine or you are suddenly getting breakouts, there could be several reasons why.

You don’t have your basics

A proper skincare routine must have a cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen. These three are the most basic products and tend to work best to address many common skin concerns. Cleansers ensure that the dirt, oil and layer of sunscreen you had applied are completely removed from your skin; moisturizers ensure that your skin stays supple and youthful and prevent over-secretion of sebum while sunscreen protects from the sun’s harsh rays. Other products such as exfoliators, toners, serums or essences only serve to accelerate these results.

You’re using products that are not suited for your skin

This is a common mistake when it comes to skincare. Oftentimes, people try out products that worked for their friends or an influential person yet people have different skin types and concerns. For instance, someone with oily skin requires foam or gel cleansers to control the oiliness while a person with dry skin requires more hydrating products.

Additionally, with the rise and rise of ‘skinfluencers’ it is almost impossible to ignore the barrage of information coming your way and some of it may be misleading. To tackle this, ensure that you do thorough research before purchasing products to know what your skin type is and how best you can tackle your skin concerns such as acne, hyper-pigmentation(dark spots) or rough skin(texture).

You are not patient

Some skincare products tend to work over some time and therefore expecting instant results from them is giving yourself unnecessary pressure. While some like hydrating toners tend to have their effects felt overnight, you should ideally give products at least 2-3 weeks to notice any visible changes. Some take up to eight weeks to have any significant results.

You are over-exfoliating

Many people also fall into this category whereby they exfoliate their skin to a point of sensitizing it. It could be using chemical exfoliants too often or using very harsh physical exfoliants such as apricot scrubs on the face. These damage the skin’s moisture barrier leading to an over-secretion of sebum and consequently clogged pores which lead to breakouts or cause micro-tears on the skin which makes it prone to infections.

You are not using (enough) sunscreen

You have probably heard that sunscreen is very important, even while in the house, but most people still skip on sunscreen and if they do, they do not apply enough of it.  The ideal amount of SPF to apply is usually the length of your index and middle finger for your face, neck and chest area. For people trying to get rid of dark marks, sunscreen is especially important since it prevents the sun from darkening the spots even further.

You are relying on DIY products

Natural skincare and DIY products have been touted as better than chemical products yet some of them have adverse effects on the skin. The advantage of store-bought skincare products is that the products are made in a controlled environment and tested prior to landing on shelves. Things like apple cider vinegar, lemon, sugar and some favourite kitchen ingredients could be doing more harm than good.