A common question asked is how often do I need to use my serums or exfoliant?
Serums and Actives: Depending on the formulation and the issue you’re treating can vary how frequently you may need to use these to achieve the desired result.
For example if your aim is to add hydration/moisture, maintenance or general anti-aging, realistically this only needs to be used between 2-3 days a week (either in the AM or PM not really both).
You could get away with more hydration/moisturisers like peptides, omega fatty acids, etc but even then there’s a limit to how much the skin can absorb and too much can lead to irritation.
If treating issues like scarring, hyper-pigmentation, these may require more frequent use of actives like Niacinamide, Vitamin C, Retinoids or brightening agents like Alpha Arbutin/Hydroquinone. A frequency of somewhere between 3-5 days per week to treat the issue, then reduced to 2-3 days for maintenance, unless directed by a professional for a personalized treatment plan.
When looking at reducing these issues, factor in the time these took to accumulate. Hyper-pigmentation can be under the surface for years before becoming visible to the eye (If you look at people who have had their skin photographed under a UV light you can see what I’m referring to). The same applies to scarring as this can take a while to accumulate and dependent on how long these are left, can impact the results. Scars older than 2 years can be more difficult to breakdown as the collagen fibers are more set so be patient.
A large number of the people I saw come into the dermatology/cosmetic clinics I've worked in with skin sensitivities were due to overuse of topical products both prescription and otc. Even more gentle options like Hyaluronic Acid and peptides if used excessively can lead to sensitization.
For example if your aim is to add hydration/moisture, maintenance or general anti-aging, realistically this only needs to be used between 2-3 days a week (either in the AM or PM not really both).
You could get away with more hydration/moisturisers like peptides, omega fatty acids, etc but even then there’s a limit to how much the skin can absorb and too much can lead to irritation.
If treating issues like scarring, hyper-pigmentation, these may require more frequent use of actives like Niacinamide, Vitamin C, Retinoids or brightening agents like Alpha Arbutin/Hydroquinone. A frequency of somewhere between 3-5 days per week to treat the issue, then reduced to 2-3 days for maintenance, unless directed by a professional for a personalized treatment plan.
When looking at reducing these issues, factor in the time these took to accumulate. Hyper-pigmentation can be under the surface for years before becoming visible to the eye (If you look at people who have had their skin photographed under a UV light you can see what I’m referring to). The same applies to scarring as this can take a while to accumulate and dependent on how long these are left, can impact the results. Scars older than 2 years can be more difficult to breakdown as the collagen fibers are more set so be patient.
A large number of the people I saw come into the dermatology/cosmetic clinics I've worked in with skin sensitivities were due to overuse of topical products both prescription and otc. Even more gentle options like Hyaluronic Acid and peptides if used excessively can lead to sensitization.
Exfoliants: Similar to the above, unless treating a specific issue, the frequency can be used more sparsely. The key is consistency. Improvements can take a few months to begin to become visible. A tick I do is to monitor it is through pics. That way when you look back a few months ago you can see the improvements. I think when we analyse our faces regularly it’s a little hard to notice these improvements.
Factor in that the effects of overuse of the above ingredients can be accumulative and may not appear initially or even the following months but can start to appear years later.
By introducing any new skincare product try and do it 1 at a time and gradually. If you introduce a new product 1 at a time and start off once a week. That way you can gradually increase 1 day each week until you're using it the desired frequency. This reduces the risk of irritation from too many new products being used too quickly. It will also allow you to identify the products that don’t agree with your skin.
It’s always good to patch test behind your ear. Ideally for 72 hours but this can be tricky so a minimum of 24 hours would give a decent indication if there’s any reaction.
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