Ask Liz: How do you know when your skincare is and isn't working for you?

Photography by Perkin Gotohio

When do you know when a skincare product isn't working for you? Should you really wait for a week before switching to a different one? - Firas

Skincare is so personal that it’s almost impossible to tell which ingredient/s in your products cause your skin to react positively or negatively. And then of course there are also products that by their very nature cause your skin to “purge” in order to clear out pore blockages, such as those with chemical exfoliants (acids) and retinol. It can get confusing that even for me it’s hard to tell, but I do have some advice for you!

Only use one new product at a time

I know, so obvious, but it’s very tempting to add a couple or so things when we’re already trying something new anyway! We think that if we try more, then the results will be better. But that’s rarely the case! Add products in your routine only one a time so you can easily see how your skin changes afterwards. This is the best way to find out how a product actually affects your skin - in both good and bad ways.

Important: don’t use a new product when your skin is already flaring up, because it might aggravate the situation instead of fixing it.

Note your skin texture before and after

It helps to take a photo and write down some notes on your skin condition before you use a new product.

For me, the easiest way to tell if a product is working for me or not is to feel my skin texture. I know how my skin feels like when it’s behaving, so when I notice some roughness or bumps start to form I already know that it’s a big X even before I go into full breakout mode. Good, effective skincare makes my skin feel smooth and supple within just a few days - it’s hard to describe because it’s really down to touch at this point! Acids work pretty fast, while retinol and vitamin c does take a lot longer.

Again, it’s different for everyone, so you have to closely observe how your skin is when it’s good and when it’s bad, and then make an informed decision from there.

But how long does it take before you can see good results from your skincare products?

Assuming you don’t break out, how do you know that something is actually effective? It takes a few weeks for actives to show any results, depending on their concentration in the formulation and level of quality. The higher the concentration, the better the grade of the raw material, the faster skincare works. That’s usually why expensive skincare is, well, expensive.

If the concentration is low and the raw material is just of middling quality, then it will take some time to see any changes - if there will be any changes at all. If by two months or so nothing has changed then likely you bought a dud. You can definitely still use it for maintenance but it’s unlikely you’ll see other changes.

Hope this helps!