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Do you know when you should change your skin care regimen? Keep reading to learn more.
What is a skin care regimen?
A skin care regimen is a series of steps where you apply skin care products on your skin. In general, it’s twice a day and begins with a cleanser. It’s then followed by any products with active ingredients. These could treat a variety of concerns such as texture, wrinkles, or uneven color. The last step is moisturizer. And in the morning, you also add sunscreen after your moisturizer. Any makeup can be applied after that.
Why have a skin care regimen?
A skin care regimen is important to keep your skin healthy. The basics include a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. A cleanser will remove any makeup, dirt, or debris that has accumulated on your skin throughout the course of the day. Moisturizer is important on your face since it’s exposed to the air, which leads to water loss in your skin. About two thirds of your skin is made of water and you need enough water to maintain healthy skin to function properly as a good barrier. Sunscreen is important to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays which damage your skin and can cause wrinkles, uneven color, skin cancer, and more.
You can also add other products like creams and serums to address specific concerns. For example, common ingredients in skin care products include exfoliants such as glycolic acid and salicylic acid. These will improve the surface texture of your skin and reduce breakouts. Retinols will stimulate collagen to keep your skin firm, tight, and youthful. Other products will brighten your skin and improve the appearance of dark spots.
When should I change my skin care regimen?
Then are a few times when you can change things. A common example is when the season changes. Depending on where you live, the weather can become more dry in a certain season. At that time, you may want to use a heavier moisturizer. You can also include other products to hydrate your skin. This will counteract the dry air and keep your skin healthy.
Sometimes you may be using a product to address a specific issue such as dark spots. You want to use the product for at least three months to be able to see an improvement. You may not see results after a few days, so it’s important to be patient. But if you don’t see any improvement after three months, it’s time to switch to something stronger.
Sometimes you may start a product that irritates your skin. Some products like retinols tend to do this and it’s normal. So just back off and use it every other night for a couple of weeks. Your skin will slowly adjust and you’ll eventually be able to use it every night to enjoy the maximum benefits. But with other products, you may have an allergic reaction or sensitivity. In these cases, you want to stop using the product immediately and switch to something else.
There are many skin care products available. You need to find the regimen that works best for you. And at certain times it’s important to change your skin care regimen.
Dr. Alex has performed over 10,000 cosmetic treatments with many satisfied patients. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Alex in our Encino, CA office.