Everyone has their own preferred skincare routine,
but which one is the right one? Is it the most elaborate one that takes an hour from start to finish? Or is it the cheapest one that barely does anything? Most often, it is the one that has the qualities you want to have, not the ones someone else thinks you should have. Think you have it down? Here are 5 indicators that you should give your routine a refresh:
1. Your routine is too expensive.
Chances are that if your routine is expensive or includes expensive products, you're less likely to follow your plan or use the products that are supposed to help. Many times those expensive products include minute amounts of the so-called "miracle ingredients" that might not make much of a difference in the end product.
Tip #1: Choose products that you can afford to use every day
Very few products have indefinite shelf lives-- most have a shelf life of between 3 to 12 months. If you keep expensive products hidden away because you don't want to use them, chances are they will go bad before they can be used all the way.
2. Your routine takes too much time.
The last thing you want to do at night is spending an hour washing your face when you could have an extra hour of sleep. Sometimes using too many products can cause irritation or cancel the intended effects of certain products. A routine that takes too long is a routine that gets skipped too often.
Tip #2: Simplify your routine
Paring your routine down to cleansing, moisturizing, and an optional third step can help reduce the amount of time spent in the morning or evening fussing over taking care of your skin. A simple routine is less likely to be skipped and more likely to help improve your skin.
3. Your skin is still irritated or not getting better.
After evaluating other environmental factors, sometimes the cause of skin irritation is the products you are using! A product you've used for years may stop behaving as it had for many reasons such as medications, lifestyle changes, or stress. Switching to a different product can help calm things down like mentioned in this product's review.
Tip #3: Change it up!
The cleanser review mentions how the user reacted negatively to three products and her skin saw the difference when she switched to a gentle and natural alternative. Sometimes simpler is better when dealing with irritation! (this is not medical advice:: if you are reacting negatively to a product it may indicate that you should seek proper medical attention)
4. You found that you don't like the ingredients.
Whether it be the scent, texture, or irritants, you shouldn't suffer through using a product that you don't like for one (or multiple!) reasons. Reading ingredient labels can be daunting without training, so check out the values of the brand and basic information found off of the ingredient label.
Tip #4: Research the alternatives
You don't need a Ph.D. in Chemistry to Google a brand or product. Searching out products that start by saying they don't use synthetic fragrances, phthalates, parabens, or synthetic preservatives will lead you in the right direction. A good product will have common or Latin names for ingredients or descriptions that tell what an ingredient is and how it is used.
5. You want to support a different business model.
Whether you're looking to use something local or something more natural than bright pink with plastic beads, spending the amount you would at a superstore may be insignificant in corporate eyes, but that same amount could help a local/small business owner pay for education, open a brick-and-mortar store, or improve a website.
Tip #5: Supporting local and small businesses does more than you think
Like the small business owner who is writing this post, every dollar spent at a small business has a larger impact than just providing you a product. Full disclosure: it may cost a superbrand pennies to make a synthetic product compared to it costing a few dollars for a local brand to make a natural one, but the opportunities created by a locally spent dollar are priceless.
Product Recommendations
Vérité Skincare blood orange and rose scent cleanser
This cleanser is both soothing and effective. By combining the bright scent of blood oranges and the gentle cleansing power of coconut-derived cleansers, this cleanser will wow your skin for ages to come!
view other Vérité Skincare cleansers here
Vérité Skincare grapefruit and bergamot scent body lotion
This body lotion is thick, creamy, and fast absorbing. The inclusion of both non-comedogenic organic shea butter and organic safflower oil won't clog your pores but still keep your skin moisturized when it's -50 degrees outside! (please don't test that though!)
view other Vérité Skincare body lotions here