When Should You Stop Using a Skin Care Product?

Some of us are blessed with flawless skin and some of us aren't. I unfortunately belong to the latter group. Throughout high school until my mid-twenties, my skin care routine consisted of using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser and spot treatment at night, and in the morning, Spectro Cleanser and a heavy moisturizer like Nivea Soft to combat the dryness caused by my cleansers. My skin was oily but clear apart from the occasional breakout. 

If you're a reader of this blog, you know that for about the past six months, I've changed both my skin care and makeup after becoming aware of what conventional products can do to our bodies and the environment. Switching all of my products at once has not always been easy on my skin. I've tried a lot of products recently - I've only blogged about ones that have worked for me - and it's not always easy to decide when you should stop using a new product.

Many of us expect new products, whether they are anti-aging or anti-acne treatments, to work immediately. However, you normally do not see results from new products for at least four to six weeks. That's why it can be so difficult to decide if you should continue using a product or try something new. You've probably heard the phrase "your skin will get worse before it gets better" in regards to using new products. That is because a new product, but generally only products that contain active exfoliants like AHA or BHA OR a cleansing brush OR products for acne prone skin may cause your skin to purge. It is widely debated whether skin purging is real or a myth. I firmly believe that it is real because the logical way for trapped debris and oil to leave the skin is through the pores. 

So how do you know if your skin is purging or breaking out? Monitor your skin closely. If you are experiencing the same types of breakouts, especially if they are inflamed, after using a new product than your skin is likely having a bad reaction to the product and you should discontinue using it. However if you are noticing fewer breakouts but more whiteheads than usual, your skin is likely purging. Depending on the condition of your skin, the purging process may start one to two weeks after starting a new product and may last four to eight weeks, sometimes longer. If you have been using a new product for over eight weeks and have not noticed any improvement in your skin, even small a improvement, my advice would be to try something else.