Ok, so a new Instagram worthy face mask has grabbed your attention or your favorite TikTok influencer is all about a new foundation...but is it right for you and your skin type?
First- it is really important to know your own skin type. See our previous blog for tips on deciding what skin type you have. Regardless if you have oily or combo skin, all skin needs time to acclimate to new ingredients, especially more intense, effective actives. Otherwise, we risk skin reactions like dermatitis, peeling, dryness, redness, and ugh..breakouts.
Keep reading to learn how to avoid breakouts caused by new skincare ingredients.
You can learn so much about a product by checking out verified customer reviews. Helpful details on how other people reacted to the product, like if it made a rash appear. You can also find useful information like the effectiveness of the product ie: did it perform like it claims to. Even better, some reviewers will share personal information about their skin so that you can compare.
If the product you are trying out has specific ingredients like intense, clinical actives in it, you certainly want to try out a small patch before applying to your entire face. Behind your ear is a popular spot. You may not want to skip this step with even natural, clean products, because even botanicals can cause a reaction especially if you have sensitive skin.
There is nothing more enticing when you have new goodies to want to try everything, right now. We want to try the new tincture, bar soap, face mask, cleanser, and serum all at once. many times, introducing new products (this counts for food and drinks) all at once, we suffer some consequences. In order to understand which products are helping and which are causing problems, we need to simplify and try one new product at a time. Give it at least two weeks of consistent use (unless there is an immediate reaction; then stop immediately).
Don’t do it before a big event
And just to be on the safe side, plan on picking a time to try out a new product on a Wednesday evening to give some time before your weekend plans. The last thing we want is a rash or the beginnings of an inflammatory purge breakout just when we’d hoped to look our very best.
On the occasions that our skin simply is not loving our latest product, of course stop using it right away, and rinse with cool water. We want to cleanse thoroughly, and ice the area to keep inflammation down. When in doubt, always ice. Stay away from hot water and any extreme heat, which can make the reaction worse.
