Being patient with your skin is not easy. When you see a pimple pop up, you want it gone immediately! Caught a glimpse of a wrinkle? You wanted it smooth yesterday. And all the cream products out there promising huge changes in weeks, days, or even overnight don’t help the problem.
But it isn’t always about the right products, your diet, or anything else. You need to wait for products to work – or your hormones to change. And these things don’t happen overnight! All acne treatments, wrinkle repair creams, and even prescription ointments take time to work. So, how do you learn that patience? Here are a few tips.
Unfollow Skincare Brands With Damaging Marketing
This can be hard when you want to keep up with the newest launches, but it’s important to follow accounts that are honest about their results and how long it takes to see a difference. Unfollow accounts that photoshop their photos or make unsubstantiated claims about their products.
Try One New Product at a Time
Because products are often sold together, it can be easy to think you have to invest in a whole new skincare regime. Companies might also say that their products work best when used together. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. If you want to try a new product, try slowly incorporating it into your routine. Once you’ve been using it for a couple weeks and haven’t seen any irritation, you can add something else. This way, you’ll know what works and what doesn’t.
Don’t Compare Your Progress to Others
Everyone’s skin is different and reacts to ingredients differently. Just because an acne treatment worked wonders for your friend doesn’t mean it will work for you. You could be sensitive to the active ingredient – or the way that product treats the skin isn’t beneficial for you. Try to look at your skin story as its own, separate from anyone else’s.
Don’t Over-Treat Your Skin
You will not see fast or amazing results because you double up on products. Instead, using multiple products, especially those with the same or similar ingredients, can have adverse effects, including dryness or irritation.
Wear SPF
Most products that treat aging, acne, and hyperpigmentation leave your skin more susceptible to sun damage. If you want to give your products a chance to work, wear SPF every day.
Accept Purging as Part of the Process
Skincare is a process, and sometimes it gets worse before it gets better. Many products work to bring the bacteria in your pores to the surface of the skin before clearing it. That can cause an influx of acne and make you think the product is causing a breakout when it is really just part of the skin-clearing process. However, the product will usually tell you that this is what happens when you use the product – if you keep breaking out after a few weeks, it’s time to switch products.
Take Progress Photos
When trying a new skincare product or treatment, be sure to take a before photo and one photo after each week of use. Then, after eight weeks, scroll through the pictures to see the difference. This can help you remain optimistic without unrealistic expectations.
Additional Sources: ScienceDaily / Wisconsin State Journal