Why is your skin care routine not working? Top 8 reasons
Are you experiencing a sudden onset of pimples and patches on your face? Is your skin feeling itchy and irritated? Are you not seeing any improvement in your skin with skin care products?
If yes, don't curse your skincare products. It's your skin care routine that is not working properly.
In the skincare journey, opting for a skincare routine and choosing skincare products as per your skin type is most essential, here’s how. A perfect skin care routine that is working well for your friend may not work for your skin. You are also susceptible to making mistakes that you don't even realize.
It may be frustrating, as you have invested a lot of time and money. Instead of getting frustrated, you should understand the reasons behind it and figure out the common mistakes you are making. Let's explore the reasons why your skincare routine is not working and how to deal with it to re-fetch out the benefits of your skincare routine.
Let's discuss Top 8 reasons why your skin care routine is not working -
1. Your skin circadian rhythm is disturbed
2. Your skin is accustomed to your routine
3. You have a hormonal imbalance
4. You are not responding to climate change
5. You are not exfoliating regularly
6. Your product is ineffective, expired, degraded or contaminated
7. You are not layering products in right order
8. You have unrealistic expectations
1. Your skin circadian rhythm is disturbed
Do you know? Your body has a biological clock or circadian rhythm which regulates various functions such as eating habits, body temperature, digestion, hormone levels, daily cycles of sleeping and waking.
Like your body, your skin has a circadian rhythm too. During day, your skin is exposed to various environmental aggressors, therefore it is in defense mode whereas during night, it repairs the damage incurred during day, so it is in recovery mode.
But, changes in your lifestyle and environmental factors can cause your skin circadian rhythms to be out of sync. For instance: Jet lag, night time shift hours, sleep disorders and light from electronic devices at night can confuse your skin biological clock and disrupt the function of clock genes which regulates day and night time functions of the skin.
So, you need to synchronize this imbalance in your skin circadian rhythm. Research has devised natural miraculous ingredients which have the ability to re balance the fluctuations in your skin rhythm. One such innovative ingredient is 'Chrono Chardy' which will reset your skin circadian rhythm while offering multiply benefits such as hydration and anti-aging.
2. Your skin is accustomed to your routine
When you are following a skincare routine for a prolonged time, your skin gets accustomed to it. Your skin is not constant and therefore its needs change with various factors such as diet, lifestyle, hormonal imbalance and ageing as well.
For instance, when you are a teenager you are more prone to develop pimples and acne breakouts, however, when you are in your thirties, you are more prone to develop dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles.
{Related: Do you know the difference between fine lines and wrinkles?}
This is the reason why your skincare products may work well and turn out to be useless or even harm your skin some other time. It is recommended to change your skincare routine as well as products as per your skin type (such as oily skin, sensitive skin) and specific needs (such as sun care and anti-aging) of your skin.
You should change your skincare routine after a few weeks preferably. You can also go for a skin analysis test for customized products as per your needs.
3. You are having a hormonal imbalance
Hormones are the chemical messengers that play an integral role in carrying out various body processes such as metabolism, growth, development, sexual function, reproduction and mood. They not only influence your body processes but also affect your skin health.
For instance, an increase in the production of androgen can cause excess sebum production and thus makes your skin oily and acne-prone. If you are also struggling with acne, here’s a proper skin care routine for your acne prone skin.
Sometimes, it is not your skincare products but an imbalance in hormones that causes skin concerns. So what to do? In this situation, you should visit a dermatologist. He/ She can suspect whether a certain hormone is off balance and suggest the remedies as well.
4. You are not responding to climate change
The climatic conditions and your skincare concerns go hand in hand and together define your skincare routine. Environmental factors like humidity and UV rays interfere with the efficacy of your skincare regimen. Also learn the damaging effects of UV rays on skin.
In winters your skin is vulnerable to dryness due to lack of humidity whereas, in summers, your skin is more prone to acne breakouts and comedones due to excess production of sweat and sebum. Likewise, heavy hydration creams and moisturizers worked well in winters but they may be ineffective in hot and humid weather.
As you change your dressing according to weather change, you must evaluate and change your skincare routine too. Use a light sunscreen and gentle cleanser in summers, whereas opt for hyaluronic acid based moisturizer in winters. Also, learn some facts about hyaluronic acid.
If you are a beginner and want to build a perfect skincare routine for summers and winters, you can learn winter care tips and summer care tips.
5. You are not exfoliating regularly
Every 28 days, your skin renews and a dead skin layer accumulates on the surface of your skin. A buildup of dead skin cells, grime, makeup residues and all other impurities will affect the permeability and absorption of your skincare products.
There is no matter in buying expensive skin brightening creams, until you slough off dead skin cells. Therefore, washing your face and exfoliating with alpha hydroxy acid based cleanser twice a week is essential. Here’s everything you need to know about hydroxy acid and their benefits for skin.
Regular cleansing and exfoliation will remove dead skin cells from your skin making it bright. It will also improve the efficacy of skincare products.
Want to remove dead skin cells from face, here’s how
6. Your product is ineffective, expired, degraded or contaminated
The common reason why your skincare products are not effective is that you might be using an expired, degraded or contaminated product or it contains harsh ingredients. This occurs when you are not handling and storing it properly.
For instance, Vitamin C serum may degrade if you store it in light. It is important to check the label indicating its storage conditions and expiry date while buying it.
If you didn't do enough research about your skincare product, then what are you doing girl? You should know the active as well as harsh ingredients present in the product.
Harsh ingredients like artificial dyes and fragrances can counteract the efficacy of active ingredients and can also cause allergies or irritation. Therefore, always opt for skincare products enriched with clinically proven and mild ingredients.
7. You are not layering products in the right order
A skincare routine is effective only if you layer the skincare products in the right order. Using the right products is one thing and using them in the right order is another thing. You should layer the product in order from the thinnest formulation such as cleansing lotion to the thickest formulation such as face oils and sunscreen.
Sunscreen, but for which sunscreen to go. Don't confuse, read - 5 easy steps to choose best sunscreen for you.
The perfect order for day time should be: Cleanser, Toner, Serum, Eye cream, Spot treatment, Moisturizer, Sunscreen, Makeup and for night time should be: Makeup remover, Cleanser, Exfoliate, Toner, Serum, Spot treatment, Eye cream, Night cream.
Also read: Guide to night care routine
While layering you should also focus on product application, optimum quantity and adequate time needed for absorption and moving onto the next product. Always make sure to use the right products in the right combination, for eg combining retinoid with benzoyl peroxide or retinol with vitamin c serum may reduce the efficacy of the product.
New to retinoid, read - Benefits of retinoid for skin, this will surely help you.
8. You have unrealistic expectations
There is no miracle product or magic ingredient which will work in one day. Every skincare product needs some time to give you desired results. Even the best Vitamin C serum cannot diminish your ageing signs and give you a clear glowing skin overnight.
Ideally, you should be consistent and have unrealistic expectations when it comes to your skincare products and routine. You should be patient and wait for at least 3 months before judging any product. Don’t forget your diet and lifestyle also plays an integral role in improving the appearance of your skin.
Bottom line
Getting clear skin and finding a skincare routine for you is troublesome. Making mistakes is natural but these simple mistakes can cause negative effects on the skin, making it itchier. Also, there may be some unforeseen factors which are hindering the effectiveness of your skincare products and resulting in constant skincare problems such as pimples, blemishes & more.
It may be a disturbance in your skin circadian rhythm, hormonal imbalance, environmental change or inconsistency in your skincare routine.
Taking a step back and understanding the reasons which are slowing down your journey to clear skin is quite helpful. Addressing and fixing these simple mistakes such as cleansing, exfoliating and layering will help you to be on track and achieve desired results you are craving for.
Despite these, you must synchronize imbalance in your skin circadian rhythm. Here comes, Chrono Beauty, a novel concept, first time launched in India by Derma Essentia. This skin care brand offers a range of skin care products which are enriched with ingredient 'Chrono Chardy' which will definitely balance your skin day and night functions, preventing the damage and booting skin natural repair processes.
Learn more about Chrono beauty and how it balance your skin circadian rhythm.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
1. How do I know if my skincare routine is not working?
Dermatologists explained that if you are breaking out more, noticing discoloration and uneven skin tone, experiencing itchiness, irritation, redness and stinging, then your skincare routine, as well as products, are not working definitely. You need to revamp your skincare routine.
2. How to re-purpose skincare products that don't work for you?
You can re purpose skincare products that don’t work for you by following some simple steps:
1) Cleanse and exfoliate your skin regularly with an AHA Face Wash
2) Know your skin type and choose the right skin care products. For instance- a salicylic acid based cleanser for oily and acne prone skin. Also, find some useful tips for oily skin in summers
3) Don’t sleep with makeup and change your pillow covering once a week
4) Use gel based sunscreen regularly
5) Pay attention to your neck area
6) Eat a balanced diet, stay hydrated and get enough sleep
7) Do face cleanup after every 15 days to keep your skin clear, bright and radiant. Here’s how
Vilvah on
Actually, I met the actual worth behind the phrase of “stop wishing you had great skin and get it”.. This blog too reflect the attempts that fails in my experiments. Thank you for such blog