The Shortcomings of Relying On Products To Improve Skin Health
If your glass skin routine has stalled, the issue may not be your products — but what’s missing from them.
You have probably heard of the “glass skin” routine. You’ve seen it. You’ve tried it. There’s the line of products sitting on the counter: a gentle cleanser, a hydrating toner, a serum that will give you that “clear” look. Rinse, pat, layer, and get ready for that beautiful glass-like glow.
For a while, it works. Your skin has never felt so soft. It’s brighter in the morning. You’re feeling confident. However, eventually things slow down. Your skin starts to develop texture around the nose. The pores start to clog again. You continue to add more serums and perhaps even swap out moisturisers. Still, nothing changes. Now it may be time to ask yourself, is there something lacking from the routine itself?
Dependence on Products Only Used Daily (At Home)
The majority of all routines include products you can use each day. Cleansers, exfoliants (with alpha-hydroxy or beta-hydroxy acids), and face masks. All are helpful, but they do have limitations.
Consider a normal evening. For 30 seconds, you clean your skin. Then, you rinse off the cleanser. If you are lucky enough to have a great exfoliant, the dead skin cells will be lifted off over time. However, the congestion under the skin remains untouched.
After a time, you hit a plateau. You have healthy-looking skin, but there are still a couple of minor problems. A few bumps on the forehead. A blackhead that appears a week later after you remove it yourself.
So, a reasonable idea would be to treat the at-home care as simply maintenance. Continue to keep your routine as it is, but recognise that there are some issues that need more than a bottle of product to correct.
Not Using Professional Exfoliations (Extractions)
It is very easy to skip extractions. They can be painful, and many individuals attempt to remove their clogged pores themselves.
Imagine yourself in front of the mirror in the bathroom after taking a hot shower. You use your fingers or a metal device to remove that stubborn blackhead. While you might be able to successfully remove the blackhead one or two times, the majority of the time, this will cause irritation or leave behind scars that could take several days to heal.
Professionally done extractions are completely different. By trained aestheticians, they are carefully performed and precisely focused. The skin is prepared correctly prior to the extraction. The preparation usually includes applying steam or a softening agent. The force used during the extraction is controlled so that no additional damage is caused.
Removing the visible pore blockage is not the only purpose. Removing the underlying formation of the blockage is equally important. Scheduling a facial every 4-6 weeks, if you tend to have blocked pores, is beneficial. It prevents the buildup cycle and the constant picking.
Missing Skin Analysis
Most routines are developed based on assumptions. For instance, you may believe your skin is oily because of the shine you see during the middle of the day. Or, you may believe your skin is dry because it feels tight after washing your face. If you don’t receive an accurate evaluation of your skin, you run the risk of treating the wrong condition.
An example of this is when someone uses a high concentration of exfoliating acid to address what they perceive as dullness. However, in actuality, the skin may be dehydrated, not congested. As a result, the skin barrier is damaged and becomes more sensitive.
When receiving professional treatment, the skin is analyzed much more accurately. Through magnified observation, tiny problems are clearly identified. Fine dehydration lines around the eyes. Early congestion is developing along the jawline. Areas of skin where the skin barrier is beginning to deteriorate.
The treatment strategy changes. Rather than increasing the strength of products, you may be instructed to decrease the frequency of exfoliation and instead concentrate on hydration, or to alternate active ingredients instead of stacking them. Achieving that kind of adjustment without seeing the skin up close and personal is quite challenging.
Expecting To See Change Right Away
Many people think “glass skin” refers to perfect, reflective skin. We want this right now. Skin doesn’t get better in one day. Skin gets better in layers. Texture may soften a little bit, then the tone starts looking more even. Change happens slowly and is based on being consistent with the skin care routine we have, rather than how much time we spend with our skin.
While one good facial will probably not drastically improve the quality of your skin instantly, nor will one good product solve all problems with your skin. The most effective method to achieve noticeable improvement in your skin is through using a consistent home routine along with occasional professional treatments.
Don’t expect an “overhaul,” but think about what small changes you’ve noticed. Have you noticed that your skin feels cleaner after washing? Has the way you apply makeup to your face changed? Take a closer look at your pores in daylight (not harsh bathroom lights).
Thinking about the small improvements in your skin will give you a greater sense of the actual improvements you have made in your skin than trying to measure how much it has changed.
Combining It All
A solid routine isn’t built around just products. A solid routine builds in habits, timing, and occasionally getting some guidance from someone who has seen many different types of skin and can help identify issues you may miss.
If your current routine seems stagnant and you’re not sure why, the reason may not be to add another serum or mask. It may be the addition of a scheduled appointment to support what you are currently doing at home.
Keep your daily routine simple and consistent. Then, every few weeks, go into a treatment room and let a skilled professional work with your skin for an hour. This combination usually leads to faster results than using products alone.
