Jumping Ship Before Giving It A Chance!!

May 8, 2015

Shelley W.

So often I respond to posts where individuals describe trying x,y and z and citing that the product did give them any results.

I'm a skincare junkie. I collect skincare products like some collect lipstick. The more the merrier. Along the way I learned the importance of giving things a thorough chance before I discount it as worthless.

The way our skin works and the science behind skincare products is that results should not be expected to occur overnight. Some products such as potent serums/creams (AHA, retinols for example) may give the first time user a slight change in skin texture the next day but its nothing earth shattering. The real magic comes from daily use and depending on the percentage of the active ingredients it could take anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks to see a huge difference. Now that doesn't mean "Let me speed up the results by using a quarter size amount of a retinol cream instead of the standard pea-size amount." That will not only defeat the purpose but could cause major skin irritation. The skin can only absorb so much product and then after that it becomes a hot mess.

Product hopping after only using it for a short amount of time is not beneficial to the skin or the wallet. You are just upping your chances of experiencing skin irritation and not knowing what product caused the issue as some can cause delayed reactions.

With all that being said...its important to give a product a solid chance, be mindful of manufacture directions and watch out for any negative reactions. And another rule I follow...when I buy multiple skincare items in one run I only introduce one item at a time so in case there is an issue I can isolate the possible offender and remove it from my line-up. I've had situations where in my sheer excitement used 4 new products at once and experienced a major breakout. Couldn't figure out which one was the cause and spent two months re-testing every single one till I learned it was an antioxidant serum.

I'm curious to know...what products have you tried that you honestly felt like you didn't give them a solid chance to work?

May 8, 2015

Shelley W.

*didn't give results*

May 8, 2015

Cindy R.

I can honestly say the Cindy Crawford line and excuviance. if I have learned anything for you and Traci. it's to use it for a couple months and see if you notice a difference. when Traci for told me about the roc I was so skeptical lol. I was like it's from the drug store and will never work Lmao. but I went at for months with the roc and noticed a complete difference my pores were closing my skin felt awesome and my little tiny lines were fading. not going to lie I've stop using it and my skin has gotten so horrible. I think your right we need to stick to it to get results. I feel as women we want that instant result when that's not realistic at all. it takes us years to age so it's going to take years to repair our skin.

May 8, 2015

Cindy R.

It's all about sticking to it

May 8, 2015

Breeze T.

Another great post Shelley! You're absolutely right, I've been guilty of using many products at once and not knowing which was to blame for my breakouts!

What product I think I haven't given a proper chance? I honestly can't think of any, but I have lots on my list to try out on their own to see if they're causing my skin to break out so, in reality, I think I haven't given the scientific method a chance! lol

May 8, 2015

Rebecca J.

Shelley have you tried hydraluron by indeed labs? I've been using it for about four days a week for around two months but haven't noticed any improvement in hydration :/ I have come to the conclusion its not all its cracked up to be! I generally give skincare a good amount of time to see if it works for me but sometimes I just get bored of a certain product and look for something else.

May 8, 2015

Shelley W.

Another thing to be mindful of...if active ingredients sit high on the list the greater chance of speedier results than if they sat at the bottom. I always take that in consideration as well.

@Rebecca...I'm vaguely familiar with the line. I'll have to investigate it. I'm always curious about lines that fly under the radar so to speak.

I'm glad the post was beneficial and it gave ya'all something to think about in regards to your skincare programs.

May 8, 2015

Rebecca J.

Let me know if you decide to check out the brand. I'm interested in the eye cream and retinol treatment they have as I've been hearing great reviews from friends.

May 9, 2015

Shelley W.

Rebecca I just went to company website and they are very vague with a full ingredients list. Which annoys me when companies don't disclose such information. I remember seeing them at a industry conference but my husband and I didn't stop by their booth. I did find out that they are carried at ULTA so I'll probably have to visit the store to get the list. If its not working for you even with consistent use that key ingredient might just be sitting at the near bottom of the list.

May 9, 2015

Shelley W.

The key ingredient definitely sits high up on the list which overall is short and to the point. I know I won't be able to use it because Phenoxyethanol is an irritant for me. Its a common preservative. And it sits high up on the list. Maybe increase usage to everyday and sew what happens. Pretty impressed by the short ingredient list.

May 9, 2015

Rebecca J.

Thanks Shelley! yeah all of their products have short lists and to the point which is good, but it is annoying that the ingredients lists aren't on their main website. I will start using it everyday and report back if I notice any improvements.

May 9, 2015

Regina B.

Thanks for the post Shelley. I know that you, and your husband, have a great deal of knowledge regarding the chemicals and ingredients that are found in makeup and skincare lines. I've always wanted to ask you how to break that information down to figure what those items are, and what the benefits/risks are. I know I can look up items online, but honestly some of it is Greek to me. Lol. I would appreciation any basic tips you have on how to research these items. It would go a long way for to figure out just how to determine what items may be irritants for me as well.

May 9, 2015

Regina B.

Sorry Shelley. I actually did exactly what your other post talked about. My question had nothing to do with your original post question. Sorry about that. 😔

May 9, 2015

Shelley W.

Its ok Regina. :) There are several camps in which to look at when it comes to finding out what could be possible irritants but you will boggle your brain with the insanity of it all. The best course of action, if you can afford to do so, is getting your standard allergy test (aka the "prick test") from a dermo. There will test it against common ingredients found in most sincere/cosmetics. What are the common irritants? Fragrance, dyes, formaldehyde releasers such as quaternium 15 bronopol, DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea and there is one other one that I can't remember and I don't even know if I spelled the one's I just mentioned correctly. Surfactants...one that comes to mind is cocomidopropyl betaine. They are used as part of the foaming action for cleanser for example. Parabens which are preservatives...but what is crazy...from a personal standpoint those do not irritate my skin but there is one called phenoxyethanol that irritates the mess outta me if it sits too high on the ingredients list. Lanolin and its side kicks called derivatives...medical grade or not...a lot of folks can't handle that stuff (I personally can't). Then you have your common essential oils that cause havoc as well (giving lavender oil the evil side-eye).

The research tools that I have at my disposal...some of which can be easily obtained if you live near a big research university with a medical school department...are my husband's textbooks/manuals from when he went thru his dermo residency. Sometimes I pester him to help some of the beauties here on BL with their questions/concerns and the internet...I tread very carefully with that because a lot of the information that is posted is often times incorrect or they have an agenda that is centered around their cause so you aren't reading material that contains FACT but instead their interpretation. If you ever have question about an ingredient please do not hesitate in the slightest by reaching out to me via my personal profile here. My schedule outside of BL is pretty crazy so if I don't respond right away please know that I will. :)

May 10, 2015

Regina B.

Thank you so much Shelley. I appreciate you taking the time to give me a such a thorough explanation. I have recently (about a month now) been trying the Murad line. I like it so far. Do I think my skin is dramatically different? No. But I feel there have been changes and I am trying to stick it out to determine if it will make a difference. I am just so tired of trying all of the different products myself, and have been guilty of maybe not trying for long enough. I just have not been able to determine why something is not working, and if it's because I am allergic to something or not. I do want to see a dermatologist when I am able to. Thanks again!