by Bonnie Min, RN
@glowonandprosper
Do you ever feel like you could be doing something differently or feel frustrated by your skin care routine and not seeing results? Read below to see if your skin care right for your skin.
Skin care isn’t an exact science….OR IS IT??
I used to think it was as simple as washing my face and going out the door…but that’s before I spent 7 years in the Burn Unit as an ICU Registered Nurse and learned real quick just how important sunscreen is. Then I started a business in skin care and REALLY had my eyes opened.
Here’s the thing. The majority of us aren’t dermatologists, aesthetic nurses or physician assistants, cosmetic chemists or estheticians. We see a problem on our skin and we’re off to the nearest drugstore / department store / Japanese / Korean skin care store / Sephora and come home loaded down with a bunch of products along with a lighter wallet.
But what if the products you bought aren’t designed to work TOGETHER? You’re probably wondering what I’m talking about. I’ll explain. Let’s say you really want to get rid of the wrinkles starting to form on your forehead but you also REALLY want to get rid of the acne that’s there. Most people will go on Instagram, read all about the power of retinol and conclude that they need the retinol for the wrinkles while using the same, trusty benzoyl peroxide cream they used all throughout their teen years for the acne. BOOM! Problem solved!!
Right?
WRONG!!
Did you know that retinol and benzoyl peroxide will actually deactivate each other? And that’s just one example! “Okay, Bonnie”, you think to yourself. “I’ll just swap out the benzoyl peroxide with SALICYLIC ACID! HAH!!!”
Not so fast! Using salicylic acid and retinol will only cause redness and dryness. So unless you’re really digging the peeling, sunburned look, I’d advise against it. Another no-no combo I see a lot on social media is retinol plus AHAs. No, not AHA as in the band that came out with the song “Take On Me”. I’m talking about Alpha Hydroxy Acids aka AHAs. Retinol + AHAs can also lead to redness, irritation and dry skin.
The Vitamin C serum following is really picking up steam because it’s an antioxidant. The problem is that it doesn’t play nice with AHAs, depending on the formulation. Not all antioxidants are created equal so not all of them are able to withstand destabilization.
All this starting to make more wrinkles appear because now you don’t know if your products are working with you or against you? Before you start despairing, I want to ask you something.
What if skin care didn’t have to be so confusing?
What if you could be using clinical skin care that’s created by dermatologists and is recommended JUST FOR YOU and your specific skin care needs?
What if it also didn’t have to cost an arm and a leg?
Have more questions? E-mail Bonnie at bonnie@glowonandprosper.com
Articles by Bonnie Min, RN