Acclimating to Your New Skincare Regimen

So you’ve said goodbye to products that weren’t doing your skin any favors. We know that new things can be scary – so while you dive into your first professional regimen, please keep the following in mind. 

At your appointment, your aesthetician gave you thorough and specific instructions on how to use your new products. While those instructions are specific to you, there are generally a few themes that we all keep consistent and are important for nearly all skin routines: 

1. Perform a 1-2 minute THOROUGH cleanse at night (your morning cleanse can be less focused and more gentle). Your new cleanser is full of incredible ingredients that need time to work their magic on your skin. You’ll be shocked at what the right cleanser can do for your skin.

2. Regularly apply some sort of “active” serum at night. This step is another change-maker. Think of this as the medicine for your skin.

3. Moisturize twice a day and always apply SPF in the AMs. You’ve got to keep your skin moisturized and protected so that your skin can better tolerate your active cleanser and serum.

Now that we’re all on the same page about what we’re doing, these are the most common concerns we get while clients acclimate to their new products and how we address them! 

“I think I’m allergic to this”

What is really going on: The skincare we put you on has serious ingredients in it and your skin has never experienced active ingredients like these before. These actives are starting to seriously affect change in your skin and there may be some “bumps” along the way. 

Only a small portion of people react with rash-like effects, but it can happen. It is extremely rare to be allergic to these ingredients and many of the products we put you on are considered to be hypoallergenic because they are so unlikely to cause actual allergic reactions. If you are feeling stinging, itching, small bumps, or anything along those lines, don’t worry. 

What to do in the meantime: Take a couple of days off your full routine and just use a gentle cleanser and dilute your cleansing with extra water and cleanse for less time. Then apply cooling and calming agents like Lavender Mask, O2 Calming Gel, or aloe vera plus topical ointments like hydrocortisone cream or Aquaphor/Vaseline to soothe the skin. Snap a pic and send it to your specific aesthetician via email or the front desk via text (612-817-5090) for more information. Do not give up on the product, if your skin is reacting it’s probably because your skin is currently in a tough spot and you need these ingredients the most to fix it. We’ll guide you specifically on how to move forward.

“My skin is dry / looks flakey under makeup” 

What is really going on: That “dry” flaking skin is your skin visibility exfoliating off of your face. Exfoliation is the basis of how we treat skin and acne. Almost every single person that leaves with a customized regimen will see some flaking at some point. To get your skin used to your new exfoliating regimen, you can go at your own pace with your own usage frequency when it comes to active cleansers, serums, and toners. This is what we call “acclimating”. When you finally do acclimate, your skin will look brighter, younger, clearer, and healthier because you are pushing forth new, more vibrant skin. 

What to do in the meantime: There are a lot of products we can recommend that will control flaking and uneven makeup application so ask your aesthetician when you are ready to invest (preview: Nupeel and Lavender Mask are our top two faves). Until then, there is one cure that will fix flaking skin fast without compromising more breakouts. Skip your active serums for a night or two and apply Aquaphor or Vaseline on the area daily as well as overnight. Within one to two days, you should see a big difference. Most importantly though, skipping your active serum should only be temporary, if you shelf a product for too long you are simply giving up and will eventually have to start over from scratch.

“My skin is worse / breaking out more than it was before” 

What is really going on: First and most likely, your skin is probably purging acne lesions that had started below the skin’s surface – but hadn’t come up yet. This is easy to tell because breakouts will come in their usual spots, but progress faster. It happens because your new regimen is exfoliating which literally brings pimples up that are buried deep below. While it feels like a bummer now, it’s actually a good thing because those pimples are going to be very short-lived and are coming up on our timeline instead of their timeline (i.e., right before a first date or a big work week). 

The second most likely reason, you may be looking at your skin more than you were before (which is great) but can give the impression that your skin is doing worse. Also, red or dark spots can come post-extractions and may become more noticeable post-treatment and products. This is because they are getting ready to slough off the surface. This is a good thing! Take pictures of your skin often to have a better, unbiased look. 

Third, you are breaking out for reasons other than your skincare regimen and outside your facial treatment. Breakouts take weeks to months to form so you may be doing something or using something we missed in your consultant that is causing uncontrollable breakouts. Double-check our blog on secret acne triggers to make sure we together didn’t miss something. We promise your new skincare products are 100% not giving you acne. 

What to do in the meantime: Stay the course! Or even bump up your regimen depending on how your skin is acclimating to your original products. There are a couple of ways to do this, you can either use your current products more frequently or for a longer period of time – or move to the next level with certain products. Reach out to your aesthetician and they will craft a plan specifically for you and what you already have. Additionally, make sure you are icing your face at least twice a day (after cleansing) and have followed all of the other lifestyle changes that we’ve instructed you to do as well.

“My skin doesn't like ‘harsh’ ingredients” 

What is really going on: This is the definition of “acclimation”! You have a little bit of a reaction while your skin gets comfy with its new BPF (best product forever!). We don’t like the word “harsh” and instead use “active” – and as you now know, the definition of an “active ingredient” is one that affects change in your skin. And isn’t that what we’re all here for – a little change? Active ingredients can clear acne, soften wrinkles, even hyperpigmentation, reduce acne scarring, minimize skin aging, brighten complexion, and smooth skin texture. Give it alllll to me, AMIRIGHT?

What to do in the meantime: If you HATE the feeling of any dryness or visible exfoliation, you’ll just want to take a cue from the tortoise and take it “slow and steady.” You’ll still get results, it will just take a bit more time. So as you’re starting your new regimen, slow down your usage of your actives and lean more on your hydrating and moisturizing products in the beginning. Then, little by little over time, bump up usage of your actives until you’re able to use them nightly. For those of you who prefer instant gratification, you may choose to power through the temporary discomfort to get to the finish line of glowing skin faster. Everyone’s a winner.