Advice re: skin regime?

[wesleysgirl]

Assuming nothing dramatic was happening (like, I don't know, developing sores or deeply cracked skin or something like that,) how long would you continue to use new skin care products before making an assessment about whether they were working or not? A week? Two weeks? If you'd seen no improvement at all in a week's time, would you figure you weren't on the right track?

So far, I'm definitely not seeing any improvement. I don't think it's necessarily any worse (possibly a tiny bit, but I know with skin conditions you can often see things get a bit worse before they get better as toxins leave the skin etc etc.) I need input!

Comments

[byrne.livejournal.com]

At least a week, but I doubt if I'd go past ten days before trying something new if there was NO improvement. Slight improvement, I'd give it three weeks.

[ladycat777.livejournal.com]

I'd give it a week-to-ten days, particularly if there's no improvement at all. I wouldn't go much longer, though, and if it does get worse not a 'skin is clearing itself and therefore reacting, but actually reacting' -- I'd stop immediately.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

definitely more than a week. two at the very least. a month to be really sure. that way you have a length of time to tell if the stuff really is working, rather than wondering if you're just having good and bad skin days. (especially if your skin tends to get worse around your period.)

[kivrin.livejournal.com]

Absent any allergic-type reactions or persistent discomfort, I'd probably give it a week or ten days. Not more than two weeks unless I had it on good authority that the product has a cumulative effect.

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

My timeline's about like byrne's. If I haven't seen improvement in 3 weeks, I'd give up. The one exception I've made is for Mary Kay's Micro-Debrasion system. My consultant told me that it would take a month to show results, but they would be very noticeable. She was right - much tinier pores and less noticeable "fine lines" after about 4 weeks. With department store or other, though, I'd give it 3 weeks max.

Have you checked out Lush yet? That's my new addiction...

[byrne.livejournal.com]

.... Talk to me about this magical pore-shrinking-fine-line-killing stuff. I have very dry skin, if that matters with this product.

*waits to be beautiful*

[crazydiamondsue.livejournal.com]

I think the beauty givin' fairy done visited your house, girlfriend. *g*

But for even more beauty: http://www.marykay.com/skincare/antiaging/timewisemicrodermabrasionset/default.aspx

It's a little pricey (I get a discount for having my best friend as my consultant - God bless the south where every 3rd person sells Mary Kay) but it lasts quite a while.

And even after the first use, my skin felt different (softer, clearer.) I have VERY oily skin, so I'm not sure how it affects dryer tones. A MK consultant (avail online) could answer that for you, though. But I just kiddingly fudged my age as 30 (as opposed to almost 37) yesterday and no one blinked. Hmm. Good luck if you decide to try it!

[elliotpp.livejournal.com]

It depends on whether or not I knew anybody who'd used the same stuff. If I did, and they swore by it, I'd give it at least 2 or 3 weeks. If I didn't, I might give up on it after a week.

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Tricky -- in the past, I've given skin products three to four weeks to see how they're working, but those are with products that also treat acne, and typically you break out a bit from new anything on your face with that kind of thing before it starts to get better.

But I think your stuff is more dry skin and irritation from harsh chemicals, so I'm hesitant to say you should go that long. So how about ten days, as other people recommend?

Good luck!

[lonelybrit]

I've always been told that it takes a couple of weeks for your face to completely shed its old skin, and so that's how long it takes before you can really see any difference/improvement to the new cells. So I tend to give things three weeks and if there's no improvement I ditch it. That said, if they obviously have an adverse effect (blocking pores/drying skin/itching) then I stop straightaway as that can happen over just a few hours :)

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

This is my answer, too.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

That said, if they obviously have an adverse effect (blocking pores/drying skin/itching) then I stop straightaway as that can happen over just a few hours.

I already have all of those from before I started the new regime, which is one of the reasons I feel kind of unsure about how to tell if it's working! My skin is itchy, red, flaking off, really dry, swollen, covered with blocked pores, etc. Ew.

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

if it's not making things worse than the previous thing, I'd give it a couple of weeks, maybe till the end of the packet, because I am actually that lazy ...

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

PS - a few posts away on my flist was someone you don't know who's suffering from randomly developing excma and says

I'd also recommend Avene products for the face for anyone with super sensitive skin as they've at least settled that down , so just passing that along - no idea if they also serve the USA or not though