Why is it Important to Stick with a Successful Skincare Routine?

Trifecta skincare products: cleanser, serum, and anti-aging cream
Trying new skincare products can be incredibly enticing, especially with the skincare industry constantly producing new products and promoting them with the idea of routinely changing your regimen. The marketing campaign claims that product hopping prevents your skin from “getting used to” products. 

But the truth is, our skin loves consistency, and product hopping directly opposes what your skin really needs.

In my twenty years as a facial plastic surgeon and facial rejuvenation specialist, my goal has been to help people look younger with anti-aging science. During this time, I've made a simple observation: healthy, young-looking, luminous skin is more easily achieved when you find and maintain your ideal skincare regimen.

 


The Key To Aging Gracefully

When I see people with fresh, gorgeous, supple skin in their 60s, I always ask them their secrets. They all have these things in common:


1. Consistent sun protection throughout their lives

2. A committed skincare program with Retinol, Vitamin C, and the right active ingredients

3. They’ve been continuously following a good skincare routine for decades



Why Product Hopping Does More Harm than Good

Product hopping does you no favors, it's all a marketing ploy. The goal is to get you to buy as many products as possible, as often as possible, because more products = more profits.

The reality is, hopping from product to product can actually have a negative impact your skin’s health and cancel out any momentum or benefits you have begun to achieve when you started.

Being inconsistent can compromise your skin barrier function and causes reactivity if the dosage of active ingredients differs from product to product. This overwhelms our skin’s tolerance and damages the skin’s delicate acid mantle (the top layer of the skin barrier) which leaves your skin more vulnerable.

When the skin barrier gets compromised, the outer protective layer of the skin cracks, causing dry skin, redness, flakiness, and increased sensitivity. And once the damage is done, it can be complicated to repair.


Avoiding product hopping helps you prevent flare-ups and allows you to see what suits you and what's actually working. The skin cycle takes four to six weeks for our skin to renew and show results, so continuing with the same products for at least two months is essential to the process.

Caring for your skin with an effective routine will ensure that your skin remains healthy and hydrated and your skin barrier stays strong. c ensures the active ingredients have enough time to change the skin structurally and cellularly so you can assess the results accurately. 


Just like beginning an exercise regimen or learning a new skill, if you keep starting and stopping, or hopping from one thing to the next, you will not see dramatic improvement. However, if you commit to a daily practice, and stay consistent with it, you will continue to see change. In time, you will build momentum and improve upon that change and your will finally get closer to the ideal end result. It's the same with skincare. 



Some of the Many Benefits of Sticking with a Successful Skincare Routine Include:

  • Reduces the visible signs of aging
  • Boosts confidence – when you look good, you feel good
  • Consistency can produce dramatic results
  • Encourages you to establish other healthy routines for a healthier lifestyle overall
  • Increased cell turnover and shedding
  • Stimulates the body's natural collagen production to slow the signs of aging
  • Preventing skin problems is easier and less costly than trying to fix them with cosmetic procedures in the future 
  • A successful skincare routine includes nourishing ingredients that your skin needs


Advice for a Successful Skincare Routine

You can have all the best ingredients in the world, but if you don’t put them on your skin daily with a consistent skincare routine, you won’t get the desired results. Applying the right ingredients consistently while also protecting your skin from the sun will make the most significant difference in your skin. 


Here are my tips for sticking with a successful skincare routine:


01. Make your skincare routine a part of a daily self-care practice. Treat it like a spa experience to give you something to look forward to.

02. Keep your routine minimal and focused. This will help you avoid being overwhelmed and coming up with excuses to skip skincare.

03. Keep all your products in one place, as having everything out, and accessible reminds you to do your routine

 04. Do your skincare first thing in the morning, the water will help wake you up and you won't find yourself running "out of time" later.

05. Utilize alarms in the evening to help remind you it's time to wind down (at least until you solidify it as a daily habit).



    The Three C’s with KaramMD Skin

    My practice has a motto: "The 3 Cs" for beautiful skin. Once you’ve found your successful routine, you need these "3 Cs" to reverse the signs of aging and get better and better skin.

     

    1. CONSISTENCY: This is so vital that we’re mentioning it again. Don’t bounce around from product or trend to trend; stick with the same thing you know works.

    2. CONTINUITY: The best thing you could do would be to find a forever skincare routine, and become a life-long user. Use your effective products and skincare routine every day, year in and year out.

    3. COMMITMENT: Protect your skin from the sun and use the right products with all the necessary ingredients for luminous, gorgeous skin in the long run.


    To help you follow The 3 C’s, I developed the Trifecta, a three-step skincare line that includes:

    1. Rinse: A non-foaming daily cleanser with soothing properties to prep your skin for active ingredients, while also protecting your skin's natural moisture balance.

    2. Quench: Vitamin C serum developed with three types of Vitamin C to lighten and brighten skin and help stimulate your body's natural collagen production.

    3.  Illuminate: An all-in-one, anti-aging cream, containing my favorite active ingredients including Retinol, Niacinamide, and Sodium Hyaluronate, and form of Hyaluronic Acid to name a few.

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    Amir Karam MD

    Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
    Founder / Creator of KaramMD Skin

    Dr. Amir Karam is a renowned facial cosmetic surgeon and an authority in his field. With over two decades of experience helping patients achieve a younger, refreshed appearance. In addition to surgical procedures that sculpt a youthfully-defined facial shape, Dr. Karam takes the quality of the skin into account.