You know, sometimes its very frustrating talking to others about skin and skincare. Often too, many of us go around reading up on what’s good and then falling head over heels for the latest and newest that everyone and their mother raves about. And when your skin doesn’t take to it, you start wondering if its you or if there’s something wrong with you.
Well, don’t think that. Always remember to listen to your own skin and don’t listen to others.
I learned this the hard way because when it comes to skincare, I am quite suggestible. I used to have acne-prone skin and later, pigmentation. I’ve tried the miracle waters and lotions and potions in the market and when I don’t get the “Glowing skin in 14 days” as promised, or worse, when I break out, I’m all “It can’t be the product! Every celebrity/model/blogger swears by it!” Ah therein lies the fallacy. Just because it works for every celebrity/model/blogger out there, doesn’t mean its holy grail material for you. You have to know your own skin.
I now listen to my own skin and these examples of things I’ve experienced from using popular products will tell you that it isn’t for everyone, and if you find that it doesn’t suit you, stop. Your skin is telling you something!
When I was using the Clarisonic Mia often, my skin hated me and got all inflamed and broke out. But the Clarisonic is supposed to deep cleanse skin, how can it cause breakouts? But it did. My mistake was in not listening to my skin. I now use it once every 2 weeks and its ok now.
I was prescribed a “whitening” and sunscreen product by a doctor by Obagi skincare and after using it, I realised that my skin was looking dull and sallow and I actually looked yellow and my face took on a different colour from my neck. Even my Mom asked me what was wrong because I looked jaundiced. After a few weeks, I couldn’t stand it any longer and stopped using the product altogether. It took me a long time to get things looking normal and was a traumatizing period for me. My mom experienced the same thing with the SKII Cellumination Essence so needless to say, we both now stay far far away from these brands and products.
The ironic thing is, I very recently met another skin doctor in a social setting, who in the course of discussions, promptly recommended Obagi skincare for whitening and sunscreen. When I told her the sunscreen breaks me out and my skin turns yellow and sallow, she looked at me disbelievingly. It made me feel a bit low because everyone else had this incredulous look that said “Its supposed to be medical grade and safe for skin!” But I stood my ground because hey, its MY skin and I experienced the side effects. I could be just 1% of the population that may experience it but the fact is, I did. So don’t knock me, lady!
Another experience I had was with the Elemis Tri-Enzyme Skin Resurfacing cleanser. I had read a lot about how wonderful it was for gentle exfoliation and to promote healthier more glowing skin but for me, it was no go. It dried out my skin in a dramatic fashion and made me break out something awful.
I’ve tried some natural or organic products and they have not been kind to my skin either. I’ve broken out, had contact dermatitis on my hands to the point I had to see a doctor and developed oily skin. It works for many people, but not for me and I have accepted it. I’ve had to learn to listen to my own skin and not to the scaremongers or the people shouting from the rooftops. Its ultimately me who’s got to live with it 🙂
I know many people now turn to blogs and Youtube videos for product recommendations, and I know from personal experience how easy it is to be influenced to try this and that because XYZ blogger has beautiful skin and she uses this. But I want to caution everyone reading to first understand your own skin and realise your skin could be different.
Yes, Product A works for Blogger X but consider Blogger X’s weather, lifestyle, skintype and genetics. As strange as it might sound (since I’m a blogger myself!), I’m going to tell you to please treat a product review, advertorial or any product feature with just a pinch of salt. Use it as a point of reference, but don’t buy into it just because Blogger X says its holy grail material. Some people have many many holy grails so that is another thing to bear in mind. I personally tell you what I like and what doesn’t work for me, but its not to say that it will work on you or that it won’t.
Also, if you think your skin hates a product even though 99% of the population loves it, don’t use it. It can actually cause more damage in the long term that can cost more money to repair. Ultimately, listen to your skin and not to anyone else because you are unique and an individual and so is your skin!
Have you experienced any similar situations where your skin hates (or loves) something that others don’t? Do you listen to your own skin?
I have another thing that people don’t believe me about – zinc oxide. It is the best ingredient for sunscreen and blocks both UVA and UVB rays very effectively. Its inert and a physical blocker and is found in most high quality sunscreens. But I have learnt that if the percentage of zinc oxide in a sunscreen is too high, I break out from it. I can tell you no one experiences this because I couldn’t find information about it when I had my suspicions. But it happens to me, so never mind the incredulous looks I get when I tell “experts” so. Its MY skin.
Paris B
Lily says
April 9, 2013 at 9:11 amI agree with you whole heartedly. I got to know my skin more after i started blogging. I know what colours and textures suit my skin and what skin care works. And while i do stray to satisfy my curiosity, i know which products to go back to…
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 3:11 pmOnce I started blogging, I had to pay a little more attention to how my skin reacted and I must say that its helped me weed out the wheat from the chaff. I still play around a lot but I’m also very very picky now. At the first sign of something going wrong, I ditch it. No second chances anymore LOL!
LeGeeque says
April 9, 2013 at 9:13 amDING! DING! DING! DING! DING! Bingo!
Remember my conversation with you on the Clinique serum? It’s taking a back seat because I don’t want to keep testing it “just in case” it’s no that serum. It might work on a gazillion other people but it doesn’t on me. So. No way, Jose.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 3:12 pmI’m glad you did what you did. Just because it did work for me and it works for every one else on the planet, there must be something your skin doesn’t like and hey, since you have to live with YOUR skin, just get an alternative. There are a billion brands out there with similar products 😉
Bugs says
April 9, 2013 at 9:23 amPpl raves about Clarins sunscreen but my skin hated it… my eyes love their eye serum though.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 3:13 pmAww I’m one of those who rave, Bugs! 🙁 hehe… which sunscreen does your skin like? I’ve heard about the Clarins eye serum but I haven’t tried it. Apparently its really good!
Bugs says
April 11, 2013 at 4:48 pmwhen I was working and spending my own money, I’ve tried SK-II n La Mer spf with no problem and I really like them ( my skin seems to like pricey skincare 🙁 ) Now, I use Hada Labo white or blue bottle if I’m staying indoor and alternate between Kose Sekkisei Sun Protector N and Shiseido Perfect UV Protector if I’m going out because my skin canot take the shiseido one if I use it daily, because of silicone. But when I’ve finish the Kose one, will try other, maybe Kiehl’s spf but have not decide. Too many brands out there.
Natasha says
April 9, 2013 at 9:25 amI’ve had that experience with both Bonne Bell Ten-O-Six products (which also broke my mother out) and Kleraderm. Even if I really, really, WANT to like the products, if my skin doesn’t like them, then I have to admit they don’t work for me.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 3:14 pmThat’s so true! I never believe in the “getting worse before it gets better” stuff. For me, if it gets worse, something’s wrong!
Catherine says
April 9, 2013 at 9:31 amI read rave reviews about new Clarins double serum. I was lucky to get big sample and it broke me out and didnt moisturise at all. Same with getting great reviews Shiseido sunscreen. I also got Kiehl’s penthenol cream and it was fine for some time but after it started to leave burning sensation which wasnt very pleasant… It also has great reviews of MUA. Now I always try to get samples and Im very sceptical about miracle product which is not always good, that was the case with 8hour cream from Elizabeth Arden, everyone was loving it so I thought- nooo waaay… Now Im loving it too :))
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 3:15 pmYikes! Sorry to hear about your experience with Double Serum, Catherine. It didn’t break me out, but it didn’t do anything for me either. It was just meh. I don’t even feel like talking about it LOL! Sorry to hear too about Shiseido sunscreen (I know I rave about it like crazy!) And you just reminded me about the EA 8 hour cream. I used to use it as a lip treatment and I remember it works very well especially in colder weather. What do you use it for?
Catherine says
April 10, 2013 at 10:32 pmMy skin is dehydrated and sometimes if I dont put cream very fast my under eyes, eyelids and around the mouth will get very dry and skin will be irritated and peeling. Im not 100% sure why it reacts only in these places. Well 8h cream helps me to heal it and calms it 🙂 On normal days I use it anyway under my eyes and on my eyelids. I found that powder eyeshadows really dry out my eyelids!
Fizz says
April 9, 2013 at 9:33 amI couldn’t agree with you more, Paris! I think I mentioned to you on Instagram about what Guerlain skincare did to me, when I had read great reviews on it. Now that I’ve gone back to Shiseido, all is well! We all have to listen to our skin when it comes to skincare… Even makeup!
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 3:17 pmOh my, yes! I remember your Guerlain story and it was horrible! Worse still, since its so expensive to start with 🙁 I’m glad you worked it out and got everything sorted out with your skin. These days, the minute I see something not going right, I ditch the product. Nevermind what it costs. My skin is too precious to be so traumatized all the time 🙂
Rosey says
April 9, 2013 at 9:33 amThank you for this! I’ve been using organic skincare which is not that great for my skin. I can affirm that reading reviews and articles on blogs can definitely dictate what your skincare choices are even though it may not be working for your skin
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 3:21 pmI used to feel bad that organic or natural products caused my skin problems that normal “chemical” products don’t, but I’ve come to terms with it. Some work for me, many don’t and it could just well be that the oils used in organic or natural products aren’t tolerated by your skin. What people don’t realise is that essential or natural oils can be actually very harsh on sensitive skin. Just because its organic or natural doesn’t mean its safe 🙂
Angelina says
April 9, 2013 at 9:43 amSome bloggers swear that this or that product (especially newly launched product/brand in MY) is THE holy grail. However, sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder whether such claim is made because some bloggers are getting the product FOC from the brand manager. There’s a blogger who swore that she will NOT be using products that contain certain ingredient (because it is bad for the skin and health overall) but after some time, she is raving about some products that contain LOTS of the particular ingredient.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:04 pmI know exactly how you feel, Angelina. Blogs can be tricky because often, unless you follow one for a spell, you may not realise just how many holy grails there are for the same category or how contradictory someone can be. Its hard, even for me as a blogger because I know the common perception of bloggers. This is why I place my trust in some people over others. Some are good for general info, some are good for proper product analysis. Its the latter I look to if I want to make an informed decision 🙂
yue rain says
April 9, 2013 at 9:45 amYeah,i totally agree with you. It sound like you have sensitive skin. Actually, my skin will break out with high content of zinc oxide too. I also keep trying products after products. I know my skin better now and it is not necessary to use very expensive produts to achieve results.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:06 pmActually, I don’t have sensitive skin generally speaking, which is why the few items I mentioned stunned me with the violent reactions on my skin. I’ve cut back on trying many new skincare products these days. Just sticking to what I know works, and what I know generally will work. If its an unknown or OEM brand, they don’t even get a look in 🙂
Angelina says
April 9, 2013 at 9:47 amOops, sorry. I accidentally hit submit when I wanted to comment more. I wanted to say that I do my own research before I take the leap of faith. If and when the product doesn’t work for me, I stop using the product completely. Sometimes, it is wastage in terms of money and the product itself. I have some products sitting on my dressing table and drawers because it is not suitable for me. What I can do is ask my bf to use it, and if it doesn’t suit him, I ask him to stop completely.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:07 pmUsing your bf is a good idea – men’s skin are usually less sensitive although when I pass some of my items to a male friend, he’s actually complained when they break him out! Must be really potent, those items LOL!
Rin says
April 9, 2013 at 9:48 amHello Paris! I totally like you post! I understand you. I have experienced some encounters before like “Really? It shouldn’t break you out, or it shouldn’t make your skin like this & that… ah~maybe you applied it wrongly…” The list goes on & on! But like you said (which I support & agree 110%), we have to listen to our skin. We know our skin because it is OUR skin. I used to have very oily & acne skin. I read some articles back then tea tree stuff is good for my kind of skin. And so, I went to try brand A at first. My skin got worse so I thought maybe I should try brand B, and then brand C. You get the idea. I was trying to find the most suitable brand for my skin, After a number of trying a few brands then I realized… Tea tree is the ‘culprit’. Whichever brand I used, it was tea tree itself all along! But, every time I went to the counter or skincare store, the sales assistants recommended tea tree. After I realized that tea tree wasn’t suitable, I stay awayyy from tea tree. It broke me out even worse, my skin had some flaky patches, redness here & there, & dull skin too. So yes, after I stopped using tea tree & found another skincare range which was suitable for me back then, my skin became better & tremendously improved. I have a few other experiences that taught me well to listen to my skin but the tea tree episode is the one I’d like to share with you 🙂
Rin says
April 9, 2013 at 9:49 am*like your post (sorry for the typo)
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:09 pmHi Rin, thank you for sharing your experience! Tea tree oil is, I’ve learnt quite recently, actually not great for skin and can irritate skin! Yet, it does have antibacterial properties, which may explain why its used in pimple and spot care. I do use it myself but it doesn’t seem as effective for me anymore. But I do understand when people say it doesn’t work for them, because I’ve also learnt that natural and essential oils can be really abrasive on skin! We don’t know that because its “natural” but its worth noting. I’m glad you worked out that its the tea tree oil causing your skin grief so you now know what to avoid! 😀
Kel says
April 9, 2013 at 10:08 amI so agree with you …I have been reading RAVE reviews about pure 20% Vitamin C serum and its great benefits…recently i managed to get my hands on a 15ml bottle…and after 3 weeks, my skin hated me so much..my face started drying up and peeling and worse, it was itchy all the time….i’ve now stopped, only bout 3-4 days ago and the time & effort to apply moisturing/soothing mask every night is my only solution.. *sigh*…sometimes i hate myself for being so suggestable….
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:22 pmYou know what, Kel. I fell for the Vitamin C thing too! I tried one serum and was wondering why I saw nothing special. Finished it up and then decided to just stop because I wasn’t seeing all the wonderful things I was supposed to see! Nothing untoward happened thankfully so I feel for you 🙁 I hope your skin gets back to normal soon.
Annamaria says
April 9, 2013 at 11:27 amIt’s great to hear a blogger talking about this for once. I really liked the post, and have definitely had products that don’t work for me, but work on everyone else. In the past I have noticed that if my skin is extra sensitive from some other irritation, I can’t use spf 30 or beyond without irritating it. Also, a lot of products that are fine on others tend to ball up on me – in particular, burts bees and nivea moisturisers.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:25 pmI’m glad you enjoyed this, Annamaria 😀 Often, as bloggers we keep talking about what’s great and what’s new that it perpetuates this notion that everyone should be able to use it. Nothing is further from the truth! It sounds like heavy silicones in products aren’t your friend and I know does have silicones. I’m not sure about Burts Bees though, but I have never been very impressed by their products yet 😛
Firn says
April 9, 2013 at 1:04 pmWe are almost skin twins! I break out from high concentrations of zinc oxide too… My skin seems to like chemical sunscreens though. 🙂
I do like only one product from SKII, the mask-in lotion with niacinamide in it, very soothing.
I always have to remind myself to treat my skin like a newborn baby (being very gentle with it, so no rubbing/scratching/comedone extraction, unless it’s by my derm) and it seems to work!
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:27 pmSkin twin! 🙂 I feel so relieved to know that this zinc oxide thing isn’t just me. No one believes me and especially not doctors who “know best” 😛 My skin takes better to chemical sunscreens too (and I know there are lots of people out there who try to scare everyone away but I’ll save it for another day) I haven’t tried the Mask-in lotion but hmm… if your skin can handle it, mine should be too right? 😉 I like the analogy of treating skin like a newborn baby. Heaven knows, we should!
Firn says
April 11, 2013 at 10:03 amI like to use the Mask-In Lotion as a toner and also to thin out my derm-prescribed moisturiser. Plus a tiny drop of my concoction into my sunscreen makes it much easier to spread. Plus, futurederm has given it a good rating! 🙂
I just feel very worried that all my chemical sunscreen has been used up by the time lunchtime arrives and that I’m not actually getting any protection. But topping up is difficult because I get all greasy and more prone to breaking out. :/
Hanny Daforcena says
April 9, 2013 at 1:19 pmAs you already know, PB, am very, very adamant on my skincare so I know what’s going on and what is wrong with my skin. Am trying to get myself a good facial package to “bump up” my routine though, heee~
The pressure to adhere to “what works for everyone” for me is on personal style. My mom and aunts are all demure ladies while I prefer an edgier, more colorful style (lots of black things, leopard prints and skulls/lizards/snakes for accessories), and they’re all like “Oh, Han, if you dress so loudly, you’d never attract a good, respectable boy!” They’re far-fetched like that. If I don’t dress in billowy, frilly things, and smile sweetly with Taiwanese bug-eyes, I’m not a lady at all. >.<
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:29 pmThere will be people who will talk you out of facials but I personally think it helps your skin, once you find one that you like and where the products suit your skin. So keep looking! 😉 As for pressure, I know how you feel LOL I think its just a case of our family forgetting that we’re growing up and into our own personalities. They’ll get around it (I don’t understand girly things either :P)
Sharon says
April 9, 2013 at 1:22 pmI feel your pain. The infamous SK II essence broke me out badly. The Olay total effects broke me out too cos it was too rich for my skin. I got a sample of Prevage eye cream hoping to reduce fine line and guess wat it made the skin around my eyes dry n peely n totally painful. I got one of those rubber thingy for massaging n exfoliating my skin n it encouraged multiple clog pores. Not to mention horrifying experiences at the facial salon where they squeezed my clogged pores so darn hard n caused me to get hyperpigmentation as a result of bruised skin + uv rays.
These days i do not let anyone do facial on me n turn to more gel n light weight stuff for skincare. And yes Maybelline mascaras usually don’t do it for me. Talk about individuality!
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:30 pmIndeed! We’re all so different, I don’t know why anyone should think we can all take the same thing for skincare and makeup. That said its probably why so many brands out there can still survive despite the stiff competition! 😀 btw that hyperpigmentation due to bruised skin is new to me! Sounds like a scary and traumatic experience!
Jesz says
April 9, 2013 at 2:07 pmI must say I’m way to suggestible. Despite experiencing the impact of unsuitable skincare which causes breakout numerous times, I’m still trying/tempted to try new things whenever there is rave about the products :P. They are just too tempting…
One thing I do found about my skin is whenever there is something wrong, I just revert back to cleanse, tone & moisturise, simple 3 steps with hydration range, no serum is added to the routine. After a while, my skin will be back to normal.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:32 pmAh temptation is natural 😀 Resisting it is the hard part and sometimes, although I know it may not suit me, I still try it anyway… “just in case” 😛 Silly right? I went back to just a very very basic and simple routine for about 3 months to get my skin back in shape, and am now only starting to restart my regiment. The break was good for my skin. Helped it stabilize 😀
casey23 says
April 9, 2013 at 3:20 pmIt is really hard not to get caught on all the hypes but I realized this weekend (while I was having a big spring cleansing) that I bought so many products out of hype, used them and saw no difference, or worse, bad effects! So I collected them and sold some, gave some, and got rid off all of them.. As a chemist now I’m more onto reading the ingredients and listening to my body/skin as you mentioned. I’m trying to stay away from silicones. Also some hyped products like Lancome visionnarie, Estee Lauder idealist (both the regular and the other version), Kiehls midnight recovery serum, Clinique even better serum did nothing on me! So I gave up on hype and started to lean on the current problem on my skin. Right now I’m dealing with a major break out problem (caused by my diet), but I listened to you and bought a started kit from Vichy Normaderm series and it works wonder in conjuction with my Bioderma sebium serum! I wish getting samples from stores and pharmacies were a lot easier so at least we can try a few days before buying (and regreting) the full size!
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:35 pmAs you said, its hard to resist all the hype isn’t it? Even if we know its bad for us. Sigh… Still, we live and learn. I’m learning to stop being so easily influenced and as you’re a chemist, at least the ingredient list will make sense to you! 😀 Sorry to hear about your breakouts but glad to know Vichy Normaderm is helping! I picked up a tube of La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo and it seems to be quite effective too.
casey23 says
April 10, 2013 at 9:05 pmThe thing is even effaclar was very mild for my problem! Now normaderm in combination with bioderma really helped my skin a lot. Plus my skin gets exfoliated like every other day, my scars are about to disappear. So glad I listened to you about Normaderm!! Thank you 🙂
Paris B says
April 15, 2013 at 6:06 pmYay! Happy to know its working for you! I have found Effaclar duo quite effective but I just wish we didn’t have to do these battles all the time 🙁
Evan Chang says
April 9, 2013 at 3:43 pmVery well said! I always do advise people to be careful of advertisements as well, since it always misleads most
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:36 pmI actually give 0 credit to advertisements LOL! I do like them for information purposes and because some ads really look good but in terms of credibility, you’re right to advise people not to be swayed.
xin says
April 9, 2013 at 5:17 pmIt’s annoying that like I know all these myself but I sometimes give in to the power of…social media/tv ad. For example, the SKII miracle water is raved by so many people that I know of, but it just refused to work on my skin. it gave me hell lots of break outs. And for the Obagi sunscreen, well, it may be really good and non-greasy, it didn’t break me out but it dried my skin to nothing! i am still learning how to not let my mind sway only stick to what i believe will work for my skin though.
Paris B says
April 10, 2013 at 6:36 pmHahahaha you said it! We see how wonderful it is on someone else and then we want to try it right? And then, our skin goes haywire. We just never learn.