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
Agree 🙂 I resonate with your acne prone skin as I was once like that and I was willing to try anything that sounds promising or rings my expectation bells. But our instincts are almost always right and we know ourselves well. The product raves can go on for miles but sometimes, one woman’s skincare is another woman’s skinmare. I am not that adventurous when it comes to skincare. The thought about allergy and going to the dermatologist and months of agony with wretched face is not worth the beauty promise sometimes. Just need to look, read and think before apply 😉
I think when we have a problem with our skin, we are usually more than willing to try anything to make the problem go away. Its only after I realised that pigmentation won’t go away, that I stopped getting obsessed with whitening skincare Haha! I like how you called it a “Skinmare” because it really can be a life changing experience – for the worse! >.<
I guess we are on the same boat. I recently bought Biore UV Perfect Face Milk spf 50 because I had some work that involved staying under the sun for long hours. Guess what, just after 2 DAYS of using it I get clogged pores and cystic acne on my cheeks! When I check the ingredients zinc oxide is listed out as one of the main ingredients. Urgh. Silly me for not noticing it beforehand.. #sigh
Yikes! I can’t use Biore sunscreens either but then I could never really use Biore products. I still prefer Hada Labo which I feel is more gentle on my skin 🙂 I hope your skin is on the mend now
Yes. Everyone loves Hada Labo but it was from it that I realised that my skin gets little bumps from hyaluronic acid (in higher concentrations; MBD masks don’t seem to do the same). I was in denial for two weeks until I couldn’t stand the increasing number of bumps and when I stopped using it, the bumps cleared in three days, so there is no doubt about it being the culprit. I was also in denial about the Bobbi Brown BB cream which contains hyaluronic acid. I loved everything about it but my skin doesn’t , so I listened to my skin after three days of experimenting.
It was after the whole Hada Labo hyaluronic acid hype that I learnt that people can be sensitive to high doses of hyaluronic acid! I personally am not but I did like the lotion and it did upset me when people who read what I wrote tried it and had spots from it 🙁 Still, its good to know that you’ve isolated the cause and know what to avoid. Its one of those things that few people talk about because it gets lost among all the raves, but there is always that 10% chance that someone out there can’t use it. It sometimes sucks to be in that 10% 😛
I totally agree! Also, i do look in blogs before buying skin care, but its not really to check out everyones holy grail because, as you say, we all have different skin, live in different climates etc. I check it out just to make sure that not all the reviews on x product are awful, just to filter out a couple of products and not bother wasting the money. Also, I definitely think that the higher the price doesn’t always mean better quality and results. I had a friend that used to work for a company that make creams that were about 5 times the price of an Estee Lauder (just to give an example of a benchmark brand). I was not impressed with any of the stuff she gave me to try, and would go back to my Estee Lauder and Clinique happily! Ofcourse if a product has better quality ingredients and more investigation behind it the price will be higher. But other factors come into the equation too such as the packaging or something as simple as a company that doesnt have enough sales to produce in super mass volume so the unit price is also astronomical just because of that. My goodness, I have certainly droned on here… xx
Hi Sofia! You’re absolutely right. Cheap isn’t always bad, and expensive isn’t always good! I sometimes tend to be a bit wary of very niche brands for the very reason you specified – limited distribution that drives prices up, not because the ingredients are wonderful. I’m glad you shared that because its something that I may not have caught on to otherwise! (and no, you weren’t droning 😉 )
You’ve hit the nail on the head! I can’t do the Clarisonic daily like a lot of people can. Mum and auntie swear by it, sang praises about it to high heavens, insisted that I get it to give it a go and all it did for me by the 5th day was made my skin so dry, it looked and felt like sandpaper. Told them about it, they said “no no can’t be, are you sure you used it correctly? Try again!” I did and it got worse.
Lesson learned big time. It’s my skin, so it’s my way or the highway 😛
You and I, Tine have given Clarisonic bad press LOL! But yes, I never thought just washing my face could cause my skin to go mad. No one talks about that aspect of it too! Someone left a comment saying that there is no exfoliation because its a face washer, not a scrub. Erm…. nevermind 😛
Ohhhhhhhhhhh Erborian’s BB creme! Everyones loves it and my skin was really awful after I used it for 2 or 3 days. Horrible horrible product (for me, at least!)
I’ll stay away from that one then! BB creams are tricky too – I used to break out from some of them.
Thank you for this post. When I discovered beauty blogs late last year, I too was tempted to try the many items the blogging world have been recommending. But as I was worried about breaking out and since some of these skin care items were quite costly, I only gradually changed some of the items used in my daily skin care routine. For example, since it is recommended to use a sunscreen with high SPF due to our climate, I made sure I did proper research on beauty blogs before finally settling for my current sunscreen. Same goes for my cleanser, eye cream, moisturiser and serum. The point I am trying to make is that although beauty blogs have really influenced me to change some of my skin care items in the last 4 months, the changes were done in a systematic way based on the needs of my skin and affordability.
You were wise to be cautious 🙂 I wasn’t so wise but I’m trying to be wiser not and understanding that my skin is different and that I should listen to it not to anyone else telling me otherwise.
What a honest, truthful and wonderful article Paris. Bravo for saying what you did….this is probably one of your best articles. Yes…..forget the hype, advertising, endorsements etc. if it doesn’t work for you, it’s as good as rubbing crap on your face! Same with any other product, not just for skin care & make up.
It takes a lot of confidence to stand your ground & go against the crowd . It’s human to want to fit in and feel part of the majority so this article is so refreshing to read.
Thank you Paris for this advise!
I’m glad you enjoyed this, Chin 🙂 The blatant manner in which many brands are using (and exploiting) blogs and bloggers for ads purposes (sometimes without disclosing so) leads to a lot of misrepresentation and restricted information. Sometimes, when people get caught up, they tend to forget just how individual we all are when it comes to skin and skincare, so a little reminder is helpful now and again 🙂
I did notice that I was easily influenced by those reviews on internet. Sometimes I do wish that those products work for me but sadly say some of the products might be doing wonderful job on others skin but not mine . So , nowadays once the products that I used are not suitable then I ll directly stop using it and use it on my other skin area like neck, hand or even legs!
I think most of us are guilty of it at one point or another. I also remind myself that photos online may not tell the truth. I know myself just how easy it can be to fake fairly good skin and I have actually seen people show doctored before and after photos. Its very unscrupulous and misleading so it does distress me 🙁
I totally agree! I feel disappointed when raved about products just don’t work on me! Like the urban decay primer potion! Made my eyeshadow crease in just 1 hour. And the UDPP is expensive. Same goes with hada labo’s lotion. I wanted skin that goes toing toing like in the ads, but it made me break out. And it took me one year to get rid of all of them. Goes to show you that cosmetics differs for each individual. I use sk II’s mirale water and the cellumination range and it really works for me. The miracle water helped with my oily skin and the cellumination essence gave my skin a healthy glow. Even my friends noticed the difference. But my sis can’t use sk II since her skin gets really sensitive after using it. That’s why it’s best to buy the sk II trial pack rather than paying for the full bottle of miracle water which is so expensive.
Love these articles PB! Keep them coming 😀
I like Hada Labo lotion – it didn’t give me breakout, and no toink toink effect. However, it made my skin yellow. Strange but true. SKII used to work on my skin, but not anymore. When I used the Cellumination Essence, it made my skin yellow. I stopped using it.
Butting in, Angelina, but this making skin yellow thing is really weird isn’t it?! I’m not the only person to experience it, it seems!
Hi Natasha, I’m glad you enjoyed reading this 🙂 Like you, I was quite caught up in the UDPP hype and was quite pleased to get a sample tube. It didn’t crease on me but I didn’t see the fuss about it. I then realised that it was because I never had an oily lid problem anyway! There was no need for me to spend that money on something that serves me no purpose 😛 Hada Labo did work for me but I understand that it doesn’t for everyone – sorry to hear it caused so much trouble for your skin! SK2 didn’t do much for me but then as you have also pointed out, its wonderful for you – and that’s why there’s a product out there for everyone. We just have to find it and to understand that not everything works for everyone 😉
Oh you have no idea how annoying my skin is sometimes.
You know how a lot of people say pure aloe vera gel is good for your skin? Well, I used it one night and got a huge zit on my forehead, which left a scar on my face and won’t budge! And a lot of people swear by exfoliating your face at least twice a week? Well, my skin is pretty much sensitive to any kind of scrubbing. And how salicylic acid is one of those perfect chemicals, along with benzoyl peroxide, well they don’t work on my skin. AT ALL.
I’m lucky though because all these things left me with only two things to do as a beauty regime. All I have to do now is cleanse my face twice a day and put on some anti-acne cream prescribed my dermatologist.
Yikes! And here we all thought aloe vera gel is so safe and gentle for skin! Thanks for the warning, Hani! And isn’t it great to have a simple routine? As long as it works for your skin, that’s all that matters 🙂
I recently bought b.seen dark circle reliever and to my dismay, it irritates my skin causing inflammation and itchiness. I thought there was something wrong with the way I use it the first time so I use it again after my skin goes back to normal but the irritation got worse and it even dries up my under eye area leaving it flaky *yucks*. I feel bad because I did my research before buying it and there’s only good reviews, not even one complain. After reasoning with myself, I accept the fact that it doesn’t work for me and gave it to my sister.
Oh dear, it sounds like a scary and traumatic experience! I tried an eye cream that irritates my eyes every time I use it and it bugs me so, I stopped using it. Nothing worse than that fortunately, but I know how you feel because I did my research too and sometimes, we could just be that 1% that it doesn’t work for. I hope your skin is back under control!
for me i cannot take anything with alcohol, isopropyl paraffin, mineral oil, green tea, lavender oil and high amount of hyaluronic acid. cool huh. Hada Labo DIDNT work for me, pls no incredulous looks!
Yeouch! I’m guessing its natural skincare for you then? Or at least the natural ones that don’t contain all the above 😛