Investing time and effort in your skincare routine can be a really rewarding process. You actually see the benefits over time—after all, they’re right on your face! But resolving skincare issues can also create new challenges. Once you’ve got your skin concerns under control, where do you go from here?
Say, for example, your skin was breakout-prone. Your skin may have had excess surface oil, so you used a cleanser for oily skin and minimal moisturizer. You may have also used “band aid” products to help troubleshoot—this could include things like benzoyl peroxide treatments on active breakouts or brightening products to fade lingering acne marks. Ideally, these solutions work for you and you ultimately get to a point where breakouts aren’t a frequent concern. Once you do, it’s time to take a close look at your skin to determine its needs, and how they may have changed.
Your new maintenance routine likely won’t be the same as your old skin regimen. Your skin won’t tolerate those troubleshooting band aid products indefinitely—at some point, they will start to cause more problems than they solve. Dryness, sensitization, and generally over-processed skin could all be signs that it’s time to dial back those band aids. Consider how solving your skincare concerns may have changed your overall skin type. Maybe you have less surface oil now, maybe your skin needs more moisture, and maybe adding a facial oil or swapping out your cleanser for something richer or gentler could help.
Most importantly, achieving your skincare goals means it’s time to shift the focus of your skincare towards maintaining normal skin function. Our skin is an amazing piece of natural engineering that inherently knows how to self-repair. Skincare regimens should always strive to enhance these intrinsic processes—we use humectants and emollients to support skin’s natural moisture and protective barrier, and we exfoliate to supplement skin’s natural process of shedding old skin cells to reveal the plump, new cells beneath. Even actives like retinol (vitamin A) are rooted in your body’s standard operations, as vitamin A in the foods you eat helps maintain skin health and cellular function.
Of course, our skin can’t do everything on its own; it still needs cleansing and sun protection. But for the most part, consistent use of a basic routine is all you need to maintain results. That’s what the “less, but better” philosophy is all about!
XO,
Jordan
