I have weird skin. I think my skin type is combination but I can never be sure as it keeps changing.  I have tried many different facial products from high-end to herbal to drugstore brands. Here’s what I’ve learned from my experience:

 

1. Swatch tests don’t always work

I know people say to always try a bit on the back of your hand or your wrist to check for allergic reactions. But this doens’t always work because the skin is significantly different on your face. If you must test a product, it should be behind your earlobe which is as sensitive as your face, if not more.

 

2. Reaction times vary 

Some products can give you an immediate allergic reaction. However, with most products the reaction is not immediate. If you are testing a sample, either behind your ear or on your face, it can take anywhere from 4 to 7 days to have a bad reaction. It’s also the same for a product start working, i.e, showing it’s benefits.

 

3. Stop Immediately if you have a bad reaction

If you do break out after using a product, stop immediately. I can’t stress this enough. I have seen a number of blogs and spoke to many sales people who say that it can get worse before it gets better. Something about how the skin is purging impurities. I have found that this is almost never true. I think if you break out or have a reaction, you should always just quit the product. See a doctor if need be or go back to using something that always worked. I once used olive oil to calm my skin after using a product with too much salicylic acid. Needless to say, it’s never gotten better for me once I’ve had a bad reaction.

 

4. Try one at a time  

I often go on a buying binge with skin care products. So I will buy a face wash, serum and a cream all in one day. But I have realised now that you can never know what is causing a reaction or what is helping your skin. It’s always best to charge or try one product at a time, even if they are all of the same brand / line. That way your know which one to keep and which to cut out.

 

Bonus Tip: Shampoo

This is an odd one for me. But shampoos often give me a bad reaction. I break out on my forehead or cheeks and even my neck. I’ve never compared products to see what chemical actually causes the problem. I just stop using the product. So, the next time you have a bad skin reaction on your face, check your shampoo before you throw out your face cream.

 

I hope this helped. Happy shopping…..

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