By Mary Radford, RN
Here’s a concept for you: Too much of a great thing can
really be not-so-great for your skin. Using too many skincare products too frequently
and/or too enthusiastically can overwork your skin, leaving it looking and
feeling worse instead of better.
What Overworked Skin Looks and Feels Like
From my experience as a dermatology nurse, I can tell right away when someone has been overdoing it. Their face looks red, irritated, puffy, shiny and inflamed all over, or in symmetrical spots like the cheeks. If this is what you’re seeing, or if you feel a stinging or burning sensation, you may be overworking your skin.
Typical ways people overdo it include the following.
Too much: Using multiple active ingredients at once;
layering on competing products such as Retinal, Alpha-hydroxy Acids, scrubs and
peels.
Too often: Not following instructions to ramp up product
usage; not testing a new product on your skin first to be sure you can tolerate
it; using a derma-roller or exfoliator too frequently.
Too hard: Scrubbing too enthusiastically, squeezing clogged
pores or pimples.
Why Overworked Skin Looks Older
So, what causes us to do this to our own precious skin? A
lot of us live by the philosophy “more is better.” We’ll see dramatic Before-and-After
photos and believe by doing more we can achieve better results faster.
The truth is, skin has a delicate lipid barrier that holds
moisture in and keeps irritants out. If this barrier is distressed, microscopic
fissures can form and predispose skin to moisture loss, infection and
irritation. Skin can become less tolerant to skincare products and look red,
dry and blotchy, with increased lines.
In their book, Write Your Skin a Prescription for Change,
the Doctors explain that once the lipid barrier is compromised by
“excessive cosmetic overuse or friction or rubbing,” skin goes into a “downward
spiral.”
Caring for Overworked Skin
First of all, immediately stop any abusive behavior like
over-exfoliating, picking or squeezing. Avoid the sun, and take a break from
any products that may have caused the irritation. You can soothe skin with crushed
ice in a plastic bag wrapped with a soft cloth, applied for three to five
minutes every 20 minutes.
If your skin doesn’t calm down after 24 hours,
you might want to see your dermatologist for an evaluation. Bring a list of the
products you’ve been using. (You can show your doctor the ingredients in your Rodan
+ Fields products; just find each product on our website and select the
“ingredients” tab.)
Products to Help Overworked Skin
If you’ve compromised your skin’s moisture barrier, all is
not lost. You can help strengthen it again with gentle products. That’s what
the Rodan + Fields SOOTHE
Regimen is all about. Use SOOTHE
Gentle Cream Wash , then test a small amount of SOOTHE
Sensitive Skin Treatment on the area. If your skin tolerates it, apply full-face
twice a day. Help protect skin from the sun with SOOTHE
Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 .
SOOTHE
Rescue Mask is a great way to calm skin, no matter which Rodan + Fields
Regimen you use. This soothing calamine face mask reveals softer, smoother-looking
skin in just 10 minutes and calms visible redness and dry, irritated skin over
time.
Active
Hydration Serum has Glycerin and Hyaluronic Acid to deliver optimal
hydration for all skin types. This is exactly what to use after cleansing when
your skin feels tight, dry, rough and dehydrated.
Most of all, be kind to your skin (and yourself), have
patience, don’t overdo it, and you’ll see the results you’re hoping for.
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