It’s completely normal to experience significant fear of missing out when it comes to skincare. If you’re a person who likes to have an abundance of options, whenever a new product is released, you will feel a pressing desire to try them all.

Consequently, your reliable cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen routine may have expanded to include multiple products each week because of the vast array of choices available. Eventually, your tried-and-true favorites will be phased out, and you will feel no remorse about fully embracing a new extensive skincare routine.

In a world where you are constantly advised to simplify and declutter everything from your wardrobe to your beauty regimen (hello, skinimalism), being someone who is passionate about beauty products can be challenging. New products hit the market every week, promoting innovative ingredients that promise to fortify and nurture your skin barrier. So, how can you resist the temptation to try them all?

As it turns out, it is perfectly fine to use a multitude of products, and expanding your skincare repertoire might even be beneficial for your skin, as long as you incorporate them into your routine intelligently.

The Advantages of Extensive Skincare

While refining your product selection to a small number of items that you commit to in the long run has its advantages (especially for your finances), customizing your beauty routine on a daily basis allows your skin to experience the benefits of incorporating new products. “Your skin can develop tolerance and become less responsive to a specific product,” explains Dr. Loretta Ciraldo, a cosmetic dermatologist. “After six months to a year, it is important to reassess.” In some instances, your products may not deliver the desired results as initially anticipated, or your skin concerns may evolve.

How to Embrace Extensive Skincare

If you can’t let go of your habit of sampling new skincare products, continue reading to discover how skincare experts recommend diversifying your routine and embracing an extensive skincare regimen.

1. Begin with a skin evaluation.

Before you embark on the journey of experimenting with an extensive skincare routine, assess your skin type and its ability to tolerate the use of multiple products. Consulting a dermatologist for a professional evaluation of your skin can help you select more effective products to incorporate into your routine over the course of weeks or months. Leslie Baumann, M.D., author of “The Skin Type Solution,” explains that 80 percent of people are unable to accurately identify their skin type.

Common skin types typically include dry, oily, combination (both oily and dry), and sensitive. Each skin type has its own distinctive characteristics that aid in determining how to classify your skin. For example, dry skin often feels tight and exhibits flakiness. Alongside examining your skin in the morning, make sure to observe how your skin reacts to the new products throughout the day and evening to determine if any adjustments are necessary for your extensive skincare routine the following day.

This technique assists you in better customizing products that are a match for sensitive, blemish-prone, or dehydrated skin types without inadvertently introducing products that are not suitable. For example, if you awaken in the morning and observe that your skin tone is oilier than usual, then a weightless night moisturizer can be beneficial.

2. Incorporate cleansers based on your skin’s needs.

Understanding how your skin typically feels throughout the day can assist you in customizing your extensive cleansing routine, as suggested by Dr. Baumann. For example, “individuals with dry skin may choose to skip a morning cleanser, while those with oily skin should not,” she clarifies. Switching between a mild, oil-based cleanser or micellar water in the morning and a slightly more potent facial cleanser at night can prevent your face from becoming dry. (Keep in mind that if you’re washing your face after a morning workout, you may prefer a milk-based facial cleanser for a slightly deeper cleanse.)

Keep a facial cleanser in your gym bag or opt for a double cleanse on days when you engage in intense exercise or when your skin becomes oilier before your period. Instead of allowing excess oils to accumulate throughout the day (which can lead to clogged pores and breakouts), individuals with oilier skin types should cleanse their faces to remove excess oils from the skin.

3. Add products based on environmental and lifestyle factors.

Environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, or pollution, can cause your skin to become dry, breakout, or develop flakiness. However, incorporating targeted products into your extensive skincare routine can help combat the negative effects of weather and environmental elements. On hotter days, when air pollution is intensified due to increased air stagnation, incorporating more antioxidants into your skincare routine can help keep your skin calm and reduce inflammation, according to Dr. Ciraldo. Consider integrating multi-ingredient oils into your extensive skincare routine, as they are rich in natural antioxidants. Additionally, you can address higher pollution levels by using a potent vitamin C serum.

In addition to air quality and temperatures, your lifestyle choices and activities can impact your skincare regimen. For instance, alongside an eye cream, use a secondary eye gel, such as Dermalogica Awaken Peptide Deputing Eye Gel, which is more effective in addressing discoloration and puffiness that may result from a night out. If you frequently travel, applying a thicker moisturizer during flights can help maintain hydrated skin afterward.

4. Personalize your nighttime routine.

The skin naturally replenishes itself during the night, making it an ideal time to incorporate new products into your extensive skincare routine. For example, using a retinoid every other day can facilitate the introduction of other options, such as a face oil, a lactic or glycolic acid peel, or a heavier antioxidant serum, which can be absorbed overnight. This approach reduces the potential for adverse reactions by gradually reducing the use of stronger ingredients, like retinoids, when introducing new products.

TL;DR: Despite being a maximalist, exercise prudence when employing skincare products containing potent active components.

5. Gradually introduce new products.

Combining too many ingredients can irritate your skin and leaves little space for products to actually perform their functions. It can also be more challenging to determine which products might be causing breakouts or reactions if you’re experimenting with multiple new products simultaneously. Attempt alternating a moisturizer while keeping other products consistent (especially if you’re new to elaborate skincare routines). When traveling, simplify your selection to only your essential items. “Cease [using] a retinoid and alpha hydroxy acids (also known as substances that exfoliate the skin) when traveling so that the layer of dead skin cells can accumulate and protect your skin from irritants – such as detergent in hotel sheets – during the trip,” Dr. Baumann suggests.

The Finest Products to Incorporate into an Elaborate Skincare Routine

Interested in trying out some product substitutions for skincare yourself? Consider switching between the following products throughout the week for an elaborate skincare routine:

During the daytime: Opt for a lighter cleanser like Monastery’s Rose Cleansing Oil (Purchase It, $29, monasterymade.com). To boost antioxidants, utilize a nourishing product such as Dr. Loretta’s Intense Replenishing Serum (Purchase It, $70, dermstore.com). Alternate between heavier sunscreen alternatives like SuperGoop Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 (Purchase It, $38, sephora.com) when you’ll be spending the weekend outdoors, versus tinted moisturizing sunscreens like Vive Sana Daily Protezione (Purchase It, $55, vivesana.com), which can serve as a convenient all-in-one product for the office.

During the night: To remove makeup, utilize a gentle yet efficient cleanser such as Farmacy’s Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm (Purchase It, $36, sephora.com)”.

Alternate between gentle retinol items such as the new StriVectin S.T.A.R. Light Retinol Night Oil (Purchase It, $99, ulta.com) and high-end oils such as True Botanicals Renew Pure Radiance Oil (Purchase It, $110, truebotanicals.com), or purifying masks such as the Detoxifying Charcoal Mask (Purchase It, $36, cropnatural.com). For blemish-prone skin, change it up between a gentle salicylic facial cleanser such as the Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Acne Wash Foaming Scrub (Purchase It, $12.99, ulta.com) and a thin layer of Differin Gel (Purchase It,$14.99, target.com).

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