How to Choose the Right Skincare Products for You

With the hundreds of thousands of skincare products on the market, how do you choose the right products for you? Products that deliver visible results by specifically targeting your individual skin type, conditions and concerns?

We all have different skin. There are different skin types and conditions. Choosing the right skincare regimen is important for maintaining healthy skin. Some people want to improve a particular problem while others want to establish an effective skin maintenance routine. Knowing how to choose a skincare regimen will help you decide what to look for and buy when you are faced with the thousands of different products on the market today.

Skin Type

Skin type refers to the skin characteristics you were born with. The amount of oil you produce, pore size, the degree to which your skin can pigment or burn, skin elasticity, how fast you wrinkle, sensitivity issues, how you scar…these characteristics make you different from others. These differences are due to genetics, your ethnicity and race. So you can thank your parents and family for them. Differences in skin are also due to age…your real age (how old you really are) compared to your environmental age (how old you actually look). You could be 40 but look 25 or you could be 25 and look 40.

The main point to consider is that different skin types have different needs and will respond to products differently depending on individual skin type and needs.

Skin Conditions

This refers to the current state of your skin. Are you experiencing problems such as acne, blackheads, whiteheads, pitting of the skin, roughness, dry flaky skin, dark spots, brown patches, lightened areas, freckles, sun damage, redness, irritation, wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin, scarring?

Skin conditions can change unlike skin type. Skin conditions fluctuate because of how you care for your skin (what you do to it or put on it), changes in your diet, health, exercise, medications, seasonal changes and where you live (weather and geography influences). Skin conditions can change for better or worse.

For example, let’s take a closer look at things to consider when purchasing exfoliation products based on skin type and conditions. When you remove dead skin, skin automatically looks brighter, feels smoother, is less clogged and absorbs other products better. This applies to all skin. Take away dead skin build-up and all skin will look better. However, there are plenty of individuals with bad experiences when using exfoliation products because the exfoliant they chose was not suitable for their skin type and conditions, they over used it or used it incorrectly.

Skin thickness and texture: Do you have thick or thin skin? What is the current texture of your skin?

If your skin is thick and naturally oily, an exfoliating cleanser, toner, serum and moisturizer is likely to yield greater results than someone with thin skin who doesn’t have as much dead skin build-up. Same situation goes for individuals with thick, sun damaged skin. Sun damage thickens the epidermis. Someone who spends a lot of time in the sun or has sun damaged skin has more dead skin to lose, so exfoliating products containing ingredients such as AHA acids, Vitamin C and retinol will work well on thicker, sun damaged skin.

Do you have oily skin, clogged pores or acne? Exfoliation makes an even greater impact on clogged, oily skin compared to someone who has clear, drier skin. Consider your age as well. Mature skin tends to be thicker, drier and flakier. So again, there are more dead skin cells to lose.

Prior skincare habits: Have you ever used an exfoliation product before? Someone who has never exfoliated before will see a big improvement when doing so for the first time. Individuals who are new to exfoliating will have a very different experience than someone who exfoliates regularly several times a week and has been doing it for 5 years. If you have been exfoliating regularly, are you using a cosmeceutical-grade exfoliant or a physical scrub? A cosmeceutical-grade exfoliant produces much better results.

Professional vs. drugstore brand products and treatments: Have you ever received a professional exfoliation treatment or a medical-strength chemical peel? Do you get regular facials? What products are you currently using at home to maintain your skin? Where do you buy your skincare products - department stores, Sephora, Ulta, spas, doctor’s offices, local drugstore or through an independent skincare consultant/specialist?

Individuals who buy products from drugstores will have different standards than someone who buys premium, cosmeceutical-grade products. For example, professional brands intended for medical offices and medspas generally use higher concentrations of performance ingredients such as retinol, hydroquinone, Vitamin C, etc. compared to drugstore brands. That’s their major point of difference. So even though a drugstore brand product may say it contains retinol, peptides or hyaluronic acid in it, the concentration is too low to really make any visible difference in your skin.

How to Choose a Skincare Line

First, it’s important to determine your skin type.

• Is your skin oily, dry or a combination of both?
• Is your complexion fair, medium or dark?
• Is your skin sensitive?

What conditions are you trying to correct or prevent? You may have more than one skin condition or issue, but it’s best to target your issues one at a time.

• Do you want to get rid of acne, acne scars, rosacea, dark spots, melasma or hyperpigmentation?
• Do you have fine lines and/or wrinkles?
• Do you have large pores?
• Do you suffer from blackheads and whiteheads?
• Does your skin burn easily?

Assess short-term and long-term effects when it comes to the skincare products you choose. Some products may alleviate a specific problem quickly, but may not be best for long-term use. Know how a skincare regimen will affect your skin in 1 year or even longer.

Look for products that work well together with the right key ingredients, in the right formulations and in the right order for your skin type and conditions. Buy the basics, and then add on later as you start seeing results and your skin gets acclimated to the products. Start with the right cleanser, toner, broad spectrum sunscreen/sunblock and nighttime moisturizer. Then add a gentle exfoliation product, serum or other treatment a few weeks to a few months later, depending on how sensitive your skin is.

I have several customers who started using Rodan + Fields after I introduced the products to them. Before, they were using brands from department stores, Sephora and Ulta. None of the products they were previously using were cheap either. Now that they know what visible results are from using Rodan + Fields products, before they had no idea what they were missing. They didn’t really realize there were better skincare products on the market not being sold in retail stores. Now they are spoiled and always mention to me that after I introduced them to Rodan + Fields, they can’t go back to retail brands.

After you’ve made a decision to try a product or skincare regimen, let your own experience guide you. You’re the best judge on whether a product agrees with your skin since you live in it 24/7. You look in the mirror and can see the changes day by day. Do you like it? Does it feel good? Chances are you're going to stick with products that make your skin look and feel good. So find something that works best for YOU and where you’re seeing results along the way. Remember though, consistency is key when it comes to maintaining your skin with quality products that produce results!

Looking for an effective skincare regimen or routine customized for your skin type and conditions? Take a look at these multi-med therapy skincare regimens and find out what products are right for you!