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This Is The Proper Way Try New Skin Care Products, According To An Esthetician
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.
With the constant flood of new beauty launches combined with the countless this completely transformed my skin! reviews (looking at you, TikTok), it's tempting to try every new item that comes across your radar. But as many of us know, trying too many actives at once can result in some pretty unpleasant and sometimes irritating results.
All that to say, introducing new skin care products is a science, and we got the inside scoop on best practices from celebrity esthetician and dermatological nurse Natalie Aguilar. On a recent episode of Clean Beauty School, Aguilar offers a few tips to keep in mind when testing out a new skin care product:
Make sure there's room for it.
The first step when it comes to safely trying out new products is to take inventory of what you're already using in your routine. For example, those who have a simple cleanse, moisturize, repeat routine might benefit from introducing a product like a vitamin C serum or a chemical exfoliant, assuming they have already patch-tested the new ingredient.
But for others who already have a routine stacked with powerful serums, Aguilar says you might need to further evaluate. This is when consulting an expert, like a dermatologist or an esthetician, is extremely valuable: You want to be sure you're not mixing too many active ingredients (thus rendering them ineffective) or layering in a manner that can compromise your skin barrier (this is especially true if you have already sensitive skin).
Don't assume a product is right for you.
Beauty FOMO is real, especially when a product has taken over the skin care space. We get it. But the reality is not every product is right for every person, and we shouldn't assume otherwise. Oftentimes, Aguilar will see people posting videos of what they do for their skin, "followed by a bunch of comments saying I'm going to get that, or I'm going to do that," she says, but that may not be the best practice. We repeat: Everyone has a different skin type, and what works for a friend or family member may not work for you.
"I really wish people would stop doing what they see others do. This is why I don't offer menus at my location. As humans, we tend to want everything on the menu, and not everything is designed for you," Aguilar says.
Treat your new practice like homework.
Aguilar says it best: "A healthy skin routine is no different than a healthy lifestyle—they're both meant to be practiced every day." We couldn't agree more, Aguilar.
As fun and restorative as skin care can be, it's also not something to mess around with. You are dealing with the human body's largest organ, after all, so when you're trying out a new product, you should put time and effort into following the directions on the label and staying consistent.
Aguilar also will only add one piece of "homework" at a time. For example, rather than bombarding her clients with serums and potions, she often starts with a simple daily ritual: Drink more water. "I'll tell them, 'For this month, I want you to practice drinking more water every single day.' And then when their next visit comes, we add another piece of homework or another product to add in," she says.
Not only is this technique helpful for tracking results with each product and practice, but it also gives you enough time to build a habit before folding in another addition. Read: Creating meaningful changes to your lifestyle and skin care routine doesn't happen overnight.
The takeaway.
You might feel tempted to test out every skin care product you have in your arsenal, but you don't want to overwhelm your skin. That's why Aguilar recommends taking inventory of what you're already using, treating your new practice like homework, and (above all) remembering not every single product is right for you. At the end of the day, significant results will follow a meaningful process.
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