This happens to all of us at one time or another: You try out a new product, something bad happens to your skin or hair, you blame it on the product because it's the only new thing in your routine, and decide never pick it up again. Logical, right? If something makes you break out, you don't use it again, right? Well.... Sometimes that's what's supposed to happen at first and sometimes human error plays a part. Here are some scenarios that you may run into and whether or not you should keep using the product or chuck it out the nearest window.
NOTE: I am not a dermatologist and will never claim to be. Most of these tips are based on experience and articles I have read.
Mild breakout after using a new facial skincare product: Don't stop yet.
A lot of the time, when you switch to a new cleanser, you skin will go a little crazy. This occurs mostly because you are either applying a chemical your skin isn't used to or a higher concentration of the more abrasive ingredients (like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid). Your skin will break out at first, but as it gets used to the ingredients or concentrations, it will go back to normal. It will take about 2 weeks to a month before your skin is back to normal. If however, the breakouts still occur after that amount of time, toss the cleanser.
Heavy breakout after using a new facial skincare product: Probably chuck
Unless it is a heavy-duty prescription or you went out on the sunniest day without applying sunscreen after washing your face, get rid of the product! Chances are, you are allergic to something in it. If the cleanser or acne cream is a prescription, it has a really high concentration of benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid and will irritate your skin like crazy before it shows skin's improvement. If you are really uncomfortable with the reaction, call your dermatologist. The final causes for heavy breakouts are silly mistakes brought on by rushing or carelessness (and I have done both!): 1. Not thoroughly rinsing your face and 2. Not using sunscreen after your skincare. If you don't fully rinse your face, some of the chemicals will remain on your skin and keep working, irritating it. If you use a lot of salicylic acid products, it is important to stay out of the sun or put on sunscreen because the salicylic acid dissolves some of your skin and makes skin more vulnerable to the damaging rays and it takes a big toll on your face.
Breakout after using a new makeup product: Try one more time
I can probably guess when any of you tried out your newest makeup item: either a party, concert, or highly social/stressful event when you wanted to look your best and in the morning, you see pimples that are in places that never have blemishes. Sound familiar? I certainly know this situation well. Is it the fault of the product not getting along with your skin? Maybe, maybe not. The way to be at least halfway sure, pay attention to where the pimples are and think about happened the night before. If they are in places where you touched your face or sweated up a storm, then it might not be the makeup. In high-stress and social situations, we all tend to sweat and touch our faces more, layering what came in contact with our hands on top of our makeup, promoting breakouts. To make sure it wasn't just a bad night, try the makeup again (after your skin has cleared up) on a more or less normal day. If you break out again, sorry. It's probably the makeup. If nothing happens, congratulations. It more than likely wasn't.
Sticky skin after using a new lotion: Don't stop yet.
Some lotions are rather rich and when used in excess, makes skin sticky. It's because the skin cannot absorb any more product, so the moisturizers just sit on it. Simple solution: use less. If the stickiness diminishes, great on two levels: 1. Your skin no longer feels weird and 2. You're using less product so your bottle of the stuff will last longer! If no matter how little you use and the lotion doesn't soak in, find a new one to use. No one wants to be a human-shaped piece of fly paper.
Itchy or burning skin after using a new lotion: Chuck it!
This is assuming that you don't have an open cut or something of that nature. You're allergic to something in the lotion. Period.
Weird scent after spraying perfume (or cologne for guys): Don't stop yet.
This one is tricky because perfume can be so fickle. Be sure that your pulse points don't have other scents on them because they can affect the perfume's scent in a bad way. Make sure you use unscented soap when you want to wear perfume. If you still have a weird scent, wait a few minutes. Sometimes the perfume just needs to dry and warm up before its true scent comes out. (For me, it takes 5-10 minutes.) If the weird odor persists, you may want to give the perfume to a friend whose body chemistry is different than yours and doesn't experience the same problem with the scent. A precaution for the next time you're perfume/cologne shopping: spritz the perfume on your wrist in the store, walk around for a little while- if you're in a mall, shop for about an hour- and smell your wrist and determine whether the scent is "you."
Extra dry or greasy hair after using a new product: Don't stop yet.
Just like the lotion, the amount being used might be the problem. Also, it might be how you style your hair. If you put products in while your hair is too wet or dry, it won't work correctly, if at all. If hair is too wet, the product all but dissipates. If hair is too dry, the product won't distribute evenly and will clump on your hair. If you dry your hair too quickly after applying the hair product, it won't set properly, causing hair to become completely unmanageable.
The best way to use most hair products is to use a dime to nickel size of it on damp hair, about three-quarters of the way dry, and combing it through to make sure the hair is evenly coated/saturated/whatever the product does. Then wait a few minutes for the product to soak in, depending on the thickness of the product: Mousses and spray liquids- 2 minutes at least, serums- 5 minutes, creams- 7 to 10 minutes. If you still end up with problematic hair, try again with tweaks like less or more product, more time to soak in, etc. If there's still no progress, you should start looking for a new treatment- if too greasy, go more towards the liquid and mousse end, if too dry, try serums and creams.
If I missed a scenario or was vague/confusing in any of these, just leave a comment here or on Facebook if you're a FB friend. Hope you found these helpful in some way.
<3 M
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