Medical Grade Skincare: Is it worth the price tag?
Story time:
Three months. THREE MONTHS. December 23- March 31.
My mind was made up, convinced that the $900 I was spending was the gateway to my best skin ever. Despite my education, I had succumb to the social media influence of one particular brand being the holy grail. I drank the juice. This TOP OF THE LINE regimen would be life changing. The math was that this expensive line = beauty. Simple. If I can afford the “best” product out there , my skin will be luxurious.
Am I an Esthetician? Yes. That title drove me to a line of reasoning that I needed perfect skin. How could someone take my advice on product if I myself was lacking a clear, glowy face? Tunnel Vision. When you want something to work bad enough, you find your self convinced more easily. I did the research, I watched the testimonials. Sold.
I had the money to purchase not 1 product but 5 product. FIVE. Rookie Mistake. Never introduce an entire new skincare routine at once unless you want to send your skin into a state of confusion. Introduce one product at a time, then once adjusted, add another. Simple and effective. I was starting with a healthy base so I told myself I could handle ALL THE PRODUCT. Yikes.
December 23. Photo 1. My skin was good, I had began using a gentle retinol so I had minimal purging. My concerns: Uneven skin tone and lack luster. I wanted to TREAT my skin, no longer maintain what I had.
The $900 Regimen I Built:
- Skinbetter Cleansing Gel. Double Cleanse.
- Vitamin C Serum.
- Even Tone Correcting Serum.
- Retinol- nightly application.
- Trio Moisturizer.
When I say I was proud to slap that $900 product on my face, I just starred in the mirror as if I would instantly age backwards.
Reality. The first week, eh. My skin was looking dull. Small bumps began to appear. Then more and more. What was the reason? Purging. I was using medical grade retinol and purging was to be expected. Could that be the reason? Maybe. Was it the reason? Hard no.
Ladies, I continued to use these products for THREE MONTHS despite the negative effect it was having on my skin. ON MY FACE. Are you screaming yet? My skin was inflamed, covered with raised bumps and the texture was unmanageable. My skin barrier was at war. “Just purging” that was on repeat in my mind. Give it time to work. I needed to push through and my skin would adjust.
A normal purge time is 4 weeks, 6 weeks maybe. I went 14 weeks. That’s how bad I wanted this product to be for me.
So where did I go wrong? I was over-hydrating and over-treating my face. My skin could not rid itself of anything because I would add product right back on. The routine was applied morning and night.
In MY case, my personal experience, the combination of products were not right for me. I still love this line, in moderation and with the right approach. But you don’t need a 5-10 step process full of medical grade skincare to have healthy skin. 1 specific product chosen to treat will go much further then combining an entire routine of name brand items. The Nortious BIG was right, mo money mo problems. I dedicate that song to this story.
Now began the journey to recovery. Physically and emotionally. It is defeating to have a dream become a nightmare. The fix was simple.
HOW DID I RESET MY SKIN? STAY TUNED.
Bevies, thanks for the read! Hoping I was able to take one for the team. If you find yourself ready for a reset, iv got a simple affordable routine coming up! Rae