How loyal are you to your skincare products?
If you’re a regular reader here, you might have noticed that I don’t review that many facial skincare products myself compared to other beauty bloggers. Besides sunscreens, I haven’t been that keen to test new products for my face. This is the reason why you see guest reviews instead. I have stuck to using a specific range of products for more than half a year now. While I do like the products but recently, I’ve been toying with the idea of changing. In fact, I’ve already started to add some new products to my regime and am planning to transit further. So that prompted me to wonder: how long do people stay loyal to their skincare products, and what prompts them to change especially if their current products are working fine?
Actually, I was kind of amused and at the same time doubtful about an advertorial I came across over the weekend. An elderly user of a skincare brand was quoted as saying that she has been a long time user of one specific product. If I recall correctly, the longest I’ve stayed loyal to a skincare product is probably around two to three years. And although I’ve addressed why we need to periodically rotate our skincare products but I’m not facing any of those reasons currently and my products aren’t giving me problems. Yet, I want to change. Why?
Optimal efficacy
I think even the best products will reach an optimal state on our skin. This is probably why we’re usually so pleased with a great product initially but a few months down the road, we find that there aren’t anymore visible results on our skin. I often change my skincare products for this reason too although I may revert to the same product again later.
Cost
I have to admit I sometimes change products due to the prices. I’ve used some really good products but after two bottles or so, find that I can’t afford them and I just had to switch to ease the burden off my pocket.
Boredom
This is a major problem for me. I can be very happy with a product and yet want change because I’m just tired of the same smell and texture. I attribute this to being fickle as well.
Curiosity
This is probably the bigger culprit as I often get sucked in by new products with sexy sounding ingredients. But thanks to my concerns with some rather common ingredients, I’ve painted myself into a corner and can’t try more products than I’ll like to.
Promotion
My recent change of products was actually prompted by a sale. I doubt I would have bought them otherwise.
So tell me – what’s the longest period you have stuck to using one skincare brand or product and what prompted you to change (or not to change).
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i have been using the same cleanser for about 3 years and toner around 1.5 years. my reson is because all others that i have tried give me breakouts =[
I dont have brand loyalty. There are too many products out there which out of curiousity, I must try.
I don’t stick to just one brand. But if I somehow repurchase the item, i knew at once that I’ve found my holy grail.
I have exactly the same reasons as you when it comes to push factors for me to change products! haha.
I have stuck to my very first set of products for 2-3 years. Then as you said, it was too costly as it is a beautician brand, not off the shelf.
The other reason why I do not change easily is simply because I take eons to finish it! I have been on my current one since Aug last year. And there is still more than half left. So by the time I change, it’d be a good 1 year or more.
Current brand is also costly… So slowly switching out… And the moisturizer doesn’t works too well. haha, so I am also slowly switching out, even though it’s performing above my expectations. A little bit of dilema here.
I’ll only change when the items stop working for me or my skin condition changes. Otherwise it’s quite tiring going through the whole rigamarole of trying, testing (everything comes at a price, usually $$$ :p) and arriving at a happy affordable price-quality ratio for me. But my skin gets a break from the usual products when I go on a holiday to countries with differing climates or when I have stashes of samples to use up. That’s enough rotation for me.
I have some basic products in my stash which I never change. E.g. my salon brand toners, collagen cream, day matte moisturiser. They are kinda tried and proven to work for me. I can count on them not to break me out and also “nurse” my skin back to health when I get breakouts for whatever reasons.
Although they are expensive, but each item last me a year. So, they’re not all that unaffordable to me.
For the other serums, essences, sleeping masks, mud masks, peel off masks, sheet masks, exfoliators, and whatnots, I’m more experimential. I would change them quite a lot….if I can exhaust my current stash!!! ?
I used to be less concern about breaking out and would rotate my skincare products pretty often. Now, I’ve become acne-prone, I’m also more cautious.
Haha…the temptations are too strong to resist?
I see…the problem is, I sometimes get tempted by others even though I’ve found the holy grail. This is the case for my sunscreen. I love what I’m using but still, would look around to find equivalents.
1 year??? Wow, I don’t know how you gals use your products. I was shocked to find others stretching up to months to use a product that last me only 1.5 months. I must be overdosing my skin!
I actually prefer to stick to the same products when I travel. I might add some thicker moisturizer but I’ll stick to the basic. I think I have this irrational fear that if I stop using my products for even a few days, they’ll stop delivering benefits to my skin and I have to start all over again.
I used to be like you but I think I’ve even stopped experimenting with masks, exfoliators and what nots. Maybe it was due to my acne issue.
So far, I’ve been sticking to the same facial care items for about a year now, simply because I’m most familiar to it compared to the others. Its mind boggling :p
I know…there are too many so it can be tough to want to try new products. If your current product works for you, just stick to it. ?
Have you found out what works for your acne?
The reason why I have so many masks and eexfoliators is because I think my skin needs different stuff for diff reasons.
I have a bout of acne recently, but managed to subdue it. There’s 1 very stubborn one on my neck! I had to break skin and apply more than 10 acne patches to suck out the pus.
Change is the spice of life. We cannot remain loyal to just one brand no matter how much we try, the temptation is simply too strong to resist. Constant innovations and race amongst cosmetic companies means consumers are in for new products every fortnight. That’s both good and bad news. Good because we get products that are more effective and better in some way and bad because we often get confused and buy the wrong product.
im still kind of in the experimental mode, i havent quite found my holy grail skin products yet. plus theres something so exciting about getting to check out new brands every time you run out of skin care ? plus it helps prevent skin dullness from breakup
but i do think once i find my HG products ill stick with them. ive stuck with some HG hair products for a while, so all in good time!
Yes, I agree. Especially if the product is just so so. Cannot see much effect but didn’t do damage…so we move on to try others.
I have been using Origins for my skincare for 2+ yrs. No prob so far yet i still wanna change to sth else and will start trying Clinque.
I use emu oil mostly and it does heal eventually, just that it takes awhile. But exfoliating helps to get rid of the marks quicker for sure.
Yeah, that’s true. Companies are well aware of how our minds work and are always introducing new products to tempt us. I guess we have to learn to be more product savvy…
You’re so right…I tend to stick to my hair products longer. I think unlike facial products, it’s quite hard to find too many that work very well for hair.
It’s very strange. We just feel like having a change even when our skincare products are not giving problems. I guess there’s also the hope that new ones can bring more benefits.
Same here. After turning 30, my skin suddenly turns acne prone. After changing skincare which doesn’t help, i’ve seek professional help and was even prescribed medications along with treatments. However, the results only lasted a while. Subsequently, I got to try a series of truly effective organic skincare (not those pharmacy so call organic ones, I’ve tried those before and they broke me out bad!) as well as change my diet. Now my skin has improved and gotten more resillent. Good quality skincare products are so important for me. Applying these good stuff on my face every other nights (I’m quite lazy at times to use skincare every night but I try to at least use it every alternate nights), I know for sure I am waking up every morning to guranteed ready skin for makeup and the challenges in the day. I see results everytime I use these products even though I’ve been using them for the past three years. Hence, I’ve stopped being adventurous to try other skincare products in the market these days.
For me changing skincare products is mainly due to curiosity and rotational changes. I don’t want my skin to grow tolerant to any particular product and because I am curious about new products out there. I have never really found a product that I cannot live without and lived up to be my holy grail so I guess I’m constantly searching for the next best thing.
I have no idea why as well. For e.g., my toner is not decanted into a spray bottle, all I do is overturn it once onto my palm and use whatever comes out. Which at times, I feel is quite a lot, and have to pat quite long for it to dry. But it still goes down so slowly. =((( Gets a bit boring at times. I am just thankful that it works well, otherwise I’d have to chuck the whole bottle like I did to the Guardian alcohol one, which I am sensitive to.
Most of my products, I use according to the amount the manufacturer makes to dispense. For tub creams, I only use something like a 1-cent coin. More than that, my skin gets sticky, and unable to absorb no matter how long I rub and pat. Also, if I apply till this sticky stage, I breakout. So I know it’s too much.
So I am quite careful to not go more than 20-cent coin as a rule of thumb.
The only gripe is that, I have to throw out decomposed products, like more than half the container of the Kiehl’s eye cream.
Maybe it’s my skin that can’t absorb well.
i change my skincare products always… i read that we must change our skincare products every six months because our skin changes also… i also noticed that my moisturizer doesn’t work if i stick to it longer ? i also like the thought since i’m a sucker for skincare products and this means i got to test a lot of products but i still get back to my old products that suit me well hoping it’ll still work on me after not using it for awhile… so i prefer to buy in small packaging so that once i’m done with it i could actually change it ?
I guess boredom + curiosity must be the biggest causes. You use the products, it gives you the result but…heey, what about that interesting product over that shelf I saw on that store? Maybe that will be more effective, maybe this and that.
So you end up being prone to change.
My loyalty towards skincare products depends on whether they still address the needs of my skin. My skin condition changes as i aged. It used to be extremely oily and acne proned but now the issues i need to address are surface dehydration and clog pores. What i have realized was that the effectiveness of a product does not depend on its cost but rather whether it is suitable for your skin type? I have stumbled upon some amazing drugstore products that gave unexpected results.
What’s the range that you use currently? I like natural and organic skincare and try to use good quality ones as far as possible (if I can understand the formulation correctly that is).
I’m also guessing that from where you are, you also need to rotate due to seasonal changes.
Eh…1-cent coin is quite a lot. I can’t do with those thick creams too. I tend to dilute or cut the amount used. Maybe the bottles I purchase are smaller and that’s why I use up faster.
Every six months? I haven’t come across that info. Very interesting… So I’m okay to change now cos I’ve used the current range for over six months now.
That’s absolutely true cos I always struggle with the temptations. This is why I have so many products that are unfinished and end up on my neck or hands.
Yes, that’s true. The product should suit our skin types. I’ve used some expensive products that others raves but didn’t work for me and cheap ones that worked miracles.
Wow! Another person who use a set of skincare for 1 year like me!!! I never decant toners too. And sometimes I put too much on cotton pads that my face might feel a little “soapy”. I dab 1 pea size dollop of cream over 5 small dots on my face and spread them all over.
I always thought I’m the only one who uses skincare so slowly. ?
Yes. I also realise that I have periods of dry bouts to my skin. So I use more hydration products. But I need to stop when my skin is back to normal because using too much might cause breakouts for me.
Btw, the Hada Labo or whateveryoucallit hydration lotion thingy is in Watsons!!! Just saw it during lunch time.
i’ve been using the same cleanser and toner for bout 2 years. i have sensitive skin so am very cautious about my cleanser.
still trying to find the best sunscreen and moisturiser!
I’ve started to use the Hada Labo Moisturizing Lotion. First impression, not very impressive leh…
Since breaking out with acne, I’ve been more careful. I used to change cleansers without thinking much.
I use sophyto’s deep pore foaming cleanser in the morning followed by purify and energise super bioactive toner. This toner is great for calming down my occasional bout of inflammed skin. Lastly, apply polyphenol Skin drops.
In the night, i’m using The Organic Pharmacy’s expression treatment, antioxidant face gel mixed with antioxidant face firming serum.
In the day, before makeup, I apply 100% pure’s tinted moisturiser.
About twice a week or so, depending on my skin condition, I uses 100% pure’s pineapple enzyme mask, pineapple scrub, sophyto’s purifying active mask, dual action exfoliating treatment or organic pharmacy’s honey and jasmine mask.
I’m thankful that the above is still working well for me even after so many years.
Thanks for sharing the products you use and the routine. Really quite keen on using The Organic Pharmacy’s products…but they’re so expensive.
I bought the Organic Pharmacy products during my birthday month so there was a ten percent off. Even so, i know it’s still pricey. You can ask for a sample first to try. If you like what you see or feel, then consider getting it. It’s a good investment for me as a little goes a long way. The antioxidant gel and serum cost about $300 or so but I can stretch it for a year. Compared to my previous consultation with skin doctors which can go up to $200 for treatment and products per month. I think this is so much better for my wallet, less ‘traumatic’ for my skin and body as well as the more natural approach. Anyway, it took me a whole year to think about before i plunge in to buy the organic pharmacy products. Thanks to the samples by Buds Cosmetic which convinced me to just close my eyes and buy it. ?
How come?!
Please give a review soon! ?
If it works, the price is well worth. And if it does stretch up to a year, it’s not so ex then. Maybe I’ll get to Buds soon and ask for samples. It’s been awhile since I last visited them.
I don’t feel my face really hydrated. Still have dry patches. Maybe I was expecting to look like the girl in the ad…haha…but it’s not greasy or sticky so quite good there.
I stick to my Remedica Australia’s African Black Soap! Never ever gonna change using it. (: I like the fact that it’s 100% natural and fair trade. Also, it works wonders for my skin with in between exfoliations with raw sugar. My breakouts has significantly reduced to a pimple during PMS. A tiny bit of the soap(like 1/4 of a 5 cent coin) foams up so well and makes my skin oh so clean. It also made me realise that my skin is really sensitive to chemicals. Just a few days with regular off-the-shelf cleansers, I’ll start breaking out again. I’m always tempted to try new products but when I look at the long ingredient list(even though it is natural) I try to resist. I am still trying to find the perfect toner and moisturiser. hydrosols and oils don’t seem to like my skin much.
African Black Soap? I’ve wanted to try that cos I did read some interesting info on them. But generally, I don’t like using soap on my face even if they’re natural. Don’t like that squeaky clean feeling.
I’ve seen an African Black Soap sellling on Coastal Scents website. I didn’t know that there were others available. I find that the recent trend for cleansers are bar soaps, (i.e. Eumora, African Black Soap, Korean Rice Day facial soaps, MIOR facial soap). And here I was thinking that soaps are discouraged in many of the skincare books I read. Wonder what sparked off the trend.