How Skincare Products can get Redundant

Did you know that you can either an overreaction or no reaction at all on your skin by using too many products? This is called the “redundancy of effect” and it happens when you are unknowingly using multiple products that do the same thing to your skin. The results can either be none or extreme.

None, meaning these two products might cancel each other out, or extreme as in your skin might end up getting an allergic reaction through the combination of these products. Some extreme reactions include redness, roughness, peeling and even sensitivity.

When you’re looking into which skincare products you buy, you should see what each of them do individually and how they can affect each other. A moisturizing cleanser might mean that you can be a bit more relaxed on using a moisturizing cream by itself, or even a sunscreen with moisturizing properties might do the same job. Using a cleansing agent that has exfoliating properties, then using an exfoliator will not only make the effects redundant but could further damage your skin.

You also have to keep in mind that there’s a certain way to layer your products, that way all the active ingredients work in tandem and not against each other. For example, serums that have very potent ingredients need to be layered on first and sealed with other creams, not the other way around. If a serum’s ingredient has to penetrate your skin through layers of moisturizers then you will not achieve the effect that’s expected.

This is why a skincare routine with fewer products is always preferred. First think about what the issues are you want to resolve, and the type of skin you have. Most dermatologists recommend three or four steps for a good skincare routine – a cleanser, an active serum to fix your issues, a moisturizer or a moisturizing sunscreen. Remember that simpler is always better.