Product Effectiveness Timeline – How Long Until You See Results?

When it comes to skincare products, the one virtue you need to remember is patience. Your routine cannot transform your skin overnight, in fact it might take a while for you to see the fullness of the results you want. There is however an average timeline of when you would be seeing results for the products you use, but this also varies depending on the issue you are trying to resolve. Here is an average timeline for products:

• A Few Days to One Week – Though not quite overnight, products that will definitely give you visible results in a short span of time are: moisturizers, exfoliants, and anti-pigmentation creams. If you use these products consistently over a week, you will most likely see changes in your skin, whether it’s a softer, plumper look from the moisturizers, or faded dark spots from skin brighteners.
• Two to Four Weeks – Acne medication and cleansers can take weeks to take effect for your skin. The first one takes a while because it has to penetrate through the layers of your skin to treat the root of the breakout, unclog your pores, and soothe the inflammation. Cleansers on the other hand will not clear up your acne immediately, but it will reduce your skin’s susceptibility for breakouts in the long term.
• Two Months and Beyond – Serums like retinol can take months to take their full effect. Products with active ingredients in general take a lot longer to work, with results not becoming visible after months of use. Other serums with effects like stimulating collagen growth, or helping fade away scars can also take this long.