Have you ever said to yourself : “My skincare just isn’t working anymore”? If you’ve answered yes, you are definitely the majority. If you answered no, I can guarantee that it has and you just haven't noticed. So why does skincare stop working?

One of two major reasons: 

1 - Your products have expired or been exposed to an environment that has prematurely spoiled the ingredients.

or

2 - If you are living a perfect, 100% clean lifestyle with no changes in stress, environment, or diet then your skincare shouldn’t change or “stop” working. This is impossible unless you're a robot.

Here is the deal: You are not expected to be perfect because that means you are not evolving. Change is good but it can also be confusing when your skincare all of a sudden isn’t living up to it’s expectations. So what do you do? Here is my advice on how to mix it up when your skincare stops working:

1 - I compare natural ingredient based skincare to food all the time. It’s important to know how to store them properly, when they expire and how they shift per season. It is very normal for skincare companies to make small adjustments in the same product from the summer to winter seasons because natural ingredients can’t grow EXACTLY the same year round. If they do, then it’s usually genetically modified to do so. Think about when you harvest ingredients from a garden, the sizes and colors will all vary yet the same love and care went to each piece of produce. So if you purchase a product at the beginning of summer and are looking to restock the same product in the fall, ask for a sample of the freshest batch of testers. You can try it out to see if you get the same result. 

2 - I mentioned a little bit about checking your expiration date. This is crucial for skincare to be efficacious. Otherwise you may be using something that naturally loses it’s potency over time or something that has expired already. Some key tricks would be to double familiarize yourself with the scent and texture of each product when you first open it. If the scents or textures start to shift that can be an indication of an expired product. If the product you purchase doesn’t have an expiration date, then write the date of purchase on the bottom of it that way you can keep track of it yourself. Products that come in an amber glass or miron glass have the highest likelihood of maintaining their integrity because sunlight and heat have a small chance of effecting the ingredients. ** PLEASE NOTE - coconut oil is an ingredient that can change texture without losing it's integrity so the signs for expired coconut oil is color change and scent change. 

3 - Keep products out of your shower. Water is an ingredient commonly found in conventional skincare followed by many different preservatives. Why? Because water breeds bacteria so in order to maintain it’s true form companies need to add extra stuff so it stays fresh. Seems a little excessive to me when you can replace the water with more stable natural ingredients. Keeping your products in the shower will up the likelihood of water getting into your products and harboring bacteria. Body and hair products are packaged differently for a reason however be sure to monitor them as well by sealing the tops of the products tightly after each use. 

4 - If you do all the above steps correctly, then start looking within. Have you traveled recently? Has your stress level increased? Have you been eating different foods? Have you been getting restful sleep? All of these play a huge role in the potential for your skin to change. My suggestion is to simplify your skincare at this point and work from within. Start by journaling your day to day changes from the questions I listed and see if a pattern arises. You can really narrow down what may the culprit of a skincare change if you see it written down. For example, I was a vegetarian for a long time and when I started eating meat again my energy levels were all over the place. Once I noticed that certain meals made me more lethargic than others, I was able to make the appropriate changes to shift my energy. My skin had a few moments of change but eventually when I found the root of my issues, my skin finally went back to it’s glowing self! 

**Navigating skincare issues can feel really overwhelming so when in doubt, don’t hesitate to reach out to your skincare professional or even the skincare company representatives. I email or call companies all the time because they are the true experts of their products. A quick email can eliminate potential risks to your skincare. **

I hope this helps shed light on the very common question: “Why isn’t my skincare working?”, next time you find yourself wondering this thought look over this guide. I hope this helps and empowers you to keep your skin glowing! 

Find more ways to discover Your Best Skin, Your Best Self with Therapeutic Skin Coach