Skincare is a little like playing Russian Roulette.
You spend ages (and often a lot of money) trying different products in the hope they’ll be the magic elixir that will fix your skin concern.
Eventually – hopefully – you find a regimen that works for you, and you can sit there smugly while the compliments about your flawless skin roll in.
But then, maybe a few months, maybe even a few years later, your hard-earned routine betrays you and stops working.
“I’m going to have to start all over again!” a friend going through the exact situation above cried to me yesterday.
So what’s going on?
Dr Frauke Neuser, Olay Senior Scientist, says a common myth is that skin can get “used” to a product.
“I’ve come across [this myth] when I worked in hair too, when you have to change your shampoo every month but it’s neither true for shampoo or skincare,” she says.
“It’s not that your skin will be immune all of a sudden to those ingredients or it will get lazy. People think if I start using anti-ageing products in my 20s then my skin will get lazy and rely on the skincare – that’s not how it works. You don’t get immune to drinking water – your body needs it.”
According to skincare expert Jennifer Brodeu, who as well has having over 20 years experience tends to the faces of Oprah and Michelle Obama, it’s not your skin getting “used” to a product, but rather your skin changing.