3 Signs Your Skincare Routine Is Too Complex

We have all taken a liking to the ten-step or even twelve-step skincare routines. You’ve seen hundreds of videos of people with perfect skin, which they attribute to a skincare routine that takes thirty minutes to an hour, and you may think that following it will lead to skin as perfect as theirs. However, you soon find out it’s an expensive and time-consuming process, and you may believe the journey to glassy, flawless skin is not for you. 

What if I told you that the skincare routine you are building might be damaging your skin? Did you know you could cut your routine by half (or more) and have even better skin?

Here are some signs that your skin routine is too long.

Your Skin Is Pilling

About an hour after completing my skincare routine, I noticed the top layer of my skin would start pilling, or not soak in, from the excess product on my face. Once I wiped off that pilled layer, my skin below was dry and red from pulling, ruining my effort to hydrate my skin. It became clear that I was doing something wrong in my eight-step skincare routine. 

After examining my products, I determined I should avoid using multiple thick balmy-textured products together. Therefore, I no longer use a face mask every day, and I removed face oils from my routine altogether. While face oils are popular right now, they were only suffocating my skin with a slick layer that wasn’t getting absorbed. 

Different skincare products exist for different skin textures; if your skin has difficulty absorbing moisture, you may find face oils beneficial. Alternately, if you’re prone to oily skin, you should apply face oils with caution. Give attention to your skin, as it will show you when something is not working.

Your Skin Becomes Irritated From Stripping

Are you over-exfoliating? Personally, my skin is on the dry side, so I diligently remove dead skin cells from my face to keep it looking young and fresh. However, I noticed that stripping my skin every day was creating a bigger problem. I looked at my products to determine what was stripping my face:

• Makeup remover

• Cleanser with a brush

• Salicylic acid

• Face mask (specifically anything containing physical exfoliants).  

I wouldn’t necessarily use these all at once, but these can be harsh on someone with already dry skin. Even using two of these in the same routine can cause a reaction. Here is what I did to reduce my exfoliating products:

I eliminated makeup remover products and instead focused on the quality of the cleanser. The  Fresh Soy Cleanser is a soft cleanser with makeup removing capabilities. Over the years, I have eliminated the need to use any other makeup remover.

For my exfoliation process, I needed to scrape the layer of dead skin without removing it too much so that my skin wouldn't be irritated. Using my cleanser with a face brush is usually enough to both gently exfoliate and cleanse at the same time. I use the e.l.f. Cosmetics Cleansing Duo Face Brush paired with the Fresh cleanser. If I feel my face needs extra exfoliation, I will use a salicylic acid like the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant.

Last, I got rid of any face masks that had physical exfoliants. Examples of this are face masks with coarse textures (e.g., the famous St. Ilves Apricot Scrub that we all used in high school to clean our pubescent faces). My skin felt hot and dry after using them. Ultimately, I had to let the product go from my skincare routine. Therefore, pay attention to the face masks you use, as they are not all created equal and may not be healthy for your skin.

You're Getting Pimples or Whiteheads

Sadly, even a complex routine filled with expensive products can cause the very thing we strive to remedy: blackheads and whiteheads. Personally, remedying this was strictly an issue of removing products from my routine. I usually get pimples and blackheads around my chin, so I did the following to give this area of my face a break:

• Removed spot treatments

• Stopped touching my poor chin

Along with removing face oils, I eliminated spot treatments. It seems counterintuitive, given that spot treatments aim to specifically help with pimples and whiteheads. I even used the Origins Super Spot Remover on my chin for years, and it's exceptional. But after doing everything I could to spot-treat, soothe, and care for my chin, I realized I was putting too many products in this spot and needed to give it a break.

This leads to the next tip: I left my chin alone in general. Since I wasn't touching it as much, I wasn't transferring oils from my hands to my face. And what do you know? My chin cleared up. Pimples and blackheads became infrequent, and even my acne scarring lessened. This won’t be true for everyone with problem areas, but I tried something new and outside my skincare comfort and something amazing happened.

Now What?

I would encourage you to examine your skincare routine. Is it working for you? Do you have any of the issues listed above? Did they start when you began using a specific product? Skincare is both an art and a science, and it takes years to perfect. 

My main takeaway from the process was this: truly listen to your skin. It will tell you (or rather, show you) if something is not working. Don’t force that glamorous twelve-step skincare routine if your skin type is going to hate it. When a skincare routine does work for you, your skin will reward you with that clear and smooth texture you’ve always wanted.

Have you been thinking about overhauling your skincare routine? Let us know in the comment section!

*Spec piece for Sephora 2021