How Long Your Skin Needs To Adjust To New Skincare Products
Your skin is a living, breathing organ that has its own built-in regeneration system. New skin cells are created in the basal layer, the bottom layer of the epidermis. From there, they gradually move upward through three layers before becoming the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin.
Because of this process, most ingredients need a full skin cycle before you begin to see visible results. For most people, that cycle takes around 4 weeks.
Ingredient purpose = adjustment timeline
Natural Skincare products contain active ingredients that target the concern you are trying to address, and different actives need different amounts of time to have an effect. In many cases, these ingredients must penetrate deeper layers of the skin before they can properly solve the problem.
Hyaluronic Acid : Minutes to hours
A humectant that holds up to 1000x its own weight in water, it works almost immediately to help the skin retain hydration.
4 weeks + With continued use, improvements may appear in skin texture, reduction of fine lines, and overall skin elasticity.
Our Product: The Intensive Hydrating Serum contains Hyaluronic Acid alongside Black Tea and Cucumber extracts to deliver deep, lasting hydration from the first application.
Fruit extracts : 4 to 6 weeks
Nature is known to be the source of many active ingredients. Those that come from fruit are organic and commonly formulated into natural skincare products to benefit the skin. However, they require consistent application over time before noticeable results appear.
Niacinamide : 4 to 12 weeks
As a powerful texture smoother, it needs to penetrate deeper layers of the skin. Because of this, it requires more time to improve barrier function and help minimize the appearance of pores.
Vitamin C : 6 to 12 weeks
As a brightening active, it targets deeper layers of the epidermis where hyperpigmentation occurs. It helps regulate pigmentation and supports collagen production by targeting the cells where melanin and structural proteins are produced in the skin.
Our Product: The Advanced 7X Eye Serum is formulated with 300X Vitamin C from Kakadu Plum Extract, one of the most potent natural sources of Vitamin C available, to brighten dark circles and reduce fine lines around the delicate eye area.
Retinol/al : 8 to 12 weeks +
This master of wrinkle reduction must penetrate through the layers of the epidermis and reach the dermis, the second layer of the skin, where collagen is produced. Collagen is responsible for elasticity and firmness, and its production naturally decreases with age, resulting in thinning of the skin over time.
In order to boost collagen production, retinol/al must be applied consistently over time so it can properly become incorporated into the skin’s renewal cycle.
Our Product: For overnight skin renewal, the Restoring Night Serum supports the skin’s natural repair process while you sleep, helping to gradually improve firmness and reduce the appearance of fine lines with continued use.
AHA/BHA’s : 2 to 12 weeks
Both of these exfoliating acids work to reduce acne on the top layer (AHAs) and penetrate pores more deeply (BHAs) to improve overall skin texture.
Their effectiveness varies depending on skin type, frequency of use, and the concentration of the active ingredient in the product. Because exfoliating agents can sometimes cause irritation, their use should always be carefully regulated.
A lot of these ingredients can also be sourced from nature. Refresh Botanicals has curated and formulated a line of products that are mild and certified organic to reduce the negative impacts of harsh chemicals on the skin and, over time, on our bodies. Natural skincare products are generally well accepted by most skin types while avoiding chemicals such as sulphates and parabens.
The Refresh Botanicals Advanced 7X Eye Serum contains 7 powerful natural ingredients: Maple Bark Extract, Fig Fruit Extract, Aloe Vera Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Rice Protein, Black Tea Extract, and Kakadu Plum Extract. Each ingredient targets a specific concern in the delicate under-eye area.
Another benefit, beyond naturally depuffing and brightening the skin, is that remnants of these products return safely to the earth and don’t contribute to environmental pollution.
Purging vs Irritation
Starting a new product that contains active ingredients may cause temporary blackheads or breakouts due to increased cell turnover. This process is known as purging. You may have heard the saying that it gets worse before it gets better. In many cases, that is exactly what is happening.
Impurities in the skin are brought to the surface as the actives begin to work. But how do you know if your skin is purging or irritated?
A purge usually resembles a breakout and should only last about as long as your normal skin recovery cycle. You know your skin best.
Irritation, on the other hand, is more likely to appear as a persistent rash with discomfort that improves once the suspected product is discontinued.
Don’t forget!
Consistency and patience go a long way with skincare, whether natural or not. There’s no magic solution. The benefits of any skincare routine appear gradually over time.
Your skin needs time to adjust to new additions and respond accordingly.
You’ve got this. Good luck!
