So…you’re curious what the fuss is about with custom skincare routines. It’s likely why you clicked on this article! Finding the right formula for your skin is like choosing a partner: it’s DEFINITELY not a one size fits all situation. Some can be incredibly toxic, or work against you. Have you ever wasted money on a product that didn’t meet the mark? Did you end up with more breakouts after using something? Trust me, we’ve all been there. Even me. Why do that to your skin? It’s the only one you’ll ever get: it’s high time you start investing in a formula that is built for you. Spoiler: it will save you money in the long run along with saving your skin.
What Skincare Products Do You Need?
I’ve been under the careful watch of my dermatologists and estheticians since I was in high school. Ridden with cystic acne as a teen, and hormonal acne thereafter, it was a constant balancing act. After countless laser appointments to reduce scarring and fits of rage in college, I stumbled upon a dermatology clinic that specialized in customized products to combat acne. Long story short: it saved my skin and confidence. Turns out, I had been neglecting certain things about my skin, simply due to the fact that I was doing the guesswork myself on what I thought I needed. I didn’t need every traditional skincare “step” and some active ingredients were actually working against each other given my skin type. This is where a custom routine swoops in to save your skin (and wallet). Let it guide your purchases moving forward. Don’t let it be a juggling act.
What Is Custom Skincare?
A custom skincare routine is built on the foundation of the concept of dermatology compounding. This means that you can get personalized formulations to target your skin’s concerns, without the added ingredients you don’t need. This is nearly impossible to do when solely relying on over-the-counter formulas in the Target beauty aisle. You’ll also get a fast track answer on what to avoid in future skincare purchases.
The Benefits of A Custom Skincare Routine
Faster Results
This is truly what changed my mind forever. When you leave your skincare formula to an expert dermatologist or skincare chemist that understands your skin’s problems, you’ll fast track yourself to real results. This is why I partnered with Hop & Cotton in this article. I wanted to show you the power of their customized formula. After 6 months, my skin did a full 180: hormonal acne died down completely, and my overall skin tone evened out. The only thing left here is a few outbreaks of maskne. Thanks, COVID… I saw minor results much quicker: redness was reduced by 50%, and healing time on breakouts was also cut in half. All in the span of 3 months.
Cheaper Long Term
The initial sticker shock is real. However, when you really think about it, it’s a much cheaper alternative to experimenting yourself on your own research. Sick of wasting $150 on another product at Sephora? Save yourself the heartache and start with a custom routine first. Once you know your right and left lateral limits on ingredients and concentrations, shopping on your own becomes much more effective. A custom skincare routine will also save you on the expensive treatments needed to reverse the damage done as you get older. Why spend thousands of dollars on fractional laser later to remove acne scarring when you can nip it in the bud early with a routine that’s built to correct it?
Less Is Often More
Do you really need every popular active ingredient touted by the world’s top beauty publications? Likely not. Are you layering 3-4 serums because you saw them featured on TikTok, and figured using them all together would give you faster results? It may be exactly what’s holding your skin back. What I love most about Hop & Cotton is their truly bespoke approach. You are not sending your photos into a website’s algorithm to determine a solution. Their skin chemist, Ee Ting reviews your skin quiz answers and builds each product to target your skin’s concerns head-on. She will also tweak your formula as time goes on to ensure you see speedy results.
My Results
If you asked me 7 years ago when I started my blog if I’d ever put a bare-skinned/filter-free photo up, I would have laughed at you. Fast forward to 2020: I feel confident enough to wear zero makeup (sunscreen of course) in public and even talk to you on Instagram stories without anything on. If I can crawl out of the painful abyss of cystic and hormonal acne, you can too. You just need the right tools and guidance.
Thank you to Hop & Cotton for sponsoring this post!
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