Can skincare products become less effective over time?

I don’t know of any papers that address this issue in skincare. But we know that microbes can adapt to the environment and even mutate, giving us bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics.

I also know that even if products stay the same, the skin doesn’t. You may think that your kin has become “resistant” to an ingredient used to decrease sebum secretion, while what actually happened is that your skin has changed in response to the hormonal cycle.

A product may have been bad for you from the start, and your skin may be responding to a constant change in acidity.

Frequent peels will decrease the efficacy of the skin barrier. While the initial peel may have felt “satisfying,” subsequent peels will make the skin feel sensitive simply because the nerves will be more exposed to external irritants.

So, yes, a product may become less effective over time. Rather than just changing “because,” think about the changes, what caused them, and identify the culprit/s. In the case of peels, look for instant relief in the SAS Nourishing Skin Serum. And, for long-term relief and preventing premature skin aging, stop “over-peeling”.

Even when a product is perfect for you, it can become less than perfect after a while. For example, Skin Actives collagen serum may have everything your skin needs today. But after a couple of months, when all those “old needs” are met, maybe the limiting factor for your skin will change and you will be needing the lipids that are found in the Nourishing Skin Serum (I keep it on my desk at all times!).

Knowing your skin and respecting it as an important organ will be the first step in achieving healthy skin.

Claims on this page have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.