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Does your skin or hair get used to using the same products and become ineffective?
  • skylighthope
    I've heard that we should switch shampoos or facial products every so often in order for our skin/hair not to get used to the product because it supposedly will not be as effective. Is there some truth to that? Assuming that our skin or hair stays relatively the same, no drastic changes to skin type or hair type that is.
  • PurpleRulesPurpleRules
    My dermatologist once told me that our skin likes the "same, same, same. Don't switch products unless something's not working." That said, your skin and hair does change. They're affected by your menstrual cycle, the change in seasons and aging. So you might need to change products to correct for those changes but the products themselves don't become less effective. Assuming that a product hasn't gone bad, don't throw it out if it's not working well now. It might be just what you need 6 months down the road.
  • Left BrainLeft Brain
    There's scant evidence that your skin and hair get "used to" any certain products.
    Skin turns over completely in 2-3 weeks.  That means the skin you have now is completely different than the skin you had at Valentine's day.  You might get used to using a product but your skin doesn't really know what you're using.  The chemicals in skin products do not penetrate to the layer where new skin cells are being made.
    Hair turns over a bit more slowly.  There is some proof that you can get buildup of certain compounds in hair products.  Forensic scientists have even used hair to analyze what kind of shampoo a person has been using.  However, there is no proof that changing to a different hair product will result in better hair. 
    This idea of switching is encouraged by cosmetic marketing people because they want to encourage you to use their product rather than a competitor's.
  • tsunamino
    Wow, thanks for the info!
  • PurpleRulesPurpleRules
    I also think women like to try new things. It becomes something of a quest to find the ultimate shampoo/moisturizer/mascara. Even if you've found a product that's good, you want something that's better or as good but cheaper. Men, on the other hand, only seem to switch products when what they've been using is no longer available. Or at least that's my (entirely unscientific) theory.
  • tsunamino
    I sometimes go on glamour.com, and there's a whole section on finding out if you're stuck in a rut! Apparently it's bad to do that. In terms of fashion and looks, I'd say yes, but if your skin products work fine, I'd say keep doing it.
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