MYTH: You have to change products because your skin gets used to them

Is it true that after using the same products on your face for about 6 months or so, your skin gets used to them, and they tend not to work?

I’ve been using the same product for several years. I have read it is good to switch products now and then so your skin doesn’t get used to them. Is this true?

My response to these kinds of questions is an emphatic no! There is no reason why you can’t use a product indefinitely. The idea that you have to change products due to your skin getting used to them, rendering them ineffective, is a myth. Perhaps this way of thinking is used to promote a new product, or it is simply a misnomer that has never been challenged.

...unless you want to

Products you use should work period, not just for a period of time. Case in point: I have been using one product line for almost 30 years (Yonka-Paris, of course). They are the products I sell and use in my practice. I have never had the feeling I needed to switch brands, personally or professionally. The products work great, so why change? For years I used the exact same daily cleanser, toner, and moisturizers. Then, as I drew closer to 50, my skin changed (producing less oil) so I started using different products—within the line—for my more true-dry skin.

I see no reason to switch lines altogether when you have absolutely no reason to do so. I have many clients who have used Yonka for decades, and because their skin continues to do well and look great, they continue on with the same product line; changing individual pieces as their skin changes, which could be from year to year or even decade to decade.

So the answer to “Can I use the same product for a long time?” is yes, if you are doing well with that product or line of products. There is no good reason to switch if you don’t need to. You may want to, but that is a different story altogether.

For more information, see:

• Determining a good product: Natural vs. synthetic
• True or False: You only need to wash your face at night
• MYTH: Before and after pictures