Your product made my skin dull...

Skin is a living and mysterious organ and it's not always easy to figure out why it behaves not as we expect. It doesn't happen very often, but once in a while we do receive some unusual feedback in relation to our skin care products. Every time that happens I always launch myself on research of reasons why and why not this might have happened. 

A couple of days ago, one of our customers reported that our LumiEssence brightening treatment is 'making her skin dull and pores oily.' This was one of those rare, and rather unusual feedbacks that makes you wonder what possibly went wrong. Or could there be other reasons you have not considered, that might have caused such an outcome.

LumiEssence brightening treatment is a lotion type treatment of very light texture and packed with vitamins and antioxidants. It contains Kojic acid and Alpha-Arbuting targeting sun damage and brown spots and lightening them overtime. So how could it possibly do the opposite and cause dullness of the skin? 

Let's dig deeper and look at what can cause your skin to look dull in the first place. When it comes to skin appearance, the cause does not always come from the surface, or a product application. It's more complicated. Our skin shows the state of our well being. There are many internal causes that can reflect on how we look. They are very common and many people can relate. Some more than others. So what are they, those causes that make your radiant self look well, not so radiant? There are a few.

Lack of sleep and tiredness. Less than seven hours of sleep will eventually show itself, and result in ashy complexion, dark circles, and puffiness under eyes.

Poor diet. Your skin reflects what you eat and drink, and if it does not receive a good nutrition day after day, it will appear dull and lifeless. 

Stress. Rush hour, deadlines, stacks of paperwork, meetings and even worry of job security and payment of bills can place a lot of stress, which doesn't allow your skin get the needed rest and reset its vitality, resulting in a dull appearance.

Insufficient water intake. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day is essential for healthy looking and radiant skin. And we are talking about water, not coffee, soda or juice. Water is needed to flash out toxins accumulated in the system. Lack of water intake contributes to dull complexion.

Smoking and alcohol. These two are the biggest factors contributing to dehydration of the skin, which in return causes ashy appearance of the skin. Keep in mind that passive smoking affects your skin too.

Exposure to the sun. Summer heat combined with harmful UV rays can not only cause a sun burn, but also make the skin appear dull. This happens because the heat and sun draw the moisture out of your skin making it feel dry. Prolonged and continuous sun exposure also speeds up the aging process.

Inadequate skin cleansing and exfoliation. In a course of a day our skin has to deal with the environment and it  accumulates all kinds of dirt, debris and dust. If you do not make an effort to regularly cleanse your skin and remove all that accumulated gunk, your skin will suffer and not only look dull, but result in blocked pores, black heads and breakouts. It is also important to exfoliate the skin at least 2 times a week, for deep cleansing and removal of dead skin cells. Skin that has not been exfoliated for longer than 2 weeks may appear dull.

More on how to keep your skin radiant and glowing, in my next post.