Reality Check
Set realistic skincare goals
You know that the world of skincare where everything is shiny, glamorous…and confusing. Every other product promises you the world but leaves you disappointed and broke. That’s why we, at WIMJ, want to be the light in the dark and the voice of reason. We want to help you cut through the unrealistic marketing promises and get real about skincare.
The first principle of the WIMJ Skincare System is setting realistic goals and expectations for your topical skincare routine. We’re not here to sugarcoat things, but cosmetic skincare has limits in terms of what it can do. Before you invest your time and money in a skincare product or routine, it’s essential to check if your expectations are realistic.
So, want can you realistically expect from topical skincare, and what are things beyond its reach?
What cosmetic skincare can do
- Reduce acne breakouts
- Reduce clogged pores and improve the look of pores this way
- Help existing breakouts heal quicker and with less scarring
- Make the skin texture less even – to a degree
- Prevent increase in pore size with age – to a degree
- Fade pigmentation spots (for example, post-acne marks or age spots) and give a more even-toned, brighter complexion
- Reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles – to a degree
- Help reduce elasticity loss – to a degree
- Reduce skin oiliness – to a degree
- Prevent increase in pore size with age – to a degree
What cosmetic skincare cannot do
- Reduce dark circles under eyes
- Reduce undereye “bags”
- Reduce existing skin sagging and restore lost elasticity
- Reduce pore size
- Fully prevent so called “mimic” wrinkles like the ones in the corners of our eyes, forehead lines or nasolabial fold
- Undo old scars
- Treat severe acne
- Increase lip volume or volume of any face area
- Reduce or prevent cellulite
- Reliably prevent stretch marks
If your skin goals fall under the “can-do” category, congratulations! A good skincare routine with products available online or in cosmetic shops can help you achieve those goals. We recommend selecting 2-3 goals that are most important to you and keeping them in mind as you move on to the second step of the WIMJ system. We also suggest limiting the number of goals you set at one time to avoid a complicated and hard-to-follow regimen. Too many active ingredients used at once can overwhelm your skin and lead to sensitivity, undoing a lot of skincare progress. So it’s best to focus on a few main goals and come back to your remaining wish list once the first set of goals is taken care of.
On the other hand, if your skin concerns fall under the “cannot do” bucket, it doesn’t make sense to waste time and money on cosmetic skincare that promises these results. Unfortunately, some of these concerns are almost impossible to do much about. For example, under-eye circles (unless the coloring is caused by hyperpigmentation, which isn’t the case for most people) or reducing pore size. For other concerns, effective interventions exist, but they either require an invasive procedure like a botox injection for mimic wrinkles or laser treatment for scars or stretch marks, a cosmetic surgery for sagging skin, or a more holistic treatment from a dermatologist in the case of severe acne.
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