How To Avoid 'Beauty Advent Calendar Breakouts' As Searches Soar Over 1000%!

Beauty advent calendars are one of the most searched-for beauty products right now, with Google searches up +1,286% in the last 3 months. Whilst they’re a fun way to try new products, experts say they can also wreak havoc on your skin.

Annabelle Taurua, an in-house beauty and content specialist at Fresha, has revealed the most common mistakes consumers are making when delving into beauty calendars and how to make sure you’re using products safely and correctly to avoid any unwanted skin issues.

“Beauty advent calendars are a really exciting way to discover and trial new brands and products, but getting caught up in the thrill of multiple new products can lead to broken skin barriers and angry breakouts. Whilst trying products is the only way to find out if they work for you, there is a way to do it without completely compromising your skin!” says Annabelle.

1. Consider your skin type before blowing the bank

“Beauty calendars are often on the pricer end of the spectrum, so you want to ensure that the products inside are going to cater to your skin's needs. Whilst this doesn’t mean they will all work for you, you have a better chance of finding products that are more compatible with your skin type. For example, if you are someone with particularly sensitive skin, then a calendar that leans more towards actives such as retinols and acids and fragrance-heavy products is likely not worth spending your money on.”

2. Make patch testing a priority“

Just as you would with most other beauty treatments, such as hair colouring or brow lamination, patch testing something that you’ve never put on your skin before is really important. Everyone's skin has different tolerance levels, and what works for one person might not work for the other, so before committing to a full face application, it is best to trial the product on a small area to ensure it doesn’t cause any adverse reactions.Patch testing is something most people skip, or just don’t know how to do. Thankfully, it is a really simple process. All you need to do is apply a small pea-sized amount of the product either behind your ear or just below the jawline. Any reactions are likely to appear within 48 hours. If you do not experience any itching, soreness or redness, then it is safe for you to use the product more widely. If you are acne-prone, I would recommend increasing patch testing to 3-5 days to really ensure it is not aggravating in any way. Alternatively, if you have a skincare routine that already works well for your acne-prone skin, changing that up might not be the best idea. In this case, I’d recommend avoiding skincare and make-up calendars and going for ones more geared towards fragrance, body care or even candles. This way, you’ll still get your beauty fix without compromising your skin.”

3. Stop using all the products at once“

If you’re spending a lot on a beauty advent calendar, the chances are you love skincare, so getting multiple new products over a number of days is really exciting. For this reason, it is no surprise that people make the common mistake of trying all of their new products in one go, which can be a costly mistake for the skin-conscious amongst us.When introducing new products into your routine, especially those you haven’t used before, it is important to introduce them one at a time, and there are a number of reasons for this. The first being that it makes it difficult to identify which product is causing a reaction if you experience one. Another key reason is the increased risk of irritation when layering too many products at one time, especially those with active ingredients such as retinoids, AHAs, and BHAs. Using too many of these products together can increase the risk of skin irritation, which can cause dryness, redness, soreness and flaking of the skin. Other reasons include accidentally combining incompatible ingredients - which could reduce their effectiveness or cause a reaction - and damage the skin barrier.I would highly recommend introducing just one product at a time, allowing a minimum of one week before introducing anything else. This will give you ample time to one, be sure that it doesn’t cause irritation, and two, see that it works with other products already in your routine.”

4. Protect your skin barrier

“Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin. It is what protects against environmental damage, keeping pollutants and bacteria out of the skin, and retains moisture and nutrients within the skin. When your skin barrier is strong, the chances of new products reacting negatively are reduced, but if it is weak and broken, you’re more likely to react. Adding new products to a compromised or broken skin barrier can lead to a number of potential reactions, such as burning and stinging sensations, increased redness, breakouts and flaking. More severe cases can lead to prolonged issues such as perioral dermatitis, which is a common skin condition that causes small red bumps and redness around the mouth. I recommend daily use of a good skin barrier cream, whether you are testing new products or not. Make sure to reach for a cream that contains ceramides and fatty acids to replenish the skin's natural lipids, along with humectants such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid to draw in and retain moisture.”

5. Take notes!

“When using multiple new products from your beauty advent calendar, it is a good idea to keep a skin diary. Each time you introduce a new product, make a note of it, when you added it, where in your routine you added it and track any changes you notice in your skin, whether good or bad. Not only is this a great way of being able to track what products are making a positive difference to your skin, but it is also great for pinpointing any skin triggers. You may notice that products containing a specific ingredient cause flare-ups, whilst similar products without that particular ingredient don’t. It is a really informative way of properly understanding your skin and the products that it does and does not respond well to.”