A woman has revealed the “one day rule” she follows when testing new products to determine if they’ll cause acne or breakouts.
Navigating skincare can be tricky as different solutions work for different people, and there’s no shortage of advice, ranging from beauty influencers to professionals, and even novices all taking to social media to share their insights.
TikTok influencer Natalie O’Neill, who boasts a following of 742.5K, recently shared a beauty rule she swears by, explaining her strategy to steer clear of unwanted skin reactions.
Addressing viewers directly, the skincare enthusiast told the camera: “Someone commented the other day that ‘dermatologists say spots take 90 days to form so you can’t have a breakout from a product overnight’. Let me tell you, I can have a breakout from a product in six hours.”
She proceeded to focus the lens on her cheek, pointing out a small group of spots she said had popped up as a result of a serum she’d used earlier in the day.
Natalie went on to say: “Then I took my makeup off and I could already see at the end of the day that new [spots] were forming. I’m not saying this is a bad breakout but can you imagine what would have happened if I’d applied it to my whole face?”
She elaborated on her approach further, adding: “I only ever test new products on one side of my face. Can you imagine if I hadn’t applied the one day testing rule where I just test it for a day and see what happens?
“I would’ve had a way worse breakout and that’s exactly what I used to have before I started ignoring these stupid rules that don’t make any sense, and just seeing for myself. So, if you get breakouts easily buying new products; I recommend just applying it to one side of your face for one day, leaving it a few days and seeing what happens.
“You might even find a breakout at the end of the same day you applied it – which is a lot sooner than I was expecting. It isn’t the first time that happened to me.”
In the comments section, people shared their thoughts. One frustrated user said: “I’m so done with figuring out a skin care routine, my skin is so reactive”.
A second joked: “Sometimes I break out just looking at a product”. Another individual weighed in with: “As a dermatologist with acne-prone skin, I can also have the same experience”.
Before trying new products, it’s highly advisable to perform a patch test, applying a small amount of the product to a discreet area such as the inner crease of your elbow or wrist, and leaving it on for a full 24 hours to check for any allergies or adverse reactions.
Should you experience an adverse reaction such as itching, stinging or flaky skin, discontinue use of the product.