It’s happened to the best of us — we buy products that initially work almost miraculously well. After a while, though, results seem to taper off and be less dramatic. So, is it true? Is it possible to build a tolerance to your products causing them to be less effective?

The short answer: no.

The truth is building a tolerance to ingredients will not make them less effective. In fact, for some products, including retinol, building a tolerance is actually a good thing. It allows for your skin to adjust to the intensity of the ingredients. As your skin builds such a tolerance, you’re able to use the product more frequently, which will actually get you better results.

So what do you do if your products aren’t working as well as they were initially? Here are a few tips:

Be more diligent. Make sure you are using the product as recommended. Oftentimes when we first start using new product, we strictly follow the directions. The longer you use a product, the more comfortable you become with it, perhaps using it too often, in the wrong order, or maybe forgetting to include it in your regimen. Inevitably, this will affect results.

Check your dates. Expired products are less effective. All of your products should come with a date stamped on the bottle or box that indicates how long the product will remain effective. If you’ve reached that date — or passed it! — it’s time for a replacement. Ingredients breakdown the longer your products are opened and will create less effective formulas as they oxidize. PCA SKIN® ensures your product is effective as long as possible by clearly marking expiration dates on the bottom of every product’s box.

Allow for outside variable factors. Hormonal changes throughout the month, weather changes, travel and stress can all affect your skin. Depending on how your skin reacts to outside factors, you may need to make changes in your skincare regimen to treat different concerns.

Love your healthy skin! It’s possible that you’re not seeing as dramatic of changes because you’re skin has become healthier than before you started your regimen. Take this as a good thing. Your products are still working and preventing damage, breakouts and signs of aging. Remember, preventing is easier than reversing, so keep up the good work!