How to talk to your provider about your skin concerns?

When is it time to upgrade your skincare conversations?

If your current skincare routine feels like it is just "vibing" rather than delivering results, you have likely hit a plateau. While drugstore products are designed for mass use, they often lack the personalized touch needed for persistent skin concerns. Upgrading to a custom prescription (Rx) formula allows a licensed dermatology provider to tailor active ingredients to your specific skin history and goals. To get the most out of this clinical partnership, you must know how to provide the right information to your provider during your consultation.

Is your skincare working or just sitting there?

We have all been there. You buy the latest buzzworthy serum because it is trending, only to find your skin looks exactly the same three weeks later. Drugstore products are manufactured at scale and can’t offer certain ingredients or care from a licensed provider like a prescription can.

While a drugstore retinol might be a great starting point, it is often a one-size-fits-most solution with fixed strengths. If you have persistent breakouts or a complex skin history, you likely do not need more products. You may need a prescription upgrade.

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Curology’s prescription formulas contain up to 3 active ingredients in 1 bottle and offer a variety of ingredients and ingredient strengths that can be prescribed based on your goals, ingredient preferences, and tolerance.

Curology’s prescription formulas contain up to 3 active ingredients in 1 bottle and offer a variety of ingredients and ingredient strengths that can be prescribed based on your goals, ingredient preferences, and tolerance.

Holly Mays

PA-C

Holly Mays is a certified physician assistant at Curology. She received her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

Holly Mays is a certified physician assistant at Curology. She received her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

If breakouts initially improve and then stall, that’s a sign that a formula may need adjusting.

Curology providers watch for:

• Recurrence of active breakouts

• Increased frequency of breakouts

• Persistent clogged pores despite consistent use

• Improvement that stops short of expectations for your acne severity

A plateau does not mean failure. It could indicate that your skin is ready for a higher strength or a new ingredient.

Similarly, we watch for signs that a formula may need to be readjusted, not just a stronger strength.

Then, as Curology providers, we reassess a particular formula when:

• Acne shifts to a different type. Such as from inflammatory to comedonal, or vice versa

• Hormonal breakouts emerge or fade

• Stress, lifestyle, or seasonal changes impact skin behavior

Finally, tolerance matters just as much as results. The goal is progress with control, not pushing through discomfort or side effects. 

If a Curology patient is having minimal dryness or irritation, no ongoing peeling or stinging and using their formula consistently daily without discomfort, we may increase the strength for more improvement. Likewise, if a patient reports ongoing irritation, excessive dryness, or prolonged purging beyond expected timelines, we may switch to a lower strength or adjust the formula ingredients.

How do I talk to my provider about my concerns?

At Curology, we value measured outcomes over marketing hype. To unlock the best version of your custom formula, your dermatology provider needs more than just a list of products. They need clinical context.

Aside from photos to evaluate your skin, what are the three most critical pieces of information for your provider? According to our dermatology providers here at Curology, these three pieces of information shape your ingredient selection, ingredient strength, and other aspects of your treatment plan:

1. Your breakout pattern: Where do you break out, and how severe is it?

2. Your skin sensitivity: What are your past reactions to specific ingredients? Is your skin usually dry, oily, or a combination? Is your skin easily or rarely irritated?

3. Your treatment history: What has worked in the past and, more importantly, what has failed?

Clinical Rationale: By sharing these details, along with your medical history, you help your provider create and adjust your treatment plan using medical logic and personalization that OTC brands simply cannot offer.

Why does my provider adjust my formula?

A plateau is not a failure. It is a signal that your skin may be ready for the next level. Your provider monitors several clinical indicators to determine when to evolve your formula:

• Consistent Tolerance: Using your formula nightly without irritation often means your skin is ready for a higher strength.

• Stalled Progress: If breakouts initially improved but have now reached a standstill, an adjustment can help clear those persistent clogged pores.

• Shifting Concerns: Skin behavior can change with the seasons or you may have new concerns over time. Your dermatology provider can adjust the ingredients to evolve with your needs.

The Purge Protocol: Refreshing your skin from the inside out

In the first 30 days, you might experience a "skin refresh," commonly known as purging. This happens because certain prescription actives increase skin cell exfoliation. This process can contribute to clogged pores and a temporary acne breakout.

How to tell the difference between a productive purge and irritation:

• The Purge: Whiteheads, blackheads, or inflammatory pimples appearing in areas where you normally break out within the first few weeks of starting a new treatment. This can be a sign the formula is working to clear your pores.

• Irritation: Temporary dryness, flaking, redness, and/or mild itching or stinging are also not unusual when adjusting to topical prescription medications.

If you are unsure, you can message your Curology provider anytime to ask: "Is this a normal purge or do I need to adjust my routine?"

Minimalist Routine for Maximal Results

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While having a multiple step routine can be tempting when seeking results as soon as possible, in reality, layering multiple products can lead to irritation and decreased adherence to your skincare routine.

While having a multiple step routine can be tempting when seeking results as soon as possible, in reality, layering multiple products can lead to irritation and decreased adherence to your skincare routine.

Holly Mays

PA-C

Holly Mays is a certified physician assistant at Curology. She received her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

Holly Mays is a certified physician assistant at Curology. She received her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

You do not need a 10-step routine to get the glow. In fact, layering multiple products can lead to irritation. In our experience, simpler regimens often outperform complex ones because they are easier to follow consistently.

By switching to a personalized prescription formula, such as DayPrime Rx, you cut the noise. One custom prescription bottle replaces the guesswork of multiple serums. This gives you a simpler regimen designed to outperform complex ones.

Rx products are subject to medical consultation. Subscription required. Results may vary. Restrictions apply. 

Written by

Holly Mays, PA-C

Medically reviewed by

Elise Bradley, PA-C