How can I tell whether my skincare routine is helping?

Track three things: photos in similar lighting, how your skin feels during the day, and relevant changes such as sleep or your cycle. The most useful changes are usually trends over several weeks, not one unusually good or bad day.

Look for patterns, not one good day

For a moisturizer, look for less tightness and comfortable skin hours later. For treatment products, allow an appropriate trial without changing several things at once. A pattern can guide the next question, but does not prove the cause.