If there is one thing I love, it is skincare. I am a skincare addict and I am not afraid to admit it. Despite my lifelong love of skincare, I didn’t always have the best habits. At one point in my life, I have been guilty of making all of these skincare mistakes. Luckily for you, I am going to share the 5 skincare mistakes you are probably making.
Sure, we’re out there always finding the latest and greatest face masks and serums, but it’s not always about the product you’re using, it’s also about how you’re using them, along with the habits surrounding how you care for your skin. Here are a few skincare mistakes most people make without realizing it (including me).
Skincare Mistake #1: Cleaning skin aggressively, not properly or for too long
This one might seem a little obvious, but it’s important to properly cleanse your skin. And this includes washing your skin, cleansing your skin so many times a day and opting for a more alkaline cleaner rather than a gentle and simple cleaner to get rid of everything. Some people do this, thinking it will naturally remove dirt and purify the skin keeping the skin clean. Yes, cleaning does make your skin clean, but at the same time washing it so many times a day will take away the essential moisture that your skin needs. It will disrupt your natural skin barrier.
The cleansing agents inside the cleanser cannot detect the difference between the natural moisture components that your skin has and the sweat, dirt particles, therefore it takes away literally everything.
Secondly, you might not be washing your skin properly. These days with the stay-all-day foundations, crease-proof eyeshadows, and you’re going to need a little more than your basic cleanser to cut it. And that’s the reason I like the idea of the 2-step cleanse and follow it daily.
The 2-step cleanse method is a science-backed principle that the oil-based cleanser will remove excess oil and oil-based product residue and break down any makeup, and the water-based cleanser will get rid of any pore-clogging dirt that remains, to get your face as clean as possible, all without irritating your skin.
I have been loving the farmacy make up melt as a precleanse before using my purity cleanser. The precleanse helps to remove makeup, dirt, pollution particles from the skin and the purity cleanser removes any remaining impurities leaving my skin fresh and clean without over-drying it. The result of the double cleanse is clean happy skin that feels balanced, without having to scrub or use any harsh makeup removers like the makeup wipes, which are super bad for the skin.
Skincare Mistake # 2: Incorrectly Exfoliating
Exfoliating is an essential part of a good skincare routine. It helps to remove dead skin cells, revealing fresh new ones, and it boosts circulation to the area, resulting in a healthy glow. Exfoliation also evens the complexion and allows other products – such as serums and moisturizers – to be more easily absorbed. A common mistake is over-exfoliating, which can cause redness, dryness, irritation and even breakouts. On the other hand, rarely exfoliating can lead to dry flaky patches, congestion, and a dull complexion.
Scrubbing too hard is one of the biggest skincare mistakes when it comes to exfoliation, especially when the product contains harsh ingredients like crushed nuts, apricot kernels, sugar or salt. The rough, jagged edges of these ingredients can cause micro-tears in the skin, resulting in sensitivity and irritation. Try to avoid these ingredients when shopping for your next exfoliator.
Also, physically abusing the skin with overuse of cotton pads, makeup wipes, cleansing cloth to remove the makeup can damage your skin. Cotton pads and makeup wipes are addicting because it is instantly gratifying to feel that you are actually wiping away the dirt, but overuse of the cotton pads every day can cause your skin to break out due to, too much exfoliation and physical abuse. So make sure, if you need to use cotton pads, you are gentle and do not apply much pressure, and use the side of the pad that is not textured. And for the makeup wipes, I would say its a complete no! But, if you have to use it, don’t overdo it.
Instead, use a natural product made with gentle exfoliating agents like finely ground rice. Exfoliate no more than once or twice a week, after cleansing, and follow with a good moisturizer. I prefer chemical exfoliators to physical exfoliators. Read all about it here. But I love the Dermalogica physical exfoliator once to a week since its very gentle.
Skincare Mistake # 3: Using a full range of active ingredients
The third mistake I see a lot of people making is using a full range of active ingredients. I know a lot of people follow the full range of acne regime and they believe they need to use every product in the range that the brand offers that is geared towards acne-prone skin.
For example- a facial wash for acne-prone skin, acne eliminating toner, acne serum, acne treatment moisturizer, etc. I am a firm believer that from your teenage years to until you are 28-30, your baseline should be focused on hydration and then here and there based on what your skin needs, you can insert an active treatment like the AHA/BHA serum, vitamin A product, or retinol product in your skincare regime. Instead of suffocating your skin with all the active ingredients, by using it all at once and stressing your skin out.
I wish I knew this before, but I learned more about it when I actually suffered from a hormonal reaction on my skin. When I was about 23 years old, I got a hormonal reaction on my skin which looked much like hormonal acne but was not. ( Sharing a very personal photo of me below, because I want to be real about my hormonal reaction, and the skincare mistakes I made). Give your skin some time to breathe by not using too many products together.
I researched for days and came to the conclusion of simplifying my routine and letting my skin do its own job, by letting it breathe and focusing my skincare around moisturization rather than on active acne prone treatments. Immediately I saw a difference, and then as my skin healed I started inserting the active ingredients like the hydroquinone to get rid of the scars that were left behind. You will be surprised, but during this time, I did not use any salicylic acid.
Trust in the natural process of your skin and let it take its time to heal. Do not overstress your skin by using all the active ingredients. Instead, focus on moisturizing and hydrating your skin and use active ingredients here and there as necessary.
Skincare Mistake # 4: Leaving Cleansing water on the skin
The fourth skincare mistake is not washing your face after using a cleansing water eg. Bioderma. It is true that in cleansing waters, they use a milder cleansing agent, than in a typical conventional face cleanser, however, it is still a surfactant and it still does dissolve the natural moisturizing agents that your skin has and needs. This is something I learned from working in the industry and from my dermatologist.
You have to remove the cleansing water from your face, and should not keep it on your skin.
Skincare Mistake # 5: Not using sun protection year-round.
You may take great care to protect your face from the sun in the summer, but do you continue to use SPF all year round? Although the sun’s rays are usually not strong enough to burn us during the colder months, they can still penetrate our skin, contributing to premature aging. I feel like we all hear this a lot, but I see so many people not following it because they associate sunscreen with heat and the beach. You need to wear sunscreen year-round, on sunny days and cloudy days, EVERYDAY!
There is no point in using all the anti-aging and other skin-improving serums on your skin if you are not using sunscreen daily. Sunscreen has come a long way from that goopy white streaky stuff that we all grew up with.
I have been using the Supergoop, and I have to admit that it actually makes me look good while also protecting my skin. And not only does it protect my skin from the sun, it actually protects my skin from pollution and other free radicals as well.
What are some of the skincare mistakes that you have made in the past?
Shop all my Skincare products mentioned in this post below. More products are under this blog post here, which talks all about my skincare.
