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Have you ever wondered why you aren’t seeing results from your skincare regimen? Or why you’re breaking out all of a sudden? Or why a skincare product works wonders on your friends’ skin, but doesn’t agree with yours?
It might be because you’re making some skincare mistakes without even being aware of them.
Nobody’s skincare routine is perfect. After all, taking care of your skin, choosing the right products and following up on them regularly is no easy task. It’s natural to make a few mistakes here and there in your skincare journey. And nobody has it all figured out, even when it appears like they have.
That being said, there are a couple of skincare mistakes which are a constant problem for most people. You could even call them universal, because all of us have made them at some point on our skincare journey. By addressing them and helping you fix them, your skincare routine will be back on track and the long-desired results we all crave will be on your way.
This article will explore exactly _ skincare mistakes and give you tips on how to fix them in the future.
Without further ado, let’s start busting some skincare myths.
Nobody likes the feeling of a face full of makeup, dust, pollutants and all the other stuff that’s been accumulating on your face all day long. And that’s why we love our cleansers. Washing my face after a long day is one of my favorite skincare rituals. It’s relaxing, soothing and extremely satisfying in an odd way.
However, some people overdo it to the point of drying out their faces and causing problems with pimples in the long run. Why is this so?
Some people seem to hold the belief that over-cleansing their face will bring them faster results, or help with their acne, or speed up the healing of their skin. Whatever the case might be, over-washing your face is never a good idea, regardless of the circumstances.
Here’s why. When you over clean your face using harsh cleansers or face soap, you’re stripping the top layer of skin which has a protective function and which is crucial for maintaining skin health and a glowing complexion. What this does, in the long run, is leading your skin to produce even more oil than it did before, and we all know by now that excess sebum is one of the leading causes of breakouts. A proper amount of sebum is necessary for keeping your skin clean and hydrated, but when the sebum gets out of control, so does your clean skin. This can lead to clogged pores and the appearance of whiteheads and blackheads.
So, what is the ideal amount of time all of us should be cleaning our face per day?
The truth is that, for most people, washing their skin two times a day is ideal - one being early in the morning, and one being late at night. Some people who are blessed with clear skin can even get away with washing their face once a day, before going to bed. For those who prefer to wear heavy makeup, double cleansing is also an option.
If you feel like your skin needs a refreshment, there are a couple of things you can try before reaching out for your cleanser. You could use a face wipe and gently go over your face with it. Another option is to put a few drops of micellar water on a cotton pad and gently go over it on your skin. Even spritzing some face mist could do wonders for your skin.
Another very common mistake people tend to make is using the wrong products for their skin because they don’t know which skin type their skin belongs to.
This mistake is so common because determining your correct skin type is not an easy task. There are a few skin types, but somehow all of them seem interchangeable. What if my skin is oily but it has a few dry patches? What if it is balanced but sensitive?
There are a few simple rules you should follow when it comes to picking the right products for your skin type. If you have dry skin, try going for products that are labeled for dry skin and which declare to provide extra moisture on the packaging, which will be very beneficial for you.
If you have sensitive and acne-prone skin, stay away from ingredients such as oils, mica, parabens, alcohols, and fragrances. These will irritate your skin and possibly cause you to break out, which is the last thing you’d want. Instead, try simplifying your routine and using products that are on the natural side. Use products meant to tackle acne, such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
As far as cleansers are concerned, go for creamier and soothing ones which won’t irritate the skin. If you have oily skin, the best course of action for you will be to use products that are specifically designed to decrease the amount of sebum which your skin produces. In terms of makeup, try opting for matifying products that will keep your face full of makeup shine-free for hours on end.
Here is another reason why people often get this wrong: the need to experiment and try out different products. I mean, think about it. All of us get bored from our usual routines, and all of us want to break free at one point or another. But think about what that break is costing you. The general rule of thumb is that you should stick to the products you’re using in the long run. Not only will this allow for your skin to get used to them and lessen the chances of you suffering from any adverse effects, but it will also give your skin enough time to properly respond to the products and heal itself.
You’ve probably heard this rule hundreds of times by now. There’s a reason why it’s so prominent within the skincare community and why it's regarded as one of the biggest skincare mistakes, and that is because sleeping with your makeup on is one of the most destructive habits you can have for your skin’s health.
If this has happened to you many times before, don’t worry, it happens to every one of us. But take this as a sign to pay close attention next time you’re coming home from a tiring night out and all you want to do is go to bed. Don’t.
Makeup clogs your pores, that is a fact. Combine that with the act of sweating, rolling, rubbing and touching your face while you’re sleeping and you have a recipe for disaster.
Other than suffering from breakouts and irritated skin, sleeping with eye makeup can also cause some distress on the eyes. The makeup on your eyes can go inside them while you’re sleeping, and inflame the delicate area surrounding it, all the while causing conjunctivitis or dermatitis, which aren’t easy to cure. To save yourself from all this trouble, keep a pack of makeup wipes on your nightstand.
Here’s something we’re all guilty of – applying too much of a certain product. We’ve all been there – opening a new bottle of a fancy toner or buying a moisturizer that promises to deliver quick results and thinking that adding just a tiny bit more than it’s recommended on the packaging is going to speed up the whole process. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and here’s why.
It’s very tempting to apply a lot of product all at once, but try not to go overboard with your skincare products because you’ll just be wasting a lot of money in the end. More product doesn’t equal better or faster results, and the amount of product that’s not absorbed will only lead you to throwing the rest of it away.
Apply a small, pea-sized amount of the product on your hands and distribute it all over your face – your cheeks, forehead, and chin. Make sure you don’t forget the neck (we’ll get to that in a minute).
It goes without saying that for some products you’ll need to apply a larger amount and for others a smaller amount. For instance, eye creams don’t require a huge amount of products, so you’ll need a tiny bit to cover the entire under-eye area. When it comes to serums and other products with a similar consistency, the same rule applies. Serums are expensive as it is, so you’ll need to be careful not to go overboard, otherwise, it will cost you a lot of money.
As far as cleansers and toners are concerned, since they cover large areas of your face, you will need a lot more product than you would with an eye cream. That’s why you should opt for a grape-sized amount of the cleanser – this is the only way to ensure that your whole face is being cleansed.
Another area in regard to skincare that people go wrong with is over-exfoliation.
Don’t get me wrong, exfoliating is fun and crucial for keeping a healthy appearance. It gets rid of dead skin cells, manages to make the process of applying makeup a hundred times easier and helps us to unclog our pores, which is the number one contributor to acne.
But how much exfoliation is too much? And how can you know if you’ve gone overboard with your exfoliating products?
Here’s the tricky part. The topmost layer of our skin has a protective function and helps us preserve our soft and healthy skin. without it, all kinds of stuff that clogs pores will penetrate deeply into our skin and cause all kinds of congestion and acne. That’s why when you over-exfoliate, you risk removing or damaging this crucial skin layer, and thus risk acne and other skin issues.
If you exfoliate on a daily basis, which some people do, this top layer will be removed and your skin will be left exposed and vulnerable, making it prone to a wide range of skin problems.
In order to avoid this nightmare of a situation, keep the exfoliation to a minimum. This doesn’t mean that you should avoid it altogether, quite on the contrary. It’s a crucial step in obtaining soft and glowing skin. you are the best judge when it comes to determining when your skin needs exfoliation and when it’s had enough. For instance, if it starts to look a bit dry, flaky and dull, then it’s a sign that you should indulge it in some pampering exfoliation practice. Two to three times per week is the ideal amount of times you should exfoliate your skin and not damage the top layer in the meantime. Stick to this number and you won’t be facing any problems in the near future. Add a face mask and a bath and you’ll be good to go for a relaxing evening in which will certainly lower your stress levels.
Now that we’ve established the ideal number of times to exfoliate in a week, let’s look at some of the best ways to do so. There are a couple of products and techniques you can use during the exfoliating process. Firstly, the most obvious and easiest way by far is to simply purchase a product from the drugstore and gently massage it on your skin. these exfoliating products usually contain acids and enzymes that help your skin be as smooth as it can be. Another way you can exfoliate your skin is by getting a medical exfoliation, which is available at spas and dermatologist offices. This method is more abrasive than using products, so make sure you talk it over with your doctor. The option of making your own DIY exfoliator is also on the table.
Whichever method you choose, there’s only one rule you should follow religiously – don’t overdo it!
We get it. You’re probably bored to death of hearing about how important is to protect your skin from the sun. you probably know all about how harmful the sun’s UVA and UVB rays are to the skin and to our health in general. And yet, knowing all of these facts, you probably still skip applying SPF or forget to reapply it throughout the day.
Adding another step in your skincare routine is not an easy task. You already probably have at least five steps to cover, and you can certainly use that extra time in the morning to sleep in and get your well-deserved rest. But using sun protection is equally as important to your beauty and health as is beauty sleep, and taking those extra few seconds in the morning to apply sun protection is a worthwhile pursuit.
The sun ages the skin and it exasperates the signs of aging which our skin is bound to experience at some point. It directly affects the process of collagen production and it makes fine lines and wrinkles even more visible on the face. Not only will not wearing sunscreen add years on your face, but it will also cause you to suffer from other skin issues like redness, hyperpigmentation, sunburn, and allergies. Not to mention, skipping sunblock increases the chances of you getting skin cancer.
Choose a hypoallergenic, oil-free sunscreen and start taking this habit seriously. If you like using makeup, and don’t have much time in the morning, consider getting sunscreen which has a tint to it. These function as two-in-one products – both a sunscreen and a BB cream, saving you a couple of steps in the morning when you least want to spend extra time on your skincare routine.
We’ve come to the part that was mentioned earlier and that is neglecting your neck area when applying all the skincare products which are on your list.
And it’s understandable why you’d not apply each and every product on your neck. But that doesn’t mean that you should skip the basics.
The neck is one of the easiest ways people spot our age. It’s a very delicate area that has thin skin prone to aging. That is why you should treat your neck just like you treat your face. After all, you wouldn’t want just your face to be youthful and wrinkle-free, but also these delicate parts of your body such as your neck and hands.
Make sure you extend the products you use on your neck as well, especially if those products include a lot of anti-aging creams and ingredients. So, which products should you use on your neck? This is where it gets kind of complicated.
The rule of thumb is that you stick to the basics when it comes to your neck area. This includes cleansing it morning and night so that it’s free from makeup and following it up with a moisturizer on a regular basis just like you do your face.
Exfoliation is also important when it comes to the neck area. However, be extra careful with it. Your neck is one very sensitive area and the skin is very delicate. Over exfoliating in this particular area can result in redness and even painful, itchy and dry patches.
Use gentle and easy motions when applying these products and make sure you stop using any products if your neck area shows adverse reactions to them. Otherwise, there’s little that can go wrong with extending your skincare routine to your neck.
This is not an obvious mistake, but it does happen and you need to be aware of it.
How many times have you gone to bed right after you did your elaborate skincare routine? And you’ve probably felt good while you were doing it, thinking that you did your skin a favor by devoting so much time into an elaborate routine. However, this isn’t a guarantee that your skin has absorbed all of the product. In fact, if you go to bed right after you do your regular routine, chances are your skin will absorb very little of the products that you actually put on it.
Your products need at least an hour to fully penetrate your skin and work to their full extent. This means that doing your skincare routine and waiting at least an hour is optimal if you don’t want your efforts to go to waste. If you don’t do so, the products will just rub off your pillowcase and you will not only waste your precious time, but you will also waste a lot of money that you could’ve spent on something else.
That’s why it’s recommended to do your routine as early as possible, preferably right after you come home from a long day of work or school. Not only will this give your products enough time to work, but it will also ensure that your makeup (if you use any) doesn’t clog your pores.
Another drawback of waiting until the last minute is that you might be too tired to follow up with your whole routine. This is understandable, but it’s going to lead to less than optimal results for your skin. The earlier you get it over with, the better.
We all love trying out a good DIY product from time to time. After all, it saves us money, time and it’s very fun to experiment with all the different techniques and ingredients which are required in the process.
Now, that being said, there is a certain point at which you need to stop. Not all skincare products can be made at home using natural ingredients which we normally put in cake batter. This is one of those situations where the internet can do more harm than good and inspire us to experiment, even when it’s dangerous for us to do so.
Just because a product is labeled natural, it doesn’t mean that it will help your skin. The claim that natural ingredients help a certain group of people is true, but that group might not include you. If that is the case, you’ll get yourself in a messy skin situation that could’ve been easily avoided. Some of these products which are often suggested are so harsh that they might burn and irritate our skin, or even cause itchiness and an allergic reaction.
From this point on you have two options. Either be extra careful when choosing the ingredients on your own, do your research and use a patch test, or consult a dermatologist in order to make this process a whole lot easier. A dermatologist would give you concrete advise based on your particular skin type and help you in your skincare journey without putting you at risk of any negative side-effects.
If you must do a DIY product on your own, go for ingredients that have the best record thus far. These ingredients include turmeric, baking soda, tea tree oil and coconut oil. If you notice any negative side-effects, stop using the product immediately.
Now that we’ve covered the products you probably won’t have a problem with, let’s explore the ingredients which are known to cause trouble. These ingredients include apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and comedogenic oils.
The ingredients mentioned are not seldom included in many DIY skincare recipes which people follow to a T, only to end up with an irritated face full of acne. These ingredients contain a pH level which is not ideal for our skin, especially for those who suffer from overly sensitive skin. By using products that have a problematic pH level, we risk damaging the protective layer of our skin, leaving us with bare and unprotected skin. as we’ve discussed before, this is very dangerous and damaging to our skin in the long run, so make sure you do your best in order to avoid using these harsh ingredients, unless you’re instructed to use them by a certified professional.
Another way DIY regimens can go wrong is by using ingredients such as coffee grounds, salt, and sugar for exfoliations. Not everyone’s skin can deal with such harsh ingredients, so be extra careful when making exfoliators at home. Make sure you at least grind the ingredients before using them in a recipe.
Just like SPF, we’ve been warned about the dangers of not getting enough sleep all our lives. When we’re looking at sleep in terms of how it affects our skin, there are a couple of things we should pay attention to.
What’s the link between beauty sleep and healthy skin?
A chronic lack of sleep makes our bodies more prone to hormonal imbalance and inflammation. All of these factors contribute to various skin issues, including acne and eczema. By not giving your body the proper rest that it needs, you’re worsening the existing skin conditions that you have and you’re also putting yourself at risk of developing new ones. That being said, the amount of collagen and hyaluronic acid our skin naturally produces is also negatively affected. These ingredients are responsible for keeping our skin hydrated and wrinkle-free, so we need to do everything in our power to preserve them.
Sleeping is when our skin literally repairs itself. So it makes sense that by not getting enough sleep, our skin suffers on multiple levels. In order to avoid all the abovementioned scenarios, make sure you sleep for at least 7 hours of sleep each day.
A proper level of hydration inside-out is one of the easiest ways we can contribute to healthy and glowing skin. Lack of hydration not only affects our body and productivity levels, but it can also manifest itself in the skin. Dry patches, general dryness, and dull complexion are some of the ways your skin shows lack of proper hydration.
You can avoid this by drinking enough water throughout the day, but also by using hydrating moisturizers and products which contain hydrating ingredients such as plant-based oils and hyaluronic acid inside.
Fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be present in everyone’s diet. But if you’re looking for maximizing the potential of your skin, it’s even more important to pay attention to the food you eat.
Including a diet full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals is crucial for getting clear skin (and keeping it). On the other hand, there are a few products you should stay away from.
Processed sugar is extremely bad for our skin since it increases overall inflammation. Eating dairy products takes a toll on the skin as well, due to the high amount of hormones it contains, so try to find dairy-free alternatives as much as you can.
The process of getting clear skin and finding a routine that works for you is a rocky and long one. There are many skincare mistakes we make in our day-to-day lives which affect our skin negatively and cause us to break out or not get the results we want in the time we want.
That’s why it’s important to take a step back from time to time and reflect on how we’re slowing down the journey to clear skin.
Hopefully, this article helped you diagnose some problems you have regarding your skincare regimen and gave you ideas on how to resolve them. It might look like a lot of information to take in at once, but you’ll get the hang of it quickly.
This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances, and its goal is to offer a general view of the subject. In case you are suffering from a severe case of acne, you should consult with a dermatologist or a certified medical professional.
