You might have a good idea of what you should be doing, but it’s possible you’re making one of these skincare mistakes and don’t even know it.
You’ve probably done your research if you seriously want to improve your skin. However, skincare can be very personal. What might work for one person could make you break out and vice versa. It’s important to know if you’re making any skincare mistakes so these don’t interfere with your goals.
You are going to learn about common skincare mistakes that everyone should avoid, or at least be aware of. Even if you think you’re a pro, you could be making one of these skincare mistakes and not realize it.
When I first started taking my skincare seriously, I made A LOT of mistakes that often took time and patience to fix. Some may not be as time-consuming, but I’m sharing this with you so you don’t make the same mistakes. Plus, it’s nice to know that you’re keeping your skin on the right track.
This post is all about skincare mistakes.
Common Skincare Mistakes:
1) Over-Exfoliating
Whether you choose to physically exfoliate your skin or chemically exfoliate it, keep it to a minimum. You don’t want to be exfoliating every day because it will damage your skin barrier.
Your skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin. Its job is to protect your skin from threats in your environment and it protects your body’s water balance. When you over-exfoliate, you leave your skin vulnerable to these threats and your skin becomes weaker.
You will begin to notice that your skin is dryer, easily inflamed, itchy, etc. Personally, I can tell when I’ve broken my skin barrier because my skin seems as though it’s not absorbing anything I use on it. My skin will react differently or not at all to the products I often use.
The problem with this is since your skin can no longer hold anything vital to sustain your skin cells, your routine basically won’t work and your skin will not improve as a result. This is something that takes some time to repair, especially if the damage goes unnoticed or untreated.
If you use physical exfoliators, try to stay away from scrubs that contain microbeads. I understand wanting to feel as though your exfoliator is actually doing something, but microbeads can create tears in your skin that ultimately will do more harm than good. So just dodge this bullet, and stay far away from these products.
A better alternative to this would be a physical exfoliator that dissolves into your skin as those are gentler. My favorite of these is this black sugar scrub by Skinfood.
2) Not Wearing Sunscreen Daily
I can’t even be harsh on you about this one since I recently made it a habit to wear sunscreen daily. It’s one thing to know you’re supposed to do something and an entirely different thing to actually commit to it.
EVERYONE, no matter what the weather is or how much melanin you have, should be wearing sunscreen every single day. I can’t stress this enough!
Most people’s reservations about the idea are understandable. I mean, I remember those terrible sunscreens from my childhood that would leave the worst white casts and smell so strongly you feel like you can’t breathe anything but that all day. Or, you know, maybe you just don’t feel like this is a necessary step to add to your routine.
Despite any reservations, you are probably making the most common skincare mistakes of all.
If you’re worried about white casts or scents, there are plenty of sunscreens that will not give you this problem. And if you don’t want to use sunscreen and then an additional moisturizer, you don’t have to. I feel like the sunscreens I use provide enough moisture that I don’t need to use another cream.
My favorite sunscreens right now are by Supergoop. It’s great because you can use it for your face and body, it doesn’t leave a white cast, it provides moisture for your skin, and it doesn’t have a bad smell to it.
So what’s your excuse now?
3) Using Hot Water to Wash Your Face
I honestly don’t know who would choose to wash their wash with hot water unless they were already in the shower, but who knows? This skincare mistake is mainly for people who like to wash their face in the shower and also like to put the water to the hottest level.
It will benefit you to be mindful of this and use warm water instead. Using hot water to wash your face can be irritating for obvious reasons and can dry it out.
I’ve been a fan of using cold water to wash my face for the longest time, but warm water is better. Using cold water doesn’t properly get the grime off of your face, although it’s not as bad as using hot water.
4) Being Too Harsh
When you’re dealing with your skin, the key is to be gentle. This is something you might not even realize you’re doing because it’s not like this is constantly on our minds.
Next time you do your skincare routine, just pay attention to how you apply everything to your skin. Facial skin is fragile, especially around our eye area so it’s essential to be gentle to your skin. If you’re aggressive with it, you could directly damage it over time.
5) Using a Brush or Cloth to Wash Your Face
This kind of relates to my point about being aware in regards to how much you’re exfoliating. However, now I’m referring to using a brush or cloth to wash your face every day.
Avoid this mistake easily by simply cleansing your face with your hands. Of course, make sure to wash your hands first, and then you can wash your face.
Simply put, using a brush or cloth to remove the grime from your face is unnecessary. If you really want to be certain you’re washing your face well make sure to double cleanse and use warm water.
6) Not Double Cleansing To Remove Makeup
It’s not absolutely important to double cleanse all the time, but if you’re wearing makeup, this extra step just ensures that you get all of it off.
I hope you all remove your makeup before sleeping. I mean, that’s the bare minimum 😉
You should stay away from makeup wipes too. They can be harsh on the skin, many have fragrances, and oftentimes, using those wipes only move the makeup around on your face instead of actually removing it.
I like to use this oil-based cleanser to remove my makeup and then I use my regular facial cleanser to remove any other excess dirt. The product is a “makeup meltaway cleansing balm” and it’s such an easy way to get makeup off without being irritating. If you do want to use it, the only thing I will say is to be cautious around your eye area because this stuff can blur your vision.
7) Having Too Many Products In Your Routine
Basically, avoid using too many skincare products every day. This will overwhelm your skin and can damage your skin barrier.
Regarding healthy skin, I’ve learned that less is more. You don’t need to apply A-Z products daily because they’re all claiming to help you fix the varying issues you may have with your skin. Stick to only a handful or fewer products and be consistent.
Trust me, I’ve tried to take shortcuts, and that only delayed my skin’s improvement. It’s not a race: if you are patient with it, your skin will thank you.
This post was all about skincare mistakes.
