Skincare Mistakes: Stop Doing These Things ASAP

Find out the skincare non-negotiables before it’s too late!

Here are some common mistakes to avoid if you want to improve the appearance and health of your skin. Remember that the biggest one you can make is not investing in safe and professional products which guarantee the results you desire.

1. Not applying sunscreen indoors or on a cloudy day. Unless you’re spending your entire day in a box with no windows, you need to apply your sunscreen. UV rays still penetrate windows and clouds, and even the blue light that smartphones and computers emit can damage your skin.
2. Washing your face in the shower. If you like taking hot and steamy showers, remember that water at that temperature may strip your skin of moisture, which can lead to dry skin and a damaged skin barrier. If you want to cleanse your face in the shower you must use lukewarm water.
3. Mixing incompatible skincare ingredients in the same routine. For instance, you shouldn’t use copper peptides in the same routine as vitamin C: copper peptides can oxidize vitamin C, which will cause it to break down too quickly and thereby reduce its effect. Instead, you can alternate between the two products during the week.
4. Using skincare products for daytime use at night and vice versa. For example, retinoids and exfoliants should generally be used at night because they make your skin more sensitive to sun exposure. On the other hand, antioxidants like vitamin C should generally be used only in the morning because they will help protect your skin against environmental aggressors, pollution and UV damage throughout the day.
5. Using micellar water and not washing your face afterwards. Micellar water is not just water, it contains surfactants that, when you don’t rinse it off, are left on your face. Not only can your skin get dried out, but it’s also not a proper way of cleansing your face and removing make up.
6. Using a clay face mask and letting it dry completely on your face. If you do, it will start pulling out moisture from your skin. The best way to use a clay mask is to either wash it off before it dries, or use some kind of mist to keep it damp.
7. Using acid exfoliants to cleanse the skin after picking a pimple. If you picked a pimple (which you should never!) you should just let it heal and be gentle with it, cleanse your skin and apply a moisturizing serum over the top of it.
8. Using a cleansing balm or oil without double cleansing afterwards with a water-based cleanser. Most cleansing balms leave a residue behind so you must wash it off.
9. Using expired products. They can cause allergic reactions and breakouts, so remember to always check the expiration date. On the back of the products you can find the PAO (Period After Opening) indicating how many months the product will remain safe and effective for (usually 12).
10. Using an active every single day, like an exfoliant or retinoid, and never giving your skin a day off. Thinking that using an active every single day is a must for clear skin is wrong: by doing so you are actually damaging your skin barrier, and that will cause you even more breakouts.
11. Waiting until you go to bed to take your makeup off and do your skincare. Do your skincare as soon as you get back home, so it can marinate on your face for hours before you go to bed.
12. Using a towel to dry your face. If you’re not washing your towels every day, they’re going to accumulate bacteria and germs that can lead to acne. As an alternative, you can either air dry or go in directly with a toner and a cotton pad.