Skin care mistakes happen when you don’t follow a proper regime. Clear, glowing, and youthful skin starts with proper skin care habits. This includes clearing acne to correct sun damage and dryness. Taking a few minutes a day for good skincare can prevent years worth of wrinkles, brown spots, and more.
Whether your skincare is a homemade and natural product or the most select skincare product, you need to be careful about how you follow your skin routine.
Don’t fall into the trap of making these five skin care mistakes, as these can lead to signs of skin aging.
“I’m too tired to wash my face before bed“
Not cleansing your skin properly is one of the most common skin care mistakes. Cleansing your skin for 3-5 minutes before bed allows the ingredients you pay for to work their magic. Clean skin helps ensure a fresh-faced look for years.
In addition, a well-cleansed skin can absorb skin nutrition from products and allow your skin to breathe and excrete naturally.
“Sunscreen is for summers only“
Exposure to UVA rays, the primary culprit behind aging, happens all year long. Even on cloudy days or when you are walking to and from your car.
And because they can penetrate glass, you’re susceptible even when you’re indoors. So the number one way to guard against sun damage and keep skin youthful is to use a sunscreen or moisturizer with SPF 50 that’s labeled broad-spectrum every day. For the best protection, choose one that contains either titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.
When an SPF is included with your makeup or moisturizer, its efficacy lowers by 50%. For example, an SPF of 15 protects you at an SPF of 7.5. So make sure to re-apply SPF as needed with your outdoor time.
Look for SPF’s with antioxidant and moisturizing ingredients. It gives you a double whammy of sun protection, moisture, and antioxidant support.
SPF’s that have corrective serums fail to deliver necessary ingredients into the skin cells, so they stay on top of your dead skin layer without penetrating. So you should avoid SPF’s with retinol, AHA’s, and peptides.
“I’ve tried it all, and nothing works“
It can take at least eight weeks to see the results of many ingredients, so give your products time to show their benefits. For example, if you are trying to correct skin aging and acne, old skin cells will need time to slough off and let newly regenerated cells emerge.
Over-the-counter skin care products are safe for anyone who uses it. However, this means they are not as targeted and tailored for individual skin needs.
Professional skin care products can ensure effectiveness. Ingredients in these products have been chemically purified and have a delivery system to get the ingredients to your skin cells.
Chemically purified ingredients are combined with a scientific delivery system that delivers the expensive ingredients you pay for to the skin cells where they do their magic.
Look for D and L before the ingredients like l-ascorbic acid (not just vitamin c), l-sodium hyaluronate (not just hyaluronic acid), d-alpha-tocopherol (not just vitamin E).
“My skin is too sensitive for exfoliating“
Getting rid of dead skin cells helps soften wrinkles and brighten skin. But aggressive scrubs, retinol, Retin-A, salicylic acids, AHA’s, and skin-brightening agents can lead to redness and irritation. However, it does not mean that women with sensitive skin can not use them and gain their impressive benefits.
Scrubs are a great way to exfoliate your skin. However, avoid scrubs with an uneven texture, such as walnut shells. Jojoba beads in a scrub are very effective and do not scratch your skin.
Exfoliate with a scrub just once or twice a week or more if your skin tolerates it.
Add a new regime of Retin-A, retinol, scrubs, active acne products, and skin brighteners slowly—start using these aggressive skin ingredients once or twice a week. Expect your skin to become dry and flakey for about 2-3 weeks and then begin to become luminous and fresh.
But, if your skin becomes red and irritated, don’t give up on these corrective products. Instead, reduce frequent use until your skin gets used to these very effective anti-aging products.
A licensed esthetician can recommend products and treatments to exfoliate even the most sensitive skins. Schedule a virtual consultation with me, or find one in your area.
“Skincare products are too pricey“
Yes, you could save by shopping at drugstores or department stores. But you could be wasting your time and money on products that don’t correct or prevent facial aging and acne issues. If there is nothing wrong with your skin, go for it. Buy inexpensive over-the-counter products.
If you struggle with breakouts or acne, deep wrinkles, intense dryness, or brown spots, it is possible to find affordable skincare products from your local esthetician.
The most effective over-the-counter anti-aging products include retinoids (L-retinol), AHAs like (L-lactic acid), peptides, vitamin C ( l-ascorbic acid), and hydrating compounds such as hyaluronic acid (l-sodium hyaluronate).
Some of these products come at a price. So if your skin is having a hard time, invest in high-end skincare as dermatologists and estheticians curate these skincare products.
BOTTOM LINE
It’s essential to learn from mistakes, especially when it comes to your skin. So be mindful of these five skin care mistakes and see what happens when you change them. Improving your skincare routine helps your skin look beautiful, clear, glowing, and younger!
Want to know how to improve skincare? Check out the comprehensive guide to healthy skin.
