10 Skincare Mistakes You Are Probably Making

Skincare is on everybody's mind. Who does not want a flawless skin? We want our skin to glow, to be healthy, to be the best it can be. And we do our best to ensure that. However, sometimes, we give in to skincare mistakes that can actually ruin all our efforts. Worse, those mistakes usually are completely unconscious! We might not even be aware we are making them, which is why they are so dangerous and must be avoided at all cost.

Some of those skincare mistakes are common every day life gestures that may surprise you. I did not expect them myself. But now that I think of it, they make a lof of sense and I am trying my best to avoid them! Good things is they are super easy to fix. Ever since I sort of banned those skincare mistakes from my life and routine, I can tell my skin has improved a lot! And thus, a little to no cost! Which is something we all want too!

10 Skincare Mistakes You Can Avoid

Believe me, once you go through all those ten skincare mistakes, you will be like "ooooh" and realize that you have probably been making them every single day. Because that's what I did. The best way for your skin to improve is to clean your act. Your skin will thank you for that. Sometimes, it is small things that will make a big change.

1. Sleeping with makeup on

What is one thing most people out there are guilty of doing? Procrastination, lack of energy, laziness. You name it. Anything can be responsible for this lack of care. But at the same time, how daunting, isn't it? Well, not removing your makeup as you go to bed can really affect your skin in a bad way! Of course, wearing a full face of makeup forces you to take it all off. You know, for the bedsheets. But sometimes, a BB cream or a bit of mascara will be quickly forgotten about.

The main reason why it is crucial that you take off your makeup before bed is that your skin needs to breathe as you sleep. Indeed, keeping your makeup on can cause extensive damage to your skin during the night. As a matter of fact, the skin renews itself while you sleep. When you leave makeup on, you are preventing that from happening. Thus, the skin ceases to breathe and fatigue signs appear soon enough.

Furthermore, most makeup is made of oily substances. As a consequence, when it stays on for the next day, it clogs your pores and leads to the appearance of more acne and blackhead breakouts. Which is of course something you want to avoid, as acne and black spots are hard to get rid off. Makeup residue may also cause other skin imperfection so always remember to take off your makeup before bed!

2. Constantly touching your face

This one is, of all those skincare mistakes, the one that I can tell we are 100% all guilty of doing. It is just a reflex. Touching your face is a reflex. Even when you don't want to, you to it. Sometimes, you unconsciously touch your face to put a strand of hair behind your hair or just as you think... and then, you feel something. A pimple maybe? Whatever it is, it is bugging you. Your face so smooth and suddenly a bump.

We tend to touch our face and play with anything on it. Which is obviously very bad and will make it even worse. The more you touch a pimple, the worst it becomes. Why? Because your hands are dirty. They are a germ's heaven. And when you touch your face, you transfer all those germs to your skin. If there is a tiny wound or a large pore, they get in like they've been invited. Similarly, you should not try to remove pimples on your own. Either book a facial or let it go on its own.

And I know it is difficult to not touch your skin but you'd make things worse and bring dirt to your skin. Maybe ask your partner or work colleague to tell you off when they see you raising your hand to your face. That is a habit to break.

3. Not cleaning your phone

I feel like this one mistake sort of relate very closely with the skincare mistake above. Because in the end, it is still about bringing foreign objects to your facial skin. And dirty foreign objects at that. It won't matter how many times you wash your hands if your phone is not being taken care of as well. If you are glued to your phone all day, it is even worst. Electronics attracts dust. They also pick up a ton of germs and bacteria. Which stay there, patiently waiting to find a new home...

...on your face. Which happens when you make a phone call. Or after you scroll through your Instagram feed and then bring your hand to your face. Didn't we teach you nothing above? No hands on your face! By the way, during the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been proven that phones were one vector for the virus. Yes, it could harbor the virus and transfer to you.

Clean your phone as much as you can. You can use 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes or Clorox wipes to effectively clean the exterior of your phone. Switch your phone off before cleaning it. You can also use a soft, lint-free cloth, such as a lens cloth, with warm soapy water to clean the phone while avoiding getting moisture in the openings, such as the headphone jack or charging port.

4. Not washing your makeup brushes

Makeup brushes can very quickly become a nest for bacteria and germs. Thus, when in contact with your face, all those party poopers will transfer to your skin. And not be very nice to it. Indeed, bacteria can clog pores, which will give you pimple outbreaks or simply dull your skin. Which is something you do not want. Of course, beyond the damage to your skin that dirty brushes can do, they can also bring inconvenient side effects.

For example, dirty brushes are more likely to irritate your skin. When they are caked with makeup, they no longer are soft and flexible, which makes makeup application harder. Rubbing your skin too much with the brush may lead to redness and irritation. Not only can makeup brushes put your health at risk, but they will also contaminate your makeup! Indeed all those bacteria on the brush will transfer to the foundation or powder.

Amongst all skincare mistakes, it is one that is very common and widely spread. Washing your makeup brushes is like doing your laundry or the dishes. It is a chore. But it is also essential. Shampoo your brushes every now and then. You can also disinfect them with a special mist. The first step you can do is try to remove as much makeup as possible that is on the brush first before washing it with soap and water.

5. Not drinking enough water

We are supposed to drink between 1.5L and 2L of water per day. Which is a lot. It is more than a big bottle and it will make you go to the toilet very often. BUT, it is essential for both your body and your skin. Your body needs water for many functions and your skin needs it to be healthy. When you are thirsty you drink water, so why wouldn't your skin be thirsty and need water?

I get that it is difficult to think about drinking water during the day. Except if you are hangover. In that case, you might be begging to hydrate as much as you can. But in general, we do not necessarily think of drinking water. Even when we have a bottle right next to us. You need to get the habit of drinking. If you are a big coffee drinker, drink water beforehand as coffee dehydrate.

Drinking enough water can help you combat a variety of skin issues including psoriasis and eczema. It does this by helping your digestive system flush out toxins from the body. This, in turn, will improve your complexion for healthy and glowing skin

6. Changing products all the time

One thing human beings aren't that good with is patient. We do not like to wait, we want things right now. And the same goes with skincare. Which is why sometimes, upon not seeing results from the products we use, we get frustrating and consider switching. The only thing we needed to convince ourselves to do it, is a fancy new line of skincare products promising everything. And so we switch.

Wrong! Switching is the last thing to do. Indeed, changing products too often may slow your progress with any of them. Some products will take weeks to produce results, because that is just their nature. Also because healing always takes time. Furthermore, using a particular products for just a few days, will not allow you to assess whether your skin is responding to it at all.

Of course, it is important to switch your skincare routine and products and season change. When the weather changes, the skin has to put up with different environment and thus needs to be helped in different ways. It's also a good idea to switch up products depending on your skin's natural changes—if it suddenly goes from dry to oily, if you have an acne flare up, or if you need to up your retinol dose as your skin ages. Switching products too often may damage your skin, so wait a few months before doing so.

7. Never exfoliating

One of the biggest skincare mistakes you could make. People tend to think that you need exfoliating on your legs or bikini before after you waxed or shaved to prevent ingrown hair and remove dead skins. While this is true, you also need to exfoliate elsewhere, like your face. Not exfoliating your facial skin will allow dead skin to accumulate and pores to clog. Thus, your skin becomes the perfect ground for pimples, outbreaks, back spots, etc.

That is why exfoliating is so important. It will remove dead skin cells as well as any other foreign objects that cannot be removed otherwise, i.e. dirt. Once a week is enough as exfoliating too much might have the reverse effect. Indeed, you may irritate your skin and suffer redness. Once you start exfoliating frequently, you will see changes to your skin. It will be smoothes, nicer to the touch (but again, do not touch your skin too often) and much softer.

Plus, it will not break out as often since most of the dirt will be gone too. Exfoliating is great to allow the skin to breathe. Make sure you use a natural and organic gentle exfoliator so that it is not aggressive to the skin. When you are done exfoliating, rinse your skin so ensure you do no leave any product on your skin.

8. Using the same moisturizer day and night

The main reason why you should use a different moisturizer during the day and at night is mostly because of your skin's need during each. In all honesty, it is not that bad if you use the same moisturizer day and night as it mostly depends on what type of moisturizer it is. Thus, this one isn't the most serious of all the skincare mistakes you probably do.

To be more precise, it will not ruin your skin. However, if your day cream contains a certain set of ingredients mostly meant to deal with outside stressors, you may want to change cream at night. Simply because your skin does not need that much protection nor moisturizing during the night. First, you are sleeping. Second, your skin is not facing harsh weather. Third, your skin is not facing environmental aggressors.

Similarly, your skin will not need SPF at night so if your day cream contains SPF, you may want to use a different cream at night. At night your skin does not need to be protected as much. However, night cream is usually heavier since they contribute to regenerating the skin from your sleep. Typically, most night creams are formulated with higher concentrations of anti-aging ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid, LHA and hyaluronic acid.

9. Only wearing sunscreen at the beach

One of the biggest skincare mistakes out there. Because if you're not in a bikini at the beach, then you do not really expose yourself to the sun, am I right? Wrong and wrong again! It does not matter whether you are fully clothes, in a bikini or in a skit suit. Your face will always be exposed to the sun! UV rays pierce through clouds, so even on a cloudy day, you will need to be vigilant.

Your skin is sensitive and the sun is one of those external stressors and environment aggressors that can really hurt it. First with sunburns, which we all are familiar with. Second, with damage that may ruin your skin forever. Or your health altogether. Depending on how sensitive your skin is, you may opt for a different SPF, but it is good to apply some sunscreen when it is sunny outside.

The strong SPF are around 50 and mostly made for kids. They are the best to use, even for adult. As laser hair removal service provider, we know how crucial it is that you always protect your skin against the sun. Especially as the sun will make your skin age faster. It is one of those skincare mistakes that can cost you a lot so better do a bit of prevention. Your skin will thank you later.

10. Only moisturizing at night

This skincare mistake goes hand-in-hand with the one above, about using the same cream day and night. The skin goes through very different things during the day and the night. At night, the skin regenerate, new cells grow, dead cells detach. The night is meant to help your skin gets healthier. Which is why a good night cream is important to help that process and make it more efficient.

During the day, however, the skin goes through a lot of aggression. Harsh weather, pollution and other environment aggressors, stressors of all kinds. In short, your facial skin goes through an ordeal during the day. That is why it needs to be protected against all those aggression. And why you need to moisturize during the day as well so that you give your skin the shield it needs to defend itself again all those aggressions.

Furthermore, not moisturizing your skin during the day would undermine all the work that it does at night to regenerate. Thus, it would ruin the whole process and never giving you that glowing skin you are trying to achieve. In conclusion, moisturize day and night and make sure you use a good yet natural and organic cream on your face during both.

That is it for all those skincare mistakes that we are all guilty of making. Mostly because they are unconscious or that we forget about them. Fortunately, they are all easily flexible by changing your habits and routine. So, are you guilty of those too?