“Whether you wear your face mask once a week or have a dedicated daily skincare regime, practically everyone has a skincare routine.”
But did you know you might be washing your skin the wrong way?
The right skincare routine doesn’t mean using a nice-smelling moisturizer and cleanser. There’s so much more that goes into taking care of your skin. If you can’t achieve a flawless skin even after following common skincare commandments, you’re probably making mistakes without knowing it.
Many people sabotage their skin because of lacking dependable insights. With that said, here are several things that may be hampering your best skin:
1. Targeting the Wrong Skin Type
Do you know your skin type? Is your skin dry, oily, sensitive, normal, or a combination of different types?
The first step to an excellent home skincare regimen is realizing and treating your specific skin type. Applying wrong formulas can easily damage your skin. If you have oily skin, then gentle, oil-free formulas will come in handy – especially when you’re cleansing.
It’s best to go for rich, hydrating products if you have dry skin. Additionally, always use gentle cleansers. Harsh soaps tend to trigger oil production in the skin, making it oily.
2. Not Exfoliating Regularly or Exfoliating Too Often
Exfoliation can work like magic. It gets rid of dead skin, which can otherwise accumulate to cause a dull complexion.
Other than that, exfoliation also leads to smoother skin texture, brightens your appearance, unclogs pores, and reduces hyperpigmentation (patchy, dark areas on the skin). Thus, if you haven’t been exfoliating regularly, you’re definitely missing out.
However, exfoliating too much can damage your skin. This is because some exfoliating agents, like gritty scrubs, can damage the skin’s protective layer when rubbed intensively.
Telltale signals like excessive dryness, redness, sensitivity, and irritation may indicate that you’ve been exfoliating excessively. If you notice any of these signs, stop using the product immediately.
3. Leaving the Skin Bare After Cleansing
Consider cleansing every part of your skin with a pH-balanced body wash. Don’t forget to apply an alcohol-free moisturizer and toner right after your shower to prevent a tight, dry skin.
Immediately you leave the shower, dry air starts to suck moisture out of your skin. This means that leaving your skin bare for even 60 seconds can cause significant damage.
4. Caring for Blemishes the Wrong Way
Most people treat blemishes the wrong way. Things such as using wrong skin treatments, picking your blemishes, and applying spot treatments at the wrong time can make the blemishes last longer.
Different skin blemishes call for different treatments.
If you’re dealing with a pustular blemish, squeeze out the infection (with clean fingers) only when the whitehead is visible. Then, use a spot-drying cream to protect your skin from re-infection.
For cystic blemishes, which occur in the jaw and chin areas, use an anti-cyst treatment only. Cysts never rise to the surface, which means you shouldn’t pick them. Otherwise, you’ll remain with unsightly scabs that can’t get covered with makeup.
5. Not Washing Your Face Before Bedtime
Washing your face before going to bed not only removes dirt but also reduces skin breakouts by getting rid of grime and oil buildup.
It also opens up the pores to ensure your skincare products get absorbed adequately.
6. Not Using Makeup Removers
While washing your face with just water will save you a couple of minutes, it may cause clogging of the pores, increase oil production in the skin, and even cause acne in the long run.
Using a makeup remover ensures no particles remain on your skin. Take note that some of the ingredients used to make traditional removers may cause an increase in skin oil production. So choose wisely.
7. Failing to Change Your Pillowcase
Your pillowcases can be a haven for dust, pet hair, and particles of the epithelium (particles of dead tissues). Sleeping on a dirty pillowcase can cause blemishes on your skin in as little as 2-3 days. It’s, therefore, recommended to swap to a clean pillowcase after every few days.
Additionally, consider switching to silk pillowcases. Studies show that that silk material can help prevent acne as well as premature wrinkles.
8. Using Powder to Eliminate the Oily Shine
This is a skincare mistake most people make especially in the summer. When it’s too hot, the skin tends to shine for longer periods. Even matting products can’t help much. As a result, many people use face powder, which temporarily keeps the skin matte and clogs the pores.
Instead of powder, use matting wipes. While they don’t offer a long-lasting effect, they’ll remove any unnecessary oil without damaging your skin.
Getting Clear, Smooth Skin Has Never Been This Easy
Whatever your skin type, having excellent skin shouldn’t be challenging. Simply create a foolproof skincare regimen and follow it religiously. Don’t forget to consider the pointers mentioned above.