You can have too much of a good thing. When it comes to your skin regimen the saying goes double. Skin is delicate and it can be all-too-easy to accidentally do damage in an effort to look after it.
Here are 5 mistakes to avoid to improve your skin care routine.
Not Exfoliating Enough
Proper exfoliation is an essential part of any skincare routine. Regularly removing dead skin cells has a slew of benefits, including:
- Relieving dryness
- Helping to prevent acne
- Reducing blackheads and pimples
- Evening out skin tone
- Smoothing skin texture
Proper exfoliation also ensures that you’re getting the most out of the rest of your skin care regimen, with no dead skin cells left to hinder the absorption of creams and moisturizers.
Exfoliating Too Much
Good exfoliation is all about balance. Too much and you’re risking dry, irritated skin; too little and the rest of your skin regimen is all but wasted.
It doesn’t help that all exfoliants (and skin types) are different. Finding the right product and routine will require experimentation and patience. But as with any skincare routine, your persistence will pay off.
As a rule of thumb, you should be exfoliating no more than twice a week. When in doubt, listen to your skin. If you’re experiencing dryness or irritation, dial back on the exfoliation.
Wearing Makeup While Working Out
Between our work and home lives, it can be hard enough squeezing an hour or two at the gym on the best of days. Taking the time to remove our makeup before jumping on the treadmill can be an easy sacrifice. But it’s one that comes at a cost.
Sweating and makeup don’t mix. That Zumba class is great for opening your pores and your runny makeup is the perfect thing to clog them back up again.
So the next time you’re considering wearing makeup at the gym, just think of the inevitable breakouts. It’s a lot easier to prevent pimples than to treat them. Taking an extra five minutes to wash your face will be well worth it.
Not Being Sun Smart
If sunscreen isn’t a major part of your skin care routine then get thee to a pharmacy, stat! Why? 80% of visible aging is thanks to UV exposure. That means for every hour in the sun, you’re doing yourself (and your skin) irreparable damage.
Aging aside, the UV radiation in sunlight is also the leading cause of skin cancer. So that killer tan? Might actually be a killer.
Swapping Out Multiple Products
All skin is different, so what might work for your favorite Instagram influencer might not work for you. The key to finding skin care products that work for you is time and patience.
This means trialing products one at a time.
And we know, it can be so tempting to overthrow your whole routine for something new. The urge to remake yourself is a strong one. But resist!
Swapping out one product at a time gives you the chance to evaluate what each new product does for you. Compare that to swapping out cleanser and toner at the same time and not knowing which is causing your most recent breakout.
Improve Your Skin Regimen
A good skin regimen is essential for clear, healthy skin. But you need to be careful that you’re not doing more harm than good. Proper exfoliation, careful product substitution, and diligent makeup removal will go a long way to ensuring your skin is as fresh as you feel.
And for goodness sake, wear sunscreen!
Want to combat premature aging? Here are the 5 best anti-aging ingredients to look for in skin care products.