9 Common Skin Care Mistakes to Avoid

Do you have a skin care routine that you stick to out of habit? What if you are you repeating the wrong steps? You may be committing skin care faux pas daily without even realizing it. Every day bad habits can take years off of your skin. Over time, this can have damaging effects on it. Proper skin care takes only a few minutes daily. Your skin will not only look better for the effort, but it will feel better as well.

Knowing what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do when it comes to taking care of your skin. Here are 9 of the most common skin care excuses and mistakes many of you may be committing each day and how to avoid them. How many of these mistakes are you currently making?

Mistake #1: Sunscreen is for sunny, summer days only

Approximately 90% of how skin ages comes from the amount of sun exposure you take in and how often you use proper sun protection. Exposure to UVA rays, the primary culprit behind aging, happens all year long. And because UVA rays can penetrate through glass, you're susceptible even when indoors. What you may not realize is that UVA rays can cause skin damage any time you leave your house, driving your car, or walking from your car to the store to run errands. While sunscreen can go a long way towards protecting your skin from sun damage, you need to make sure to use it correctly. The best way to guard against sun damage and keep skin looking youthful is to use a broad spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 every day. An SPF 30 is ideal. Remember to reapply it every 1-2 hours if you're not in the water but every 30-40 minutes if you are in the water. Skin cancer and sun damage can affect anyone, no matter your skin type or color.

Mistake #2: Inconsistent use of skin care products

Does this sound like you? You purchase a new skin care product or regimen and start using it consistently. Then after a couple of weeks, you trade it in for something that looks better or that you saw advertised on TV. The problem with this scenario is that you didn't give the first product or regimen enough time to deliver real results in the first place. Skin care results are a lot like weight loss. You don't get the best results unless you're willing to be patient after consistent effort for at least 60 days. Patience and consistency are key when it comes to having great skin. It can sometimes take at least 8 weeks to see real results, so give products time to deliver their benefits. Incorporate new products slowly, one about every 1-2 months. Your skin needs to build up a tolerance to potent anti-aging ingredients. Going overboard can cause inflammation, which accelerates fine lines, brown spots, and sagging skin. Find products with the highest quality ingredients from reputable brands, and stick with them for at least 60 days to see what results they can produce. You can't expect instant gratification when it comes to your skin.

Mistake #3: Popping and squeezing pimples

Popping or squeezing pimples and blackheads can rupture the pore follicle and spread an infection, potentially turning the pimple into a cyst or creating more in the surrounding area. So, just don't do it! If you experience skin breakouts regularly, make sure to use products targeted at oily or acne-prone skin. Over-the-counter spot creams and gels with ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid are extremely effective for clearing most acne issues.

Mistake #4: You're too tired to wash your face before bed

Leaving on your makeup while sleeping is a recipe for clogged pores and aging skin. You'll also soil your pillowcase. If you don't clean your pillowcase before sleeping on it again, your clean face will just get dirty. When makeup is left on, pollutants and bacteria have something to grab onto. Pores then become clogged causing breakouts. Additionally, the makeup acts as a barrier to lock the irritants in and moisture out. Use a non-oily makeup remover to take off your eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara in addition to your face wash (preferably foam-free). The few minutes it takes to care for your skin before bed helps ensure a healthy look for years.

Mistake #5: Over washing your face

If you're a little obsessed with cleanliness, that obsession may be harming your skin. Some products can be very harsh. Foaming cleansers work by stripping skin of oil and dirt, and some of the stronger ones leave your skin dry and itchy in the process. Add harsh astringents and alcohol-based toners to the mix, and you have a recipe for skin care disaster. Over washing or scrubbing your skin may cause it to increase oil production to combat dryness. You are stripping your skin's lipid barrier of essential oils, making it weaker and allowing your skin to lose water. Make sure to always use non-foaming cleansers instead. Washing your face twice a day is sufficient, morning and evening. If you exercise, cleansing afterward is fine to remove sweat. Gentle motions are sufficient. To get a better clean, massage the cleanser over an area longer, not harder.

Mistake #6: Not exfoliating or over-exfoliating

Sloughing off dead cells helps skin renew itself and radiate a natural glow. Regular exfoliation is one of the best ways to combat dull skin, refresh your appearance, and even out skin tone. However, never scrub your face too hard with an exfoliator or use it too often. 2-3 times a week use is best. Over exfoliation can strip away your lipid barrier, making skin more susceptible to irritation and bacterial infection. With regular exfoliation 2-3 times a week, makeup goes on smoother. If you have blackheads or acne, it unclogs pores. If you have dry skin, your skin will be less dry because your moisturizer will penetrate better. Skin care products work so much better if there isn't dead skin in the way.

Mistake #7: Not using an alcohol-free toner after washing your face

Unless you have extremely sensitive skin, use an alcohol-free toner. When you keep your skin appropriately pH-balanced with one, it is less likely to become too oily or too dry. It resets your skin's pH after cleansing, bringing it back to slightly acidic, which is the natural state of skin. The benefits to consistently using a toner in your daily routine are they shrink pores, give your skin pH balance, protect it, prepare your skin to better absorb anti-aging serums and moisturizers, and help prevent ingrown hairs. One of the main reasons why alcohol-free toners are recommended is because they help remove excess makeup, oil, and other impurities left behind by your cleanser. Once all of the excess impurities are removed, the toner helps any serum or moisturizer you use better absorb into your skin. For best results, and depending on the sensitivity of your skin, a toner should be used at least once a day and up to twice a day, after cleansing and before moisturizing. Stay away from astringents containing alcohol that dry out skin. If you're oily, don’t be tempted to reduce oil this way. It will only make it worse.

Mistake #8: Forgetting to moisturize

Normal, dry, oily, and combination skin all require hydration. The key is to select a product developed with your skin type in mind. By applying moisturizer to your face and body within minutes of getting out of a shower or bath, you can combat everything from dry skin to more serious skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. Moisturizing is particularly important in colder climates, where dry air and wind pull moisture out of skin and leave it dry, flaky, and cracking. Of course, moisturizing won't solve all your skin care problems, particularly if you commit other mistakes listed in this article. Also, remember your delicate lips and eye area as well. Try to keep lips soft, not dry and chapped, by applying a moisturizing lip serum to visibly smooth lip texture and combat dryness. Use an eye cream daily. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your body. So, wrinkles will appear there first. So many people think they can skimp on using eye cream or use their facial moisturizer as an eye cream. Don't do it!

Mistake #9: Using dirty makeup brushes

Clean your makeup brushes frequently. Many makeup products contain ingredients that clog pores. Skin care products that are made for dry skin tend to have more pore-clogging ingredients, too. Even if a product claims to be non-comedogenic, it may still be pore-clogging. It is very easy to forget or be too busy to wash or swap makeup brushes on a regular basis, but take the time to do it. You can undo all of the hard work taking good care of your skin if you're using dirty or worn-out tools. Clean them every 2 weeks or so. The amount of product and bacteria that happens within 2 weeks is frightening, and the longer you wait to clean the brushes, the longer you're putting the bacteria right on your skin, causing breakouts. Use warm water and a mild anti-bacterial soap or disinfectant alcohol to clean your brushes and tools, laying them flat to dry to avoid any warping that can happen to them.

Do you have any other skin care no-no's to add to this list? I would love to hear them from you.

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