Skincare mistakes happen — and, most of the time, they’re no big deal. If you use the wrong product for your skin type, for example, you may experience irritation. But as long as you then wean off the product and treat your skin with gentle kindness, your skin barrier should be back to its normal strength in no time.
However, if you make continuous skincare mistakes, the damage can add up — and some of these mistakes have irreversible consequences (or will require expensive lasers and procedures to treat). Prevention is always the best way to keep your skin look its healthiest and smoothest. Avoid these 10 skincare mistakes you may not even know you are making that can cause signs of aging.
Forgetting to Wear Sunscreen
If you repeatedly forget to wear sunscreen and expose your skin to UV rays, you can cause damage that includes a greater risk of cancer, as well as aesthetic changes like hyperpigmentation and fine lines. Wearing SPF 30 or higher each day and then re-applying every two hours is the best way to avoid the harmful effects of unprotected sun exposure.
Not Re-Applying Sunscreen
Getting into the habit of applying sunscreen each day is step one. Remembering to re-apply sunscreen, even after you’ve made up your face for the day, is an important follow-up step. Using a powdered sunscreen like one from Colorescience (which carries SPF 50 in different shades) can help. Instead of applying a liquid sunscreen that can mess with your makeup, this powdered version respects your foundation and concealer and adds the sun protection you need.
Over or Under-Exfoliation
There’s an art to exfoliation — too little can leave you with dead skin cells that make your skin look dull, and doing it too much can strip your skin of natural oils and leave it red and irritated. Aim to exfoliate with a gentle chemical exfoliant (glycolic acid is a good example of this) no more three times a week.
Sleeping On Your Side
When you get into the habit of sleeping on your side, the pillow can create friction that actually leads to creases and lines in your skin. Having your skin make contact with a pillowcase that hasn’t been washed in a few days can also leave your skin more susceptible to bacteria and breakouts. If you can learn to sleep on your back, this is the best position for your skin. Swapping to a satin or silk pillowcase that’s gentler on skin can also help.
Not Properly Layering Your Skincare Products
There’s a right and a wrong way to layer your skincare products starting with the lighter serums and followed by heavier creams and moisturizers. Getting the order wrong can mean that expensive serum doesn’t have the opportunity to do its job right and to the best of its ability.
Choosing Harsh Cleansers
Just because a cleanser contains harsher ingredients doesn’t mean it will clean your skin better than a gentle formula. It doesn’t take a lot to rid your skin of excess sebum and bacteria, but harsh cleansers can backfire by stripping skin of needed oil and throwing your oil balance out of whack. This can lead to dry skin AND breakouts — yep, they can happen at the same time.
You Haven’t Started Using Retinol
Retinol is one of the best skincare ingredients that’s backed by numerous studies that say it can boost collagen production and help address signs of aging. Since it is present in both prescription and OTL formulas, you can speak with your dermatologist about what’s right for you. Start off slowly and incorporate a quality moisturizer in your routine because retinol can be drying until your skin gets used to it.
Changing Products Too Frequently
Changing products every single day isn’t a good way to find out which product is most effective on your skin. You need to use a product for a few months to get a good sense of what it can do — and if your skin experiences irritation, you’ll want to be able to single out the one new product that caused it. Go slowly when introducing new products in your routine and try not to change too many things at once.
Using Skincare Products With Fragrance
One of the worst ingredients for skin irritation? All of those fragrances that are hiding in moisturizers, cleansers, and serums. If a product smells too good to be true, it may cause breakouts, irritation, and exacerbate conditions like rosacea. Go for fragrance-free products instead.
Never Cleaning Your Cellphone
Trust us — not cleaning your cellphone is a big skincare mistake. Think about all of the surfaces your phone touches throughout the day. Now think about how often your phone is on your skin when you make phone calls. You don’t want dirt to be transferred to your skin — clean and disinfect your phone often.
