You probably already know how important washing your face is when caring for your skin and preserving its youthful glow. The ideal anti-aging skincare routine, as experts note, requires a good facial cleanser, ample moisture afterwards and oils and acids to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
One mistake you might not realize you’re making with your skincare routine has to do with cleansing or toning. We spoke with holistic skin therapist Aryanna Denise and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Elyse Love, MD, FAAD for skincare advice and more information about a common mistake you might not realize can lead to premature aging.
How Over-Exfoliation Affects Aging Skin
"The biggest skincare mistake [in an anti-aging routine] is over-exfoliation," says Denise. "It is extremely easy to overdue this treatment." For healthy skin, she says that exfoliating once every 2 weeks is "plenty."
Over-exfoliation can come in the form of coarse or fine scrubs, charcoal-rich textured cleansers, rotating brushes, etc. "This leads to inflammation and skin texture changes which may lead to discomfort and even pain," says Denise. The reason behind this reaction is because the epidermal barrier is being compromised.
"Skin cells are prematurely being worn off the surface," Denise continues, "when the skin cell cycle should be between four and six weeks." Harsh scrubbing and frequently drying out one's skin can lead to premature aging, more apparent wrinkles and dull skin.
Facial cleansers, Denise adds, should be gentle and perfume-free, applied with soft cotton and rinsed with warm or cool water. "Exfoliate seldomly, as needed to unclog pores, not often," says Denise.
Don't Over-Exfoliate With Toner
While it is possible that you are over-exfoliating your skin through the cleansing step, you could also be using the wrong toner for your skin type. This is another mistake, according to Love, that could lead to premature aging. "Toners can hydrate or exfoliate, depending on which ingredients are used," Love explains.
Dry skin types, she says, will prefer a hydrating toner, and those with oilier skin may prefer an exfoliating toner "if they're not exfoliating" in another step of the routine. "It’s important to not over-exfoliate by including exfoliating ingredients in multiple steps in the routine," Love says, pointing out how this is easy to do with toner.
For dry skin, she recommends a toner like the Murad Hydrating Toner, and for oily skin, she suggests a toner like the Good Molecules Glycolic Exfoliating Toner (both can be found at Ulta Beauty stores).
Love notes that people with combination skin will likely prefer a hydrating toner, but they may choose to use an exfoliating toner only on the t-zone area. "It’s an easy way to control oil production on the t-zone without irritating the drier cheeks, especially this time of year with cold weather temperatures," says Love.
As both skincare experts explain, it's important not to over-exfoliate your skin in your daily routine (whether through cleansing or toning) since doing so can lead to premature aging and more noticeable wrinkles.
