Here are 6 of the biggest skincare mistakes to avoid when caring for your skin… Follow these tips for an improved and radiant complexion!
1. Not Washing Your Face at Night
We all have a skincare routine, but the best routine is one that lets your skin breathe instead of suffocating it with makeup and chemicals! Sometimes you need to clean your face more than once to erase all traces of dirt, oil, makeup, sunscreen and silicone-based products. When that debris is left on the skin surface, it can lead to clogged pores, breakouts and dehydration, and it prevents other products in your routine from doing their job.
2. Never Exfoliating
When you don’t exfoliate, dead skin cells and oils can get trapped in your pores. This can lead to clogs, blackheads and acne (and the more acne, the more scars to deal with). If your skin is dry and dehydrated, dead cell build-up can aggravate that condition as well, by forming a blockage that prevents your hydrating skincare products from reaching the live cells. Once you start exfoliating, the results are often immediate. You may notice you have fewer blackheads and pimples, a smoother texture and more even tone and best of all, a fresh-faced glow.
3. Over-cleansing & Over-Exfoliating
The opposite of not cleansing and not exfoliating is doing them too much, which could leave skin irritated, sensitive and dry. Dryness can even clog pores and cause rebound oil production and breakouts. Harsh products are a big problem. Think sulfate-based cleansers, grainy scrubs, strong acids and nylon cleansing brushes. Use these products sparingly to avoid possible irritation of your skin.
4. Using Toxic Oils
Whether you apply them topically or ingest them, some oils are so unstable that they can actually cause premature aging. Polyunsaturated oils, or PUFAs, have a molecular structure that is highly prone to attack by free radicals, which triggers oxidation. An oxidized oil might moisturize your skin well, but long-term, can lead to cell and connective tissue damage, age spots, thyroid suppression and other hormonal imbalances. By eliminating these oils, you’re not just improving your skin, you’re improving your overall health!
5. Over-Moisturizing or Under-Moisturizing
Moisture is a tricky beast. We need a little bit to keep our skin soft and hydrated, but too much (or the wrong type) can cause greasiness, acne, and slow our skin’s natural regeneration process. This is a common issue when people use moisturizers and anti-aging treatments that are way too rich and heavy for their skin.
But with too little moisture, your complexion gets dry, tight and dull. Many moisturizers on the market don’t, in fact, moisturize. Time and time again, products will give the illusion of hydrated skin—by delivering a layer of silicones that smooth the surface.
Luckily, Solscense possesses the perfect balance of moisture and goes on easy. Solscense will not replace a great short-term moisturizer, so make sure to continue your usual moisturizing routine even after you start using Solscense.
6. Improper Use of Sun Protection
These days, everyone talks about sunscreen as if anti-aging were as simple as slathering yourself from head to toe in SPF at all times. If only that were true! While sunscreen is important, it does not guarantee that your skin won’t become damaged from the sun. MOST products on the market don’t provide enough protection from UVA rays, just UVB. Although UVB light is responsible for sunburn, UVA rays are known as “aging” rays, since they penetrate more deeply and are ultimately more harmful to us. You can’t always rely on sunscreen to prevent age spots. That pigmentation can be induced by heat alone. Even the best SPF can’t protect you from that.
Then there’s the over-use of sunscreen… Wearing it even when you’re not getting any sun exposure is problematic, as the occlusive ingredients can cause blackheads by clogging pores. Solscense works best with proper sun protection, so lather up or cover up!