1. Consuming Too Much Sugar Or Fat, And Not Enough Water
Oddly enough, one of the major traps with your skin is what you put into your body. Too much fat and sugar are terrible for your skin. Health experts say that in order to have healthier skin, we should be drinking more water, less caffeine, and sugary drinks, and eating more fruits and vegetables. B Vitamins are also essential to maintaining healthy skin, and you can get those through apples, carrots, and asparagus.
2. Not Using A Toner
After you wash your face, take the extra minute to use a toner prior to moisturizing. This small step will remove any excess oil, shrink your pores, and help your moisturizer to be more efficient.
3. Applying Your Face Moisturizer Too Quickly
It’s important to massage your moisturizer in an even, slow manner. Always start at the center of your face (think chin, nose and be-tween the eyebrows) and move outward and upward. This gentle motion will help to reduce the impact on your skin.
4. Using The Same Moisturizer For The Eye Area
The delicate area beneath your eyes is not the same as the rest of your face and really does require a specialized type of cream. Always apply gently, and use your ring finger — this will give you the softest possible touch while still being effective.
5. Choosing The Wrong Products For Your Skin Type
Resist the urge to buy what’s most popular, and focus on providing your specific skin with the products it needs. The products you need will be based not only on your skin type but also your age. If you’re having continuous problems with your skin and you, don’t know why you may want to take a second look at the products you’ve been using.
6. Not Using Sunscreen
Many people, women, in particular, have a fear that sunscreen will give them oily skin or cause breakouts — this couldn’t be farther from the truth. As Dermatologists, we see first-hand the premature damage caused to skin, as a result of not wearing sunscreen. Choose something for your face that is specifically formulated to suit your skin type.
7. Applying Moisturizer To Wet Skin
This is a common misconception that unfortunately may even reduce the effectiveness of your cream. The water won’t help to hydrate your skin; the right wash, toner, and moisturizer regimen will be sufficient.
8. Washing Your Face With Ice Cold Or Streaming Hot Water
There have always been arguments on both sides of this, but the truth is that using warm water is what’s best for your skin.
9. Doing Too Much To Dry Out Oily Skin
While having oily skin can be frustrating, intention-ally over-drying it can just make the problem worse. Washing too frequently or using products with alcohol or sulfates can cause your skin to increase the oil production, to combat the perceived attack.
10. Using Foamy Face Wash
Foaming face wash certainly has a visual appeal, but it turns out there are ingredients within these products that can harm your skin. Gentle foam cleansers can be good for extremely oily skin, but for everyone else, the fewer bubbles, the better!
11. Applying Way Too Much Face Powder
While most of us are guilty of this, it leaves the pores completely clogged. Rather than using powder to combat greasy skin when the weather is hot, try using the blotting papers that soak up excess oil instantly.
12. Neglecting Your Lucious Lips
Don’t forget to include your lips in your skincare routine. Using a lip balm with an SPF is the ideal way to keep your lips from drying, peeling or getting burnt.
13. Changing Your Pillow Cases Once A Week
While changing your sheets every week is a great and healthy routine, your pillowcases should be changed every couple of days. It doesn’t take long for oil and dirt to build-up —and your skin won’t have a chance if it’s spending 8 hours/day in an unclean environment.
14. Sleeping With Your Face Pressed Into Your Pillow
If the previous tip wasn’t enough, here is another. If your face is squished against your pillow in one position all night, you can wind up with wrinkles as a direct result. If possible, try to sleep on your back. Your skin can breathe better, and you won’t have to worry about the dirt from last night.
15. Touching Your Face All The Time
This is a hard habit to break but try to be aware of how often you touch your face. Our hands are filled with bacteria from public washrooms and transportation, and even from the coffee your barista just handed you. Keeping your hands off your face will significantly decrease the spread of germs and grease, and help keep your skin clearer.
