For some people, skin care is everything. It’s the largest organ in our body that protects us from pollutants, nasty toxins, and UV rays. Our skin is also the reflection of our health status and how we take care of our bodies. It has also become a standard of beauty, that’s why many are getting on the skincare craze to flaunt how beautiful their skin can get.
Since our skin serves as our precious commodity, it makes sense to commit to a consistent and natural skincare routine. Many have become obsessed with commercial skincare products that they get easily enticed by what they see in advertisements, online reviews, and celebrity magazines. While taking care of the skin is a form of self-care, it’s also important to be aware of the product and ingredient you apply against your skin.
Most skincare products consist of unfamiliar chemicals that can potentially harm your body. Sometimes, these chemicals can even trigger an allergy when the product accidentally comes into contact with the eye. This can drive the person to seek allergic conjunctivitis treatment because of its health impacts.
It’s easy to test out different products on our skin and do everything we wanted with it. But taking our skin for granted can cause serious consequences that can affect our overall health. In this article, we’re sharing common skincare mistakes when buying skincare products.
Forgetting the sunscreen
You probably heard this a lot of times from skincare specialists; applying sunscreen is the most critical part of your skincare routine. There are plenty of skincare mistakes concerning SPF, but the most common is skipping or forgetting to use sunscreen.
The American Academy of Dermatology strongly suggests applying sunscreen daily. It helps prevent the risks of cancer by protecting the skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays. This means you should also wear sunscreen even on non-sunny days. The UV rays can still harm your skin by reflecting off sand, water, and snow.
While there are plenty of sunscreens in the market, choose products with SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum protection, water resistance, and minerals. If you have a habit of forgetting sunscreen, use sunscreen spray for easy application.
Exfoliating too little or too much
Exfoliating the skin comes with plenty of benefits. It removes dead skin cells, reduces acne and blackheads, opens clogged pores, and gets rid of excess sebum. An exfoliated skin also helps absorb and distribute skincare products and decreases the size of pores.
Dermatologists recommend exfoliating the skin two to three times a week. But many people commit a mistake by exfoliating too little or too much. Overdoing it causes your skin to tear, while forgetting to exfoliate increases the risks of acne and clogged pores.
Exfoliators come in two types: physical and chemical. Experts recommend applying physical exfoliators in small amounts. Most face scrubs contain exfoliating beads that can damage and tear the skin over time. Meanwhile, chemical exfoliators are gentler on the skin and promote cell turnover, which defends the skin against aging.
Many are still confused about which exfoliator works for them. Every person has their own requirements for their skincare needs, so you have to try which of the two exfoliators works for you.
Combining incompatible products
Mixing incompatible products are one of the most common mistakes among skincare fans. They buy the most popular and trending product on the market without knowing if the product complements the skincare products they currently use. What they’re not aware of is that skincare products may contain ingredients that counteract other ingredients.
Some examples of wrong skincare combinations include acids, retinol, or a mixture of both. Another common mistake is mixing glycolic acid and salicylic acid together. These two ingredients should be used separately, since both acids can over-exfoliate the skin. Mixing retinol with chemical exfoliators is also a common mistake. Combining the two is a sure-fire way to cause skin irritation, which results in redness or infection.
When buying skincare products, prioritize the active ingredients it contains, aside from the brand, price, and benefits. As much as possible, watch out for products containing acids and retinol.
With plenty of skincare advice all over the Internet, it can sometimes push you to do something that’s not good for your skin. The mistakes we mentioned above are just a fraction of the many mistakes people are doing on their skin care. If you truly want the best for your skin, your best bet is to seek a dermatologist’s advice to give your skin the best care it deserves.
