10 Common Skincare Mistakes You Could Be Making

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Skincare can be so exciting! However, if you’re making some of these common skincare mistakes your skin may not be doing as good as it truly could.

1. Not Completely Taking off your Makeup

This aggravates me so much because so many people think their makeup is off but it really isn’t! To check if your makeup is completely off you can always use a toner dipped cotton ball and see if there is any makeup residue on the cotton ball. Or you can also do the same thing with a makeup remover if you don’t have a toner. There are several ways to take off your makeup but I highly recommend double cleansing. Double cleansing will help you ensure that you get your makeup off completely.

2. Overdoing it

Ever put on a mask for longer than directed so you could get even more perfect skin? Yep been there done that! I once took a nap with a sample I got from Sephora of Boscia’s Charcoal Pore Pudding and woke up with a rash once I washed it off! This is why it’s so important to follow instructions and never use a product more than its directed usage.

Whatever product it is, please don’t use it longer than the intended usage! Cleansing your face five times a day or exfoliating multiple times a week is not good for your skin. There’s only so much your skin can handle within a certain time period. So go easy on your skin!

Don’t think about skincare too much. I find that when I think about skincare too much I tend to panic and feel the desire to overdo it. So take a break! Also maintaining a skincare diary can help you prevent overdoing it.

3. Skipping the SPF

SPF is so important during the daytime! I used to wear SPF all the time when I lived in sunnier regions but when I moved back to Boston I stopped because I didn’t feel it was necessary in a colder region like Boston. But I was wrong! You need SPF no matter what region you live in because the sun is still out! Even if you’re indoors the sun can still come through the windows so it’s important to use SPF. A very common skincare mistake because people often think they don’t need sunscreen.

I recommend using SPF that has 30 or more. Using SPF can also help prevent skin cancer which is another great reason to remember to use sunscreen. Also some products like Vitamin C, retinol, AHA and more can cause sun sensitivity so it’s especially important to use sunscreen.

4. Trying too many products out at once

You went on a haul at Sephora or Ulta and now you have to try them all out! On this list of common skincare mistakes, this mistake is something I’m definitely most guilty of this one! But it’s not a good idea! Unless it’s a product you have already used and you’re just restocking products you really shouldn’t be using so many new products on your skin. Pick one product to use at a time and observe how your skin reacts to it.

Ideally you should do a patch test with the new product. A patch test is basically when you use a small amount of skincare product on a small part of your body like your wrist or inner elbow. And then wait 24-74 hours to observe if there is any irritation of the skin. Remember that although your skin may not react to a patch test the skin on your face is different so you could still experience a breakout from this.

5. Picking/Popping/Touching Pimples

Nothing annoys me more than a pimple on my face! I feel the urge to get rid of it instantly! A quick fix to prevent yourself from touching pimples is using a pimple patch or as I like to call them pimple stickers! These stickers have ingredients that will help heal the pimple. Some of my favorite products of these are Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch and Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch.

6. DIY Skincare

I don’t know about you but I feel like DIY skincare with ingredients from the comfort of your kitchen is the first thing that pops up on the internet when you look for skincare help. While DIY skincare may use some beneficial ingredients that are good for your skin it’s really hard to have control over it and know exactly how it will affect your skin. Plus these are usually hard to store and require preparation time.

Growing up I used to put lemon juice over my pimples whenever I had one. It barely worked and stung but I used to do it anyways because I was so determined to get rid of my pimples. Luckily I found better products for pimples overtime but recently I discovered how horrible lemon is for the skin due to its level of acidity and now I’m quite horrified at my past!

7. Not Changing your Pillow Case

Pillowcases gather dirt and sweat which can irritate your face so make sure you change it out frequently. If you can it’s also better to sleep on your back so your face doesn’t come in contact with the pillowcase. That being said if you don’t feel comfortable sleeping like that then don’t worry about it! After-all, a good night’s sleep is better for your face than anything that could be on your pillowcase. Personally, I’m a side-sleeper so I would rather not sleep on my back!

I sleep on a satin pillowcase (more affordable version of silk) which is nice and soft so it reduces friction for my hair and is said to help prevent wrinkles as the surface is smoother. Silk/satin pillowcases are also said to help better retain moisture in the skin. My satin pillowcase is from Amazon but down the road I do plan on upgrading to a silk pillowcase from Slip.

8. Not cleaning what comes in contact with your face

Yes I’m looking at your phone, jade roller, headphones, glasses and more! These things can definitely be challenging to remember to clean but having a set of wipes around can be helpful to remember. Also remember to switch out your washcloth that you use to dry your face.

Sharing things that come in contact with your face especially things like makeup are not cool! Avoid sharing things that come in contact with your face.

9. Not Seeing a Dermatologist

As many great beauty products as there are on the market for skincare sometimes you may need to see a dermatologist in case you have a more serious skincare problem. Don’t neglect things! It’s better to get them handled before hand. I once had a yeast infection on my face and had no clue what it was! Luckily it went away quickly after using the medicated products. Dermatologists are there to help you when your skin needs help so take help as needed!

10. Mixing Ingredients that don’t go together

It’s important to know what ingredients work together and what ingredients don’t. Just like cooking or baking something you want to make sure you’re following the right recipe to using skincare ingredients together. Here’s a table I put together based on stuff I have learned about skincare ingredients.

Ingredients Mixing Guide

Don’t mix salicylic acid with Vitamin C

Don’t mix retinol with Vitamin C, Benzoyl Peroxide, AHA/BHA

Don’t mix Vitamin C with niacin-amide, retinol, salicylic acid.

Don’t mix sunscreen with makeup or moisturizer. (will cause it to break down)

Do mix Vitamin C or Benzoyl Peroxide with sunscreen, antioxidants.

Do mix AHA/BHA with hyaluronic acid and sunscreen

Yay! You got through all the skincare mistakes! Now remember these are all mistakes that I have made myself so don’t feel bad if you have also made these mistakes. The goal is to learn from them and improve! So feel free to share this with a friend!

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