Ever since lockdown has begun most of us have been more attentive towards our hair and skin health but due to there being so much incorrect information on the internet, there are a lot of people who make plenty of mistakes when it comes to skin care routines.
1.Abusing homemade remedies
I don’t know who needs to hear this but putting lemon, baking soda , sugar or any other homemade face mask on your face is not going to help you in any way but will rather damage your skin in the long run. If you have a problematic skin then it’s best you consult a dermatologist first and then use prescribed medications. Natural is not always better- please don’t expect aloe vera or curd to cure your acne, it will simply just not work.
2. Harsh exfoliation
If you think scrubbing the hell out of your skin will make it clean and make your acne go away then you’re wrong. Using harsh physical exfoliants like scrubs with walnut shells etc will only cause micro tears in your skin and damage the skin barrier. If you want to exfoliate, invest in chemical exfoliants like AHA’s and BHA’s but make sure you use them only once or twice a week.
3. Using the wrong product:
Remember the time when you bought this product that everybody was raving about but it just didn’t do anything for you and possibly made your skin worse? Yeah that’s because every skin is different and needs to be treated differently. Using the wrong product will not only show you no results but can also be harsh on your skin. So before you buy any product make sure that it is good for your specific skin type.
For example: if you have oily, acne prone skin then you should buy a cleanser with salicylic acid and if you have dry skin then you should invest in gentle cleansers.
4. Product overload
Now this is another common mistake that most people do- buying and tying out way too many things at once. While it’s good to invest in good skincare products, it’s also important to try only 1-2 new products at a time. If you use too many products at once, you’ll never be able to figure out which one’s working for you and which one’s ruining your skin. Simplify your routine as much as possible, you don’t need to have a 13 step skin care routine to look fab.
5. Not wearing SPF
Cannot emphasise on how important this point is. Imagine spending all this money on skincare but not taking the right measures to protect it from sun damage- what a waste of time and resources. Prolonged sun damage will lead to accelerated ageing hence investing in a good sunscreen should be on top of your priority list. Every time you go out make sure you reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours to ensure maximum protection.
6. Giving up too quickly
Give each product at least 1-3 months before deciding if it is worth it or not. Most products like niacinamide needs at least 12 weeks until they show good results. Patience is key when it comes to treating your skin. I know it can get quite upsetting when your skin’s acting out all the time but if you just wait this out you’ll see better results than constantly changing your skincare routine.