When it comes down to it, everyone has a bad habit or several. That’s just human nature, so having bad skincare habits is something we all have in common. Should we be practicing bad skincare habits? Not particularly, no. As I discussed in my previous post, the power of habits, bad habits can be difficult to break. And when it comes to breaking bad skincare habits, it will take time to weed out the daily mistakes.
One common skincare mistake most of us forget to do is listen to our skin. Redness, flakiness, dryness, irritation, or oily; when your skin acts up it’s trying to tell you something. By listening to your skin, you realize you’re making some bad skincare choices and that the skincare products you’re using probably aren’t cutting it. Below is a list of a few bad skincare habits to avoid, some bad skincare ingredients to watch out for, and bad skincare combinations you should avoid putting on your face at all costs.
5 Of The Worst Skincare Habits
Pimple Popping
By squeezing pimples and blackheads it can allow dirt and bacteria to get into the skin and make matters worse. To try and reduce blemishes try fighting them with acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, azelaic acid, niacinamide, or bakuchiol. But be careful what acne treatment you’re using. It all depends on your skin type, you don’t want to be using a bad acne treatment on your skin.
Over-Exfoliating
While exfoliation is a great way to remove the build-up of dead skin cells for smoother, brighter skin, over-exfoliation can be a problem. With this bad skincare habit, over-exfoliating can damage the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Signs of over-exfoliation include dry/tight skin, redness, flakiness, sensitivity, and bumpy skin texture. Always listen to your skin and adjust how often you exfoliate based on how your skin looks and feels.
Layering Your Skin Care Incorrectly
It’s okay to tinker with the order of your skincare products, to a point. But you need to ensure that the products you are using work for your skin as intended. Applying your skincare in the correct order, or close to it, can maximize your results and keep skin healthy. Generally, you’d want to apply skincare products from the thinnest to the thickest. Below is a general skincare routine that you can follow. Keep in mind you don’t have to follow every step.
Step 1: Primer & Color Corrector.
Step 2: Foundation.
Step 3: Concealer.
Step 4: Blush, Bronzer, & Highlighter.
Step 5: Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, & Mascara.
Step 6: Eyebrows.
Step 7: Lips.
Step 8: Translucent Powder or Setting Spray.
Not Using Products Targeted For Your Skin Type Or Skin Needs
Understand what your skin type is and make sure you are using products that work with your skin type, not against it. Using the wrong skincare products for your skin type can lead to irritation, clogged pores, blemishes, redness, excess oiliness or dryness, and other unnecessary skin issues that could be avoided just by using more compatible products.
Not Being Consistent In Your Skin Care
If you have a skincare goal in mind and have created a solid skincare routine, consistency is the key to results. Some products can take months before you see maximum results, so it’s important to stick to your skincare routine before you decide whether something is really working for you or not.
4 Skincare Ingredients to Watch Out For
Cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, and other various products you apply to your skin can be just as beneficial or harmful as anything you put inside your body. Ingredients found in face washes, lotions, sunscreens, and more have been linked to everything from allergic reactions to hormonal disruptions to cancer. What’s worse is that they go directly into your bloodstream and build up over time when applied to the skin or hair. Below are just a few of the bad skincare ingredients to avoid when purchasing skincare products.
1. Parabens
Parabens are a whole family of chemicals that include: methylparabens, propylparabens, butylparabens, and ethylparabens. It is essentially a preservative found in beauty products to help keep bacteria from growing and preserve the shelf-life of products. Parabens can be found in nearly everything! And I mean everything. Face and body wash, body lotion, foundation, shampoo, etc.. The list goes on and on. Also, parabens can mimic estrogen in the body, which can lead to hormonal imbalances. Scary right? Stay away from this bad skincare ingredient as much as possible.
2. Phthalates
A phthalate is a plasticizer that is added to plastic to keep it from becoming brittle. Phthalates are used in cosmetics primarily in fragrances, and can also be found in other personal care products, such as hair spray and nail polish. Like parabens, phthalates are endocrine disruptors and can cause hormonal imbalances as well. This bad skincare ingredient can also be found in deodorants, lotions.
3. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and/or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
SLS and SLES are known to cause skin irritation and trigger different allergies. These bad skincare ingredients are foaming agents that are used in many personal care products. They are surfactants that can cause skin irritation or trigger allergies. These skin care ingredients are commonly found in shampoo, body wash, and bubble bath.
4. Formaldehyde
Remember when we’d have to dissect animals in high school biology? That almost pickled-like odor taking over your senses. Ah yes, formaldehyde. Well here’s a shocker for you, this bad skincare ingredient can be found in our cosmetics! Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that is also linked to asthma, neurotoxicity, and developmental toxicity. Cosmetic companies use it as a preservative in cosmetics. Just grosses me out thinking about it!
5 Skincare Combinations to AVOID!
With advances in dermatology, there’s a solution for nearly every skin woe. We reach for retinol to prevent fine lines, look to hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture, and hunt down vitamin C to reduce stubborn dark spots. But there are some skincare ingredients that prove problematic when used together. Preventing bad skincare combinations is about knowing what ingredients to keep separate so you can get the most out of your skincare routine. You’ll be surprised by the combination of ingredients that counteract each other or cause skin problems when used together. Here are some ingredients that don’t mix well:
Benzoyl Peroxide + Retinol
Applying benzoyl peroxide, which is an infamous acne treatment, along with retinol, will oxidize the retinol, hence reducing its effectiveness and just give you a bad acne treatment overall. The combination over stimulates the skin and can lead to serious irritation: peeling, dehydration, redness, and scarring. It’s better to keep benzoyl peroxide in your morning routine to fight breakouts and keep retinol in your evening anti-aging routine.
Salicylic Acid + Glycolic Acid
Salicylic acid and glycolic acid are products that improve skin texture, treat acne, and prevent wrinkles. Mixing the two together will strip your skin and most likely cause irritation. Using these acids together can also over-exfoliate the skin, which can actually speed up the aging process because it slows cell turnover. So you’d want to avoid this bad skincare combination at all costs.
Hydroquinone + Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is a spot treatment for blemishes, while hydroquinone is a skin lightening agent commonly used to treat dark spots and acne scars. Mixing the two has a bleaching effect and can actually lead to staining on your skin, which is a bad skincare combination no one wants. While this isn’t a permanent effect, no one wants to experience pigmentation on their skin, especially when it can be avoided by being conscious of your skincare products’ ingredients.
Retinol + Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that protects and repairs your skin from sun damage and environmental pollutants, lightens dark spots, and builds collagen to reduce fine lines. Retinol and retinoids work in similar ways as vitamin C but instead come from the vitamin A family. While it may seem like vitamin C and retinol should be combined for optimal results, they work better at different pH environments. Instead of combining these two ingredients, which could render them ineffective, and result in a bad skincare combination, try using a vitamin C cream in the morning and retinol cream at night to get the best of both worlds for your skin.
Vitamin C + Benzoyl Peroxide
Another bad skincare combination is benzoyl peroxide and vitamin C, which is an antioxidant ingredient. When combined, benzoyl peroxide oxidizes vitamin C, which significantly reduces its antioxidant properties. Vitamin C and benzoyl peroxide don’t mix.