Most Common Skincare Mistakes to Avoid

1. NEGLECTING A GOOD SKINCARE DIET
One of the less obvious skincare mistakes: you are what you eat. Ever notice a blemish come through after a weekend of binge eating pizza, candy, and ice cream? Sugar and high carb foods actually spike inflammation, cause breakouts, and break down collagen. Yikes!

Try this instead: Avoid a high-sugar and heavily greasy diet. Incorporate more whole foods to nourish your skin from the inside out, which includes getting your daily dose of vitamins through fruit and veggies.For some food suggestions, check out our blog 5 Foods for Healthy Glowing Skin. Most importantly, keep your skin hydrated. Drinking plentiful amounts of water is a key factor for keeping skin hydrated, young, and healthy.

2. LEAVING YOUR MAKEUP ON OVERNIGHT
Clogged pores, oily skin, (and not to mention ruined pillow cases) prove that all signs point to no-makeup slumbers. In 2013, the Daily Mail conducted an experiment where one woman volunteered to not wash her makeup off for an ENTIRE MONTH, and continued to reapply on top of it every morning. The result: Her skin aged by 10 years. Dirt and makeup trapped in your skin can cause acne, premature aging, complexion issues, and so much more. 

Try this instead: Take off ALL of your makeup every single night before you go to bed and be sure to thoroughly cleanse your skin until there’s not residue of makeup left. Of course use your cleanser of choice but we promise you Petal Powder or Banana Bright will be your best friend. Just remember to double cleanse at night to get every last bit off (no toner needed if using our cleansers).

3. OVERDOING IT WITH THE SKINCARE ROUTINE
It’s so important to have a good skincare routine that incorporates cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing and protecting your skin. But just like everything else in this world, you can’t overdo it.

If you’re using your Clarisonic on full force every morning and night, in addition to harshly exfoliating your skin on the daily, your skin won’t be happy. Or if you start piling on the actives (especially if your not educated on which ones work together) You’ll start to break down your skin’s protective barrier, causing dry skin, as well as potential breakouts due to off balancing your skin's own oil production.

Try this instead: Always listen to your skin and to any changes to it! If it starts to become drier or more sensitive, back off the actives and focus on rebalancing your skin barrier. HydroFlora does wonders on barrier repair. If your skin barrier is compromised from a spa treatment like a peel or if you are using tretinoin at night, products that focus on "barrier repair" is a must and will help bring your skin to happiness and balance once again.

4. TOUCHING YOUR FACE
One of the easiest and most common ways to get a breakout: constantly touching your skin. Your hands naturally carry oils on them as well as all kinds of bacteria, which can easy transfer to the skin of your face when you’re touching it causing breakouts or making your current breakouts spread.

Try this instead: Don’t touch your face!! I am sure because of covid you might have grown accustomed to reducing your face touching but if you notice a habit of resting your face on your palm, or dabbing your fingers on your face – be conscious of it and seriously try to avoid it. Be sure to wash your hands on the regular to keep the dirt transfer to a minimum.

5. NOT CLEANING YOUR CELLPHONE
Did you know your cell phone is 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat?

Yup, pretty nasty!! We’ve become so immune to bringing our phones with us everywhere, that we forget just how many surfaces it’s touched before placing it upon our beautiful skin…only to experience a breakout shortly after. 

Try this instead: Get in the habit of wiping down your phone with a Clorox wipe or a baby wipe. Better yet, do what I do and put all your calls on speaker! That will ensure your face never touches your screen.

6. AVOIDING SPF
One of the biggest contributors to aging skin is caused by sun exposure. But even worse, too much unprotected sun exposure can lead to different types of skin cancer, which is why it’s extra important to wear sunscreen before going out into the sun.

Try this instead: Find a good SPF (I prefer mineral over chemical) that has an SPF number of 40 or greater and make sure it's "Broad Spectrum"! Apply it after your protective serum or moisturizer. Do not rely on SPF in a moisturizer because the amount you need to apply in order for it to be effective is about a nickel sized amount, way more then the amount most people apply moisturizer. If you planning a day in the sun, make sure to reapply. SPF wears off typically 2 hours or less after application. 

7. NEVER CLEANING YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES & SPONGES When’s the last time you did a serious deep clean of your makeup brushes and sponges? And, when was the last time you did it before that? If you answered more than a week to either of those questions, then you’ve got to start cleaning those brushes, pronto! Tons of oil, grease, and bacteria build up on your makeup brushes on the daily, so cleaning them on the regular is key. Try this instead: Makeup brushes and sponges should be cleaned on a weekly basis. If you’re guilty of skipping out on a weekly cleanse, you’re putting your skin at serious risk of a breakout. Are you guilty of making any of these skincare mistakes? Let us know in the comments below!