There are many things you should do and shouldn't do when it comes to your skincare routine. Building good skincare habits is crucial to maintaining healthy skin. We will talk about the common skincare habits that people should stop and what to do instead!
Over exfoliating
Exfoliating regularly can be very beneficial for your skin! It can make your skin smoother and brighter and reduce acne breakouts. However, too much of a good thing can lead to adverse reactions. Some reactions include skin peeling, red, irritated, and inflamed skin. Over-exfoliating can also damage your skin barrier, which will take a long time to heal and compromise your skin's health.
The best thing to do is exfoliate 1-2 times a week, depending on your skin type. Suppose your skin is oilier than you can exfoliate more than two times a week. And if your skin is on the sensitive side, it's best to exfoliate once a week or once every two weeks. But most skin types benefit from exfoliating 1-2 times a week. Pro tip: use physical exfoliants on your body and chemical exfoliants on your face.
Pore strips
Pore strips are a popular method to get rid of blackheads, but we have bad news. Your beloved pore strips are doing more harm than good. Pore strips can temporarily improve the appearance of blackheads, but they don't get rid of them. They only remove the surface dirt, making the pores look clean, but they aren't clean. In the long run, pore strips can enlarge the pores due to the pulling and tugging from removing the strip.
Better ways to get rid of blackheads are by using chemical exfoliants. Using AHA or BHA consistently can improve the appearance of blackheads. They work by sinking into the pores to deep clean them and get to the root of the problem. So don't use pore strips and use chemical exfoliants instead!
Hot showers & baths
Everyone loves to take hot showers and baths, but using hot water can damage your skin. Hot water can strip away our skin's natural oils, and if it strips away too much of the oils, it can lead to overly dry skin or excessively oily skin (since our skin will reproduce more oil to replace the oils that were lost). In addition, hot water can damage your skin barrier and result in irritated, inflamed skin. Therefore, it's best to use lukewarm water and limit your bath time not to overheat your skin.
SPF moisturizer before bed
Using SPF during the day is excellent! However, you should be using it every day to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. Many moisturizers have SPF included, and these are okay to use for SPF protection. But you should invest in a separate nighttime moisturizer as well. Using the same SPF moisturizer before you go to bed will result in larger pores and potential breakouts. Formulas that include SPF have a larger molecule size and will press against the skin while you sleep. That's why it's crucial to use sunscreen during the day but to remove it at night!
What are some of your skincare don'ts? Let us know in the comments below!