Nine Skin-Care Mistakes

These common skin-care blunders may be sabotaging your clear skin


What's in your cleanser? Women often buy high-end exfoliating products and moisturizers, but don't pay attention to what’s actually in them. Choose products with few chemicals, she advises. Avoid those containing SD-40, isopropyl alcohol, a common ingredient that can be an irritant for acne-prone and senstive skin types, leading to redness, dryness, and in some cases, brown spots and premature aging.

Speaking of exfoliating, don't overdo it. Many products today have alpha hydroxy acids to combat wrinkles and fine lines, but if you mix-and-match too often — for example, an acid-based moisturizer in the morning and an exfoliating cream at night — you run the risk of inflaming your skin.

Don't pick at your blemishes. Hands off. "You'll end up with a bigger problem because you break down the follicle wall, allowing bacteria to spread." Use a sulfur mask to bring down the swelling.

Surprisingly, women with dry skin should avoid overmoisturizing, so don't spackle on cream or heavy moisturizers. "It causes more congestion in the long run,". "Women would do better to invest in a good humidifier instead, especially if they live in a dry climate."

"Women believe that when they drink water it moisturizes the skin. It does help carry oxygen to the skin, but don't rely on it for moisture," . Instead, consider what you're eating — or not eating — and add some good fat to your diet. "Essential fatty acids, like what you'd get from eating an avocado, help skin glow."

While overexposure to the sun ages skin, many protective products can cause another issue — acne. Fifer suggests looking for sunblock that contains zinc and titanium, which protect without clogging pores.

You fall asleep with your makeup on, what's the big deal? "Never, never, never!". Even if it's only a rare occurrence, the problems can cascade into your complexion for a week. To avoid a skin-care nightmare, be sure to wash your face before you head to bed.

Don't skimp on sleep. "Skin repairs itself at night," . "If you're routinely sleep-deprived, your complexion will show it." Get the beauty sleep you deserve and you'll wake up to better skin.

When was the last time you threw out your make up? Don't hang on to beauty products if you don't use them frequently. Since your fingers are usually your applicator, bacteria build up fast in bottles and in makeup sponges, then end up on your face. As a rule of thumb, it is suggested that you start to toss out foundation out after six months.



Via Skin Care Mistakes - Get Perfect Skin - Real Beauty

Your Biggest Beauty Sins

Sleeping with Your Makeup On
When you forget to wash your face, your skin has the chance to marinate in a day’s worth of debris and oil overnight.The skin is unable to breathe, regenerate tissue, exfoliate dead surface cells and heal itself. This can lead to breakouts, excessive oiliness, a dull complexion or even dry skin.Nighttime is when the skin rejuvenates itself, so it’s very important to purify and cleanse before sleeping.


Always Sleeping on the Same Side of Your Face
We can’t always control where our head hits the pillow, but repeatedly snoozing in the same spot can cause fine lines to become permanently etched. This is because skin is scrunched up against the pillow over and over again. To ward off wrinkles, make sure your pillow is fluffy; one that’s too firm can cause more squishing. Try placing a moon-shaped cushion on top of your regular pillow; this way, only the perimeter of your face rests against the fabric.

Cleansing with Water That's Too Hot
Washing away residue is always a good thing, but when you rinse with hot water, you can do more harm than good.A temperature that’s scorching causes broken capillaries on the face. The capillary walls are very thin and elastic, so they are reactive to temperature, she says. To keep skin balanced, always cleanse with lukewarm or tepid water

Rubbing Your Eyes
The area around your eyes is the thinnest, most sensitive area of the face.The more you rub it, the more it will stretch. Since there are no oil glands there, the skin has very little give. Repeated rubbing or pulling on the lids, especially when putting in contact lenses, can cause skin to slacken and fine lines to form. To keep skin firm, hydrate it with eye cream—the drier the skin around the eyes, the more wrinkles will be visible. When you put in contact lenses, use your fourth and fifth fingers to hold open your lids. Since these are weaker digits, skin won’t be stretched as aggressively. And most important, stop rubbing your eyes!


Washing Your Face Before Your Hair
Especially when you use a conditioning hair mask. These treatments tend to be loaded with oils, which can seep into your face. Pores get clogged, leading to breakouts, especially along the hairline. Make sure you thoroughly cleanse away any residue from your face after rinsing your hair.

Wearing Too Much Facial Moisturizer
You may be extra-vigilant about keeping skin supple, but too much of a good thing can have a reverse effect. Excess cream won’t absorb deeply enough into cellular tissue, so skin won’t be able to breathe and pores will clog. Sometimes this can even manifest in dryness. Use a lighter hand when applying moisturizer; a dime-size amount is plenty to protect skin from environmental stressors.