5 Skincare Mistakes I Made in the Past

These days I’m skincare savvy (or at least I like to think I am lol), but it wasn’t always like that. Until about 5 years ago, there were a few mistakes that I was making in my skincare routine that were actually damaging and I wish someone had told me before what I was doing wrong. So, today I thought I’d share my mistakes with you because, even though I’m sure most of you already know these things are wrong and don’t do them, there may be someone who may find it useful and learn from my errors. So, here are my worst five skincare mistakes ever.

Mistake One: Not using a sunscreen daily

Not using a sunscreen every day was definitely the biggest mistake I made. When I was growing up, no one ever talked about the importance of sunscreen. I thought it was just something you had to wear at the beach and since I never loved going to the beach, well, I rarely used sunscreen. It was only in my 20′s that I discovered the importance of using a broad spectrum sunscreen to protect my skin from the sun UV rays that cause all kinds of damage, from sun spots to wrinkles to cancer. Luckily for me, I discovered this when I was still pretty young and I’ve always been one to avoid the sun as much as possible, so the damage for me was limited, but definitely still there.

Solution: wear a broad spectrum sunscreen (one that contains Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Mexoryl, Avobenzone or Tinosorb) every day, even if it is raining or snowing. Also, opt for skincare and cosmetic products with SPF, because even though they still provide very minimal protection, they’re better than nothing and can be useful if you’re only spending a few minutes outdoors.

Mistake Two: Not knowing my skin type

When I first started using skincare products (I think I was about 15), I had no idea what my skin type was and I didn’t think knowing it would be important either. Apart from some occasional breakouts and a slightly shiny t-zone, I didn’t have any skin concerns like acne or eczema and so I just bought whatever product was cheap without caring if it was targeted towards oily, dry or sensitive skin. And although my skin didn’t react (too) negatively to these creams (some made my t-zone even oilier), it didn’t benefit from them either and I didn’t see any changes or improvements in my skin whatsoever. I just kept wasting money on products that didn’t work but could have made my skin worse!

Solution: find out what your skin type is  so you know what products to use to best target your skin problems. You can check out my post on how to identify your skin type or consult other online sources, there are plenty on the internet. Some beauty counters would also help you determine your skin type or you could always see a dermatologist.

Mistake Three: Not choosing products wisely

Mistake three is closely related to #2. Because I didn’t know (and didn’t care to know my skin type) I had no idea what products were better to be used for my combination skin. I didn’t know what ingredients would keep the shine at bay or what prevented wrinkles so I fell for all the marketing crap companies throw at us and wasted money on products that didn’t work on me.

Solution: once you have identified your skin type, do you research to find out what ingredients are best to solve your concerns. For instance, if you wanna prevent wrinkles, use products rich in antioxidants and vitamin A, while if you have oily skin use light moisturizers and products with Salicylic Acid.

Mistake Four: Not removing makeup before going to bed

This wasn’t I mistake I made often, just on those nights that I came home very late and was too tired to do anything bar change into my pajamas and get into bed. I used to think that sleeping with makeup on wasn’t too bad and that I could remove it as soon as I woke up. After all, what difference could a few hours make? Well, lots of difference, as it turns out: leaving makeup on your skin at night can cause irritations and breakouts.

Solution: it doesn’t matter how tired you are at night, you should always find the time to remove your makeup before going to sleep.

Mistake Five: Not caring for the rest of my body

Not only did I use the wrong products on my face, I also neglected the rest of my body. I rarely bothered slathering on a body moisturizer even though the skin there is very dry, and didn’t apply a hand cream until my hands were all cracked and bleeding due to my silly habit of washing them 50 times a day.

Solution: take care of the rest of your body, hands, feet and neck included or no matter how young your face will look, the rest of your body will show your real age, and maybe a few years more!

What beauty mistakes did you made when you were younger?

Tagged as: skin