Everyone’s skincare routine is a little different, and there isn’t just one right way to care for your skin. However, there are a few things that everyone should consider when it comes to skincare. So here are the five biggest mistakes you don’t want to make!
1. Going to bed with makeup on
After a long day, it’s not always fun to remove your makeup. Regardless of the cleansing method, we always recommend cleansing every day, so that no harmful bacteria can grow on the skin. Sleeping with makeup on can lead to dullness, irritation and blemishes.
We also recommend always using an oil-based product to remove waterproof makeup. For example, waterproof mascara is practically impossible to remove with just a cleansing gel, foam or cream. Excessive rubbing with an inefficient cleanser can cause the condition of your eyelashes can quickly go downhill.
2. Over-cleansing
It's common to like the feeling of squeaky clean skin. However, this can be harmful for many skin types. Using a cleansing product that is too strong or has a high pH can strip the skin of oils that are essential for the skin. Over-cleansing can damage the skin barrier and expose your skin to external aggressors, dryness and impurities.
Oily or combination skin often needs a gel-type cleanser and tolerates it well. For normal and dry skin, a milky cleanser is better. If you feel that a milky cleanser alone is not enough, wash your face first with an oil-based cleansing balm instead of swapping to something stronger.
3. Over-exfoliating
On social media, you often see skincare routines where skin is exfoliated daily with several different products. Very few people need daily exfoliation, at least with strong products. Gentle daily exfoliation or stronger exfoliation 1–3 times a week is a better choice for most people.
If your cleansing product already exfoliates your skin, you probably won't need a separate exfoliating product in your routine. Dry, sensitive or young skin does not necessarily need to exfoliate the skin at all.
Tip! For a cleansing routine for gentle daily exfoliation, we recommend the Double Cleansing Duo For Oily/Combo Skin
4. Skipping moisturizer
Many people with oily skin skip using a moisturizer, thinking that oily skin doesn't need any more moisture – and especially no more oils. While it's true that oily skin doesn't necessarily need more oils, hydration still needs to be locked in at the end of the routine.
Skipping a moisturizer might even cause your skin to over-compensate the lack of moisture and produce even more oils. A gel cream or a low-oil moisturizer both work well for oily skin.
5. Forgetting sunscreen
Sunscreen is one of the most important steps in skincare. Daily sunscreen protects the skin from premature aging and sun damage, which in turn reduces the risk of skin cancer. We recommend using a sunscreen whenever the UV index is above 3 – usually, this happens during the Spring and Summer months.