The 7 Sins of Skin Care - Facial Regimen Reformation
By Emily Linh
24 June 2019 - 6 minute read
You know what you’ve done.
But in case your totally ignorant to the atrocious crimes you've been committing against your skin on a regular basis, we’re here to set the record straight.
Chances are, unless you’ve been doing this whole “beauty” thing for a while now, you’re making some serious routine mistakes that can cause some major skincare dilemmas down the line.
No longer can you make half-assed attempts at “skincare” while you flounder that God-given face of yours due to laziness. We won’t sit idly by any longer.
Its time for a facial regimen reformation.
Are you committing any of these 7 deadly sins of skincare?
Some of them are obvious, some not so much. Either way, it’s high time you set things right.
The 7 Sins of Skincare
#1. Not cleaning your phone
Your phone is your extra limb. It’s the technological extension of your mind. The gateway between you and the rest of the world, accessible anytime and anywhere.
Therefore, they’ve managed to glue themselves to our hands at all times.
Anything you touch, your phone touches too.
And that’s a lot of bacteria.
Bacteria that you're putting directly on that beautiful face of yours anytime you take a call or, touch your face (God forbid).
Check out the disturbing image of the pattern of bacterial growth on your phone below.
Start getting into the habit of wiping your phone down daily with a disinfectant wipe or even a baby wipe. Which brings us nicely onto the next sin.
#2. Constantly touching your face
We all do it subconsciously, and it is a sign of honesty according to studies. But, that doesn’t mean its good for your skin. It spreads bacteria, sebum and will absolutely contribute to breakouts.
And of course it goes without saying, don’t squeeze your pimples!
#3. Sleeping with makeup on
I hate to be the one to say it but sleeping with makeup on is a major skincare sin that you really shouldn’t be doing. But hey, nobody’s perfect, and sometimes life beats you down so much your bed beckons you in with zero regards for your skin.
Sleep is when your skins vital healing process becomes active, so it needs to breathe. A great tip is to always leave a packet of makeup removal wipes beside your bed for those nights you’re simply too tired to go to the bathroom.
#4. Exfoliating too little or too much
Life is all about balance. You really do need a nice gentle exfoliation session every now and again. But, do it too much and your skin can become either irritated and dry or start producing excess oil.
Don’t exfoliate enough and them pores will become more jammed than an L.A highway on any given day.
The reality is, often a warm facecloth used in a light circular motion is enough to remove most dead skin cells from your face.
#5. Not drinking enough water
The largest organ in the body needs an extra large dose of H20 to operate at peak firmness and clarity. It seems like an obvious statement, but most adults don’t drink nearly enough water day to day.
It turns out that thirst is not an indicator of hydration levels. By the time you feel it, you’re probably already dehydrated.
Set reminders on your phone if you have to and watch the compliments roll in from your new glow.
#6. Manhandling the eye area
What do we want? Crows feet! When do we want them? Now!
Wait, what? That’s not right. Crow’s feet are the devil, and we’ll do anything to avoid an early onslaught of rapid aging right?
Well, it turns out the skin around your eyes is super thin and sensitive (hence the crow’s feet) and being too rough when removing makeup and washing this area can only make matters worse.
Be gentle with the skin directly around your eyes. Use gentle tapping and circular motions with less pressure and hold on to that youthful glow a couple more years.
I generally don’t recommend eye creams, but a good moisturizer can help you combat the passing of time by keeping the outer layer of skin hydrated.
#7. Cleansing too often
So you think the more you clean, the less acne you’ll have?
Sorry to dissapoint, but over cleansing can be detrimental. Your skin has a certain level of natural oils. Too much cleansing strips this away and forces your body to produce more oil.
But most times your body overcompensates out of fear you’ll do it again. This leads to an overproduction of oil and sebum which results in pimples and blocked pores.
I highly recommend using quality micellar water, as it draws dirt out without drying your skin.
The list of skincare mistakes could go and on. But it’s important to keep your skin routine fairly simple. Instead of using more products, try eliminating the bad habits set out above and your skin will last a lifetime.
