Tips on where you may be going wrong and how to get your skincare right.
USING THE WRONG CLEANSER
Cleansing is the first and most important step in your skincare regime.
Why?
Because it not only cleans the skin of makeup, dirt and debris, but preps the skin for the synergistic affect of the rest of your regime of serums and moisturisers.
Using soap or a foaming cleanser on a dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin can cause further dryness and irritation.
Likewise, using a comedogenic oil cleanser not designed for acne on a problem prone oily skin can make your pimples worse.
If your skin feels dry, tight, and your skin begins to flake then that’s a sure sign that you need to switch your cleanser out to a better suited one.
It’s quite normal to switch your cleanser throughout the year as the seasons change.
When in doubt always ask your skin therapist for professional advice.
SLEEPING IN MAKEUP
It’s late. You’re tired. The last thing you feel like doing is cleansing your skin. Easier just to crash out now and clean your face in the morning, right?
WRONG!
Going to bed without removing your makeup is a recipe for disaster. When your pores become clogged with unremoved makeup your skin can become irritated, inflamed and form bumps which can eventually lead to acne. It also accelerates the ageing process as your skin cells can’t regenerate properly at nighttime with makeup left on.
No one would consciously choose to have pimples and wrinkles. But that’s what can happen if you sleep in your makeup. Remove your makeup every night. It’s simply not worth losing a few minutes of sleep to risk damaging your healthy skin.
EXCESSIVE SCRUBBING
We all know that exfoliation is key in maintaining fresh, clear, glowing skin. Gentle exfoliation eliminates excess dead skin cells allowing your skincare products to penetrate better. But some people take scrubbing too far and end up impairing the barrier of their skin by removing too many protective layers.
Overuse of an exfoliant on the skin can result in:
Tightness
Dryness or dehydration
Stinging, burning, redness
Flakiness
Most skins do not need to be exfoliated more than once or twice a week. If you experience any of the above symptoms dial back on the scrubbing routine. If your skincare products contain hydroxy acids, remember that these ingredients exfoliate and hydrate too. You may be better served by using your hydroxy acid products intermittently rather than every day. The right amount of exfoliation will only leave you with a healthy glow.
YOU DON’T CHANGE YOUR PILLOWCASE REGULARLY
What does my pillowcase have to do with my skincare routine?
A lot, actually.
Your pillowcase stores dust and particles of skin and hair cells which rub off during the night.
So every night when your head hits the pillow you are placing your face against yesterday’s debris, potentially causing cross contamination.
It’s important to change your pillowcase every two days to ensure your skin is kept free of irritants and bacteria. Silk pillowcases are even better than cotton for preventing wrinkles as the fabric doesn’t create friction or cause abrasion and draws in moisture to the skin. Beauty sleep is real and it starts with giving your skin a clean fresh pillow case to rest upon nightly.
NEGLECTING YOUR NECK
Your skin doesn’t stop at your jawline and nor should your skincare regime. The skin on your neck is more delicate and has fewer oil glands than your face which means it can dehydrate, sag and age faster than your face.
In order to keep these unwelcome signs of ageing at bay think of your neck as an extension of your face and dedicate a portion of your skincare regime to your neck area twice a day. Include the neck in your professional skin treatments at the salon too. Radio frequency, laser, HIFU, and micro current all assist in keeping the neck youthful and firm. No one wants a youthful face with an aged neck.
NOT USING SUNSCREEN
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Incidental sun exposure, over a lifetime, can contribute to an increased risk of skin cancer, sun damage, and premature ageing.
Summer is not the only time to use sunscreen in your routine.
In fact, it’s necessary to apply sunscreen to your face daily, regardless of the season. Most skincare lines these days contain a double duty moisturiser with built in sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays which cause DNA damage. There is really no reason to subject your skin to pigmentation, ageing, and possible skin cancer when the solution is so readily available.
NOT WASHING YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES
Your makeup brushes are an investment which form the backbone of your makeup kit. Dirty makeup brushes can accumulate bacteria and lead to skin irritation, clogged pores and acne. If you spend a lot of time and money investing in professional skincare and makeup then you are potentially wasting your money by not cleaning your makeup brushes.
Treat your makeup brushes the same way you treat your hair. Wash them regularly in gentle shampoo until the water runs clear and then dry them out in the sun. Use a daily brush cleaner as maintenance in between shampoos. Not only will your brushes last longer but your skin will thank you for it.
BUYING YOUR SKINCARE FROM YOUR NEIGHBOUR
There’s no denying that there are countless ways to buy your skincare these days, including from people not professionally trained in the skin industry.
All that’s required is for your neighbour to buy a skincare kit, get excited about it, and then start selling skin products to everyone in the street to earn her commission.
Sounds simple.
The problem with buying your skincare from your neighbour who is not skilled in beauty therapy is that you often end up wasting your money on products that don’t work.
When you buy your skincare products in a professional skin salon, however, you will receive a proper consultation from an expert in skin and beauty therapy who will customise a regime specifically for your individual skin health concerns. You are in safe hands and your money won’t be wasted with a qualified skin therapist. By all means, borrow sugar from your neighbour. But save your hard earned skincare dollars for the true professionals.
POPPING YOUR PIMPLES
Please stop doing this!
When your skin is breaking out it’s so tempting to pick or pop your own pimples, thinking that if you squeeze them out they will go away.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. Self squeezing often only leads to a war zone on your face causing redness, bleeding, the spread of infection and possible scar formation. Save the extractions for your professional skin therapist and simply use a spot corrector at home to treat your pesky pimples without traumatising your skin. There’s no point squeezing your zits and being left with permanent scars.
NOT CLEANING YOUR PHONE
Most of us have our phones glued to us 24/7 these days.
But even if you wash your hands thoroughly your phone screen is still a breeding ground for dirt and bacteria. Try to wipe your phone with a disinfecting wipe several times a day to help prevent cross contamination because every time you place your phone to your ear you are transferring germs onto your skin. Wherever possible switch to blue tooth.
It’s simple things like this which can keep your skin fresh, clean, clear and glowing.
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