Are You Guilty of these Skin Care Mistakes?

We all want to look good, don’t we? At least most of us, right? Well in our attempts to make our skin look better many times we make mistakes and actually harm the health of our skin – the window to our health. If you want to look your best avoid these five common skin care mistakes.

Using SPF only in the summertime.
Sleeping in make up (I can honestly say I have never done this).
Over exfoliating.
Not applying creams properly (like eating an apple there is a right way).
Not building skin tolerance to retinol products.

SPF

The sun is the biggest factor in skin aging. And, guess what? The sun comes out everyday. You may not see if you live in the Midwest, but it is actually out there. So wear SPF everyday. For women find a sunscreen that can be applied underneath foundation and moisturizer.

Sleeping in Make Up

Our skin (and body) repairs itself at night. You want to remove dirt and makeup so that nutrients from foods and skin care products can facilitate the repair process. Along the same lines be sure to get plenty for restful sleep. Have you ever seen someone look good after a lousy night’s sleep?

Over Exfoliating

Too much exfoliating can lead to inflammation and redness. There are two main types of exfoliators – phyiscal ones and non-abrasive ones. Physical exfoliators can damage and create microtears in the skin. Non-abrasive exfoliators (AHA and BHA) can prevent sensitive skin from over exfoliating. If you have normal or oily skin, exfoliate no more than twice a week.

Not applying creams properly

Gravity pulls skin down eventually leading to saggig skin. So don’t help gravity along. Apply skin cream in upward movements against gravity starting at the neck and working your way upward. When applying creams around the eyes use gentle circular movement as skin around the eyes is thin and delicate.

Not building skin tolerance to retinol products

Retinol products are effective for fine wrinkles, improve skin texture, and can balance pigmentation of the skin. But, you need to build tolerance to their use as they can irritate the skin. So go slow and easy with retinol products. Apply every third or fourth day initially until your skin acclimates to retinol. Applying at night will minimize additional sensitivity from sunlight, too.