After putting so much effort (not to mention money!) into building the perfect skincare routine, the last thing you want to do is make mistakes that either render your skincare products ineffective or, even worse, end up causing damage to your skin. Unfortunately, this is something that’s so easy to do!
The good news is that you’re not alone. Skincare mistakes are common! The fact that you’re now trying to identify those mistakes so that you can turn things around means that you’re on the right path to achieving a flawless complexion.
So, without further ado, read on as Lavelier shares 10 mistakes that you might be making with your skincare products:
1) Not Using SPF Properly
Many would argue that SPF is the single most important aspect of skincare, and it’s hard to argue with this. After all, the sun is responsible for up to 80% of the visible signs of aging that form on the face. Block those UV rays from touching your skin and you’ll be able to keep your complexion youthful for so much longer while also minimizing your chances of developing skin cancer.
The first SPF mistake that people make is not using any. SPF should be an integral part of your morning skincare routine. Skincare products like the Lavelier Divine Day Defense SPF 30 make this easy! However, sun protection doesn’t stop after your first morning SPF application. You’ll need to keep this protection topped up throughout the day by reapplying it every couple of hours.
Make sure that your skin is sufficiently covered with SPF too. Another common mistake is failing to apply enough SPF, meaning that your skin won’t receive adequate protection. Be generous with how much product you use and make sure that every inch of exposed skin is protected.
2) Using a Cleanser That Isn’t Suitable For Your Skin Type
Ideally, all of the skincare products that you use should be suitable for your skin type. However, this becomes even more important when it comes to your cleanser. With cleansing being the first stage of your skincare regimen, you need to get this right in order to set your skin up for success with the rest of your routine.
How do you pick a cleanser that’s suitable for your skin type?
If you have dry or sensitive skin, you need a gentle cleanser that isn’t going to disrupt your delicate skin barrier. Look for a creamy or mousse cleanser, like the Oceana Breezy Facial Cleanser from Lavelier.
Meanwhile, if your skin type is oily or combination, you’ll need a stronger cleansing action to remove the extra sebum that your skin is producing. Foaming cleansers, like the Lavelier Oceana Pore Perfection Polish, do this well!
3) Exfoliating Too Often
Exfoliation is a great way to rejuvenate your complexion, removing the sebum, dead skin cells, and other impurities that have settled in your pores. After exfoliating, it’s common for the skin to look brighter and more radiant while also feeling smoother to the touch. As a result, it’s easy to fall in love with the effects of exfoliation, so much so that you start to do it a little too often…
What’s the problem with this? Well, each time you exfoliate, you remove a layer of your skin’s natural protective barrier. Give your skin enough time to recuperate in between exfoliation sessions and this isn’t a problem. However, exfoliate too often and you’ll end up causing long-term damage to this all-important barrier.
How often should you exfoliate? This depends on your skin type. Oily skin should be exfoliated two or three times a week whereas dry skin only needs to be exfoliated once or twice a week. A gentle exfoliant that isn’t going to damage your skin barrier, like the Lavelier Oceana Refining Coral Peel, would be a wise choice too.
4) Applying Your Skincare Products in the Wrong Order
If you’re new to skincare, the order in which you apply your skincare products may not seem like a big deal. After all, they all end up on your face in the end, so why does it matter which goes first?
As it happens, this is actually extremely important. Say, for example, you apply a rich moisturizer and then layer a serum over the top of that. The serum isn’t going to be able to penetrate through the moisturizer to reach your skin. As a result, it won’t do anything for your skin, making it a waste of time and money.
Instead, when applying your skincare products, follow the rule of light to heavy. After cleansing, apply the product that’s thinnest in consistency, such as a toner or essence. Then, work your way up to serums – again, start with the thinnest serum and finish with the thickest. Once this is done, you can then lock everything in with a moisturizer.
5) Skipping the Moisturizer When You Have a Breakout
When your skin is feeling extra greasy and breakouts seem to be popping up all over your face, many people take this as a sign that they need to go easy with their skincare products. In one sense, this is true. You don’t want to end up clogging your pores even more!
However, this definitely doesn’t mean that you should skip using a moisturizer. Sure, if your moisturizer is thick and oily, it isn’t going to do your acne-prone skin any favors. However, a lightweight moisturizer that focuses on hydration, such as the Lavelier HydroTherm Completion Creme, can make a huge difference. Sometimes, the skin produces excess oil when it’s dehydrated. This means that ramping up hydration can help to keep your skin feeling less greasy in the long run.
6) Using the Same Skincare Products Year-Round
Finally managed to create the perfect skincare routine? While you may be tempted to now stick with this for the foreseeable future, this wouldn’t necessarily be a good idea. Instead, you should be aiming to switch up your skincare with the seasons. Why? Because each season brings with it different challenges for your skin, and the skincare products that you use should be tailored to this.
In the winter, for example, dryness and dehydration are very common. Richer skincare products, like the Lavelier Marine Deep Moisturizer, can help to counter this. They’ll form a seal over your skin’s surface to prevent moisture from evaporating into the cold winter air.
In the summer, however, the skin naturally produces more sebum. At this time of the year, richer skincare products tend to be too much for the skin. This is when you’ll need to lighten up your skincare routine, opting for products that won’t weigh your skin down.
7) Applying Potent Facial Skincare Products to Your Eye Area
Did you know that there are a few notable differences between the skin around your eyes and the skin on the rest of your face? For starters, the skin in the eye area is much thinner. It’s also more delicate and sensitive, making it easily susceptible to damage.
As a result, while some facial skincare products can be applied to the eye area without any problems, those that contain potent actives can often lead to irritation. If this is something that you’re concerned about, consider adding one or two eye care products to your skincare routine. The Lavelier Fine Line Eye Serum would be a great choice if you’re worried about the appearance of aging while the Eye Firming Concentrate is a decadent eye cream that will leave your eye area feeling utterly pampered.
8) Neglecting Your Neck and Chest
It’s not just the eye area that needs special attention. The skin on the neck and chest is also very fragile. However, many make the mistake of treating these areas in the same way that they do their body, even though the skin here has more in common with the skin on the face.
If you want to keep your décolletage looking smooth, firm, and youthful for as long as possible, give it the extra care that it needs. How? Include it in your facial skincare routine, rather than your body routine. It could also be worth investing in a few skincare products that are designed specifically for these areas. The Lavelier Coralline Collagen Firming Neck Cream, for example, will help to keep your neck skin looking tight and firm!
9) Incorrectly Storing Skincare Products
It goes without saying that when you buy a new skincare product, you want it to work right until you reach the very last drop of that product. However, this isn’t always the case. If you make the mistake of incorrectly storing your products, this will affect their shelf life.
Everything from light to air to temperature fluctuations to humidity will impact your skincare products. They’ll slowly cause the ingredients within to deteriorate. Over time, this renders them less effective. In fact, in some cases, oxidized ingredients could even damage your skin.
To prevent this, store your skincare products somewhere cool, dark, and dry. You could even put your more potent products in the fridge, which will help to better preserve those powerful ingredients.
10) Not Being Consistent With Your Skincare Products
While it’s true that some skincare products provide instant results (the Coralline Collagen Wrinkle Alpha Treatment is a hit for this very reason), most products need some time to work. Not only do many ingredients need to accumulate in the skin before they can take effect but you’ll sometimes need to wait for a full skin cycle before you notice any improvements in your complexion.
How long does this take? It could be anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. This is why it’s important to be consistent with your skincare products rather than giving up if you don’t see a difference in your skin after a couple of weeks. Ideally, wait for at least three months before deciding whether or not a new product is working for you.
Summary
If you want to ensure that you’re giving your skin the very best care, the 10 mistakes that we’ve discussed above need to be avoided at all costs. Fortunately, once you make the necessary changes and adjust your habits, it should be easy enough to keep this up, ensuring that your skin receives everything that it needs.
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