Top 21 Skin Care Mistakes

1. Not wearing sunscreen because you think you won’t burn

You still need sunscreen even if you don’t burn or have a darker skin tone. Because you still get *skin damage* from the sun. No burn doesn’t mean no skin damage. UV rays damage everyone.

What you really need to worry about is UV mutating your DNA. DNA damage leads to cancer. And it prematurely ages your skin.

Sunscreen is the most effective, easiest, and cheapest anti-aging treatment in the world. Learn more about sun damage and how to protect your skin in The Sun Protection Guide.

2. Skipping sunscreen on a cloudy day

UVA rays go right through clouds and glass. They’re just as strong on a cloudy day as they are on a sunny day.

3. Using the wrong sunscreen

Some sunscreens don’t offer strong protection from UVA rays. You need to look at the ingredients. Learn how here: The Best UVA Ingredients.

4. Forgetting to apply sunscreen on the neck and decollete

Don’t regret having Turkey Neck later! Or sun spots on your decollete.

If you spray perfume on your neck or decollete, the skin there may become more photosensitive (due to synthetic fragrance in perfume). And you’ll develop more spots there. If you want to avoid this possibility, it’s better to spray perfume behind your ears or on your wrists.

5. Relying on SPF makeup for sun protection

The amount of sun protection in makeup (like foundation or powder) just isn’t enough. You a need a separate sunscreen, SPF moisturizer, or BB cream.

Aim for a minimum SPF 30. Make sure your sunscreen says Broad Spectrum on the label (if you’re in the U.S.).This will ensure the sunscreen has adequate UVA protection.

6. Not re-applying sunscreen

It just doesn’t last. Water-resistant sunscreen isn’t waterproof. You need to re-apply after 40 or 80 min (look at the label).

You also need to re-apply more often if you’re sweating from exercise, located at a high elevation, or near the equator where the sun is stronger.

And most of the time, we don’t put on enough. You need about 1 teaspooon for the face. And 1 ping pong ball or a shot glass for the body.

7. Using a tanning bed

No one finds skin damage from tanning attractive. NO ONE.

Tanning beds use UVA light, at a dosage that is far more destructive than the sun.

Stay away from the tanning bad if you don’t want that leather look later.

8. Popping pimples or squeezing blackheads

There’s a good reason you keep hearing this. You’ll only make it worse. Popping a pimple can rupture the follicle (“pore”) and spread the infection, potentially turning the pimple into a cyst or creating more pimples in the surrounding area. 

For blackheads, let a pro extract them for you. Correct extraction technique is important. You have to get everything out of the pore. Any residual matter might inflame the pore, and the blackhead could turn into a pimple.

Also, incorrect extraction technique can leave you with a red spot that turns into a dark spot later (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation).

If you can, get a facial from time to time, and ask for more time to be spent on extractions.

9. Going to bed without cleaning your skin (double sin if you have on makeup)

A recipe for clogged pores.. plus, don’t you want to get the nasty pollution toxins and dirt off you?

You’ll also soil your pillowcase. If you don’t clean it before you sleep on it again, your clean face will just get dirty.

10. Over-cleansing

If you’re oily, resist the temptation to cleanse more than twice a day. You’ll only make yourself MORE OILY and DEHYDRATED at the same time.

Over-cleansing, or using harsh cleansers, strips the barrier of essential oils. The skin’s lipid barrier gets weaker, and you lose more water.

It might also make your sebaceous glands produce more sebum. So you end up with too much oil on skin and not enough water in skin.

Twice a day is enough (AM and PM). If you exercise, cleansing afterward is fine (to remove sweat).

11. Scrubbing your face while cleansing

There’s no need to rub hard when you cleanse. If you have to rub hard, you’re using the wrong cleanser.

Gentle motions are sufficient. To get a better clean, massage the cleanser over an area longer, not harder.

A cleansing oil will help. You can learn more about it here: The Double Cleanse.

12. Cleansing your face with a body bar soap

Unless it’s made for the face, bar soap is too alkaline (refers to the pH). Skin is naturally acidic (pH 4.5-5.5).

The wrong pH throws your barrier function off balance ==> and this leads to all kinds of skin problems.

Men, don’t use a body bar soap on your face in the shower!

13. Not exfoliating

Your skin is always shedding. But shedding slows down with age. Dead skin cells accumulate on the top part of your skin, making it dull.

Exfoliation makes skin more radiant and smooth. Makeup goes on smoother. Self-tanning products apply more evenly. If you have blackheads or acne, it unclogs pores and ‘unroofs’ the lesions on breakouts. If you have dry skin, your skin will be less dry because your moisturizer will penetrate better.

Skin care products work so much better if there isn’t dead skin in the way.

Exfoliate at night. Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive to sunlight. If you absolutely must do it in the daytime, be sure to wear sunscreen afterward.

14. Over-exfoliating

There is too much of a good thing. Over-exfoliating will damage your skin and set you up for problems, like greater sensitivity.

1-3 times a week is enough.

15. Using a scrub with large particles to exfoliate your face

Unless it’s your feet, using a scrub with large, rough, abrasive particles is too harsh on skin. I’m talking about a product like St. Ives. It’s a popular item in the drugstore aisle, but this is not something you want on your skin.

Scrubbing skin too hard can damage the skin barrier. In fact, I don’t recommend using mechanical exfoliants (scrubs, cloths, brushes) in general, unless you have very thick, sun-damaged skin or you’re a man with a thick or coarse beard.

Mechanical exfoliation is especially not suitable for sensitive or thin skin.

A far better way of exfoliating is to use an AHA or enzyme chemical exfoliant. It gives much better and longer-lasting results.

16. Not using a toner after cleansing

It’s the easiest way to hydrate your skin. Makeup goes on more easily and sets better if it’s applied over freshly toned skin.

Plus, it resets your skin’s pH after cleansing (brings it back to slightly acidic, which is the natural state of skin).

17. Using an astringent toner 

Astringents contain a drying type of alcohol that dries out skin. It’s terrible for skin.

If you’re oily, don’t be tempted to reduce oil this way. It will make it worse.

Note: not all alcohols are drying. Some are fatty alcohols that actually give products a smooth feel (a list of alcohols is in Tips for Oily Skin).

18. Not moisturizing if you have oily skin

Just because you’re oily doesn’t mean you don’t need moisture. Everyone’s skin needs a combination of water + oil. Especially if you’re using acne products. Many of them are drying.

The skin is partially made of lipids (a group of fats), so you need to feed it with lipids for it to be healthy. If you don’t, your skin barrier becomes weak and vulnerable.

Many plant oils provide these essential lipids, which make skin soft and strong. (Oily skin is due to sebum – that’s a different kind of fat.)

The right kind of face oil can help your skin. Or you can use an oil-free moisturizer.

Don’t be afraid to moisturize. Learn more about moisturizing oily skin here: How to Choose A Moisturizer for Your Skin Type.

19. Using a rich moisturizer on an area with blackheads

If you have normal or dry skin, chances are you’re using an emollient (oil-rich) moisturizer on your skin. If you have blackheads on your T-zone, that kind of moisturizer will clog those pores.

You should use an oil-free moisturizer on the areas where you have blackheads. Moisturize the rest of your face with your regular moisturizer.

20. Using comedogenic makeup, or not washing your makeup brushes frequently

Both clog pores. Many makeup products contain ingredients that clog pores (comedogenic). Skin care products that are made for dry skin tend to have more pore-clogging ingredients, too.

Even if a product claims to be non-comedogenic, it may still be pore-clogging. You have to check the ingredient list. Here’s a list of Comedogenic Ingredients.

Wash your brushes at least once a week, or bacteria will find a new home there.

21. Sticking your finger inside a jar of cream

Your fingers have millions of bacteria. Even if you’ve washed your hands, there’s still some bacteria lingering around. (Anti-bacterial cleansers only reduce the bugs; they don’t eliminate them completely. Only sterilization does that.)

If you poke your finger into cream, you’ll contaminate it, especially if you’re using “natural” products, which typically contain weak, minimal, or no preservatives.

Scoop out your cream with a mini patula instead. Here’s a picture of some spatulas.

You can buy mini spatulas at a beauty supply store, like Sally Beauty. They’re inexpensive (less than $5 for a pack). Some skin care brands provide spatulas with their creams. You can also find spatulas offered at a testing station in many stores. Sephora is a large retailer that provides them.

I could go on. There are many more. But that’s it for now!