The Derma Corner: Six skincare mistakes you might not know you’re committing
You might be thinking, “Oh great another lecture on common skincare mistakes.” Excessive cleansing, overexfoliating, not wearing sunscreen, blah, blah, blah - you might know all those already, but are you aware that taking care of your skin is more than just doing each skincare step properly? Here are some skincare mistakes you might want to correct.
Neglecting other areas of the body. Our skin is the largest organ in the body covering us from head to toe so it’s not just our faces that need proper care. That includes using a mild body wash, moisturizing, sometimes exfoliating, and applying sun protection to the exposed areas of the body. Why? Our skin loses water as we age and the sun can cause skin aging. Now imagine yourself in the future and your face looks pretty smooth with only some minimal wrinkling. But how about your neck, or the back of your hands? Do they look smooth or wrinkly?
Lack of personal hygiene. When I relate personal hygiene to a skincare mistake, I don’t just mean not washing your face twice a day. There’s a lot more to consider when it comes to skin hygiene. It also involves cleaning your phone regularly, changing and washing towels, bedsheets, and pillow cases once a week, and making sure to have clean hands before touching your face. These items can harbor dirt, dead skin cells, bacteria and oil and may increase your risk in having a breakout.
Using skincare ingredients wrongly. Not all products are effective if you just apply it on your face. Some have ingredients that need certain requirements to be met before you can get results. For example, hyaluronic acid is a humectant which pulls moisture from its surrounding environment and help hydrate the skin. However, if there’s low moisture in the air such as in air-conditioned rooms, it might do the opposite and instead pull moisture from your skin and dehydrate the skin. Another example is the vitamin C in serums; to get its full benefit, it needs to be applied to clean and bare skin before other products because it penetrates the skin poorly.
Discontinuing a product because it’s not working. All things take time most especially skincare. There’s no miracle that will happen overnight or a week. It takes 28 days – 4 weeks – for the old skin cells to be replaced with new ones in a middle-aged adult and as we age, the turnover rate of our skin cells slows down. So if you want to see results with the skincare product you’re trying out, you have to wait for at least 4 weeks and maybe even longer.
Relying on skincare alone to achieve healthy skin. Good skin requires more than a set of effective skincare products. Even with a strict regimen, stress, lack of sleep and a poor lifestyle can trigger breakouts, eczema flares, premature skin aging, rosacea, and other skin conditions. Managing your stress levels (thru exercise, sports, music, etc.), getting at least 7 hours of sleep, having a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are steps towards a healthy skin and body.
Not listening to your skin and its needs. Skin types change from environment to environment, from situation to situation, and with aging so your skincare should adapt to its needs. You can be oily in a humid country but experience dryness and flaking overseas, or your skin can become oilier than possible under stress. When that happens then the products you’re currently using might not be enough or may be too much for what your skin needs. It’s best to listen to the changes happening to your skin so you may be able to address its needs.
I sincerely hope I was able to explain these thoroughly because you may be doing these without realizing they can affect your skin. Until my next article, stay safe everyone!
Dr. Nikki Paderna is currently available for online consultations thru the HealthNow and Medifi app on Google Play for Android devices and on the Apple store for iOS devices, or thru the FB page, Vivestrata Dermatology Clinic.
