10 Common Skincare Mistakes that are Literally Destroying Your Face

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Oh, skincare! Skincare, skincare, skincare! The skincare mistakes are real, everyone!

This is one of my favorite topics in the world, especially as someone who has always been acne-prone.

Like I’ve said in other posts, I’ve been struggling with acne since the age of 12, so I’ve had to acquire lots of skincare knowledge over the years.

Little did I know that, for the longest time, I was making some of the worst skincare mistakes possible.

Whether it was the products I was using or some of the application tactics, I was slowly but surely damaging my face.

Lots of social media influencers post these gorgeous, sponsored skincare posts but never bother to mention realistic ways to take of your skin.

I am definitely not here to throw BS your way with any fake or sponsored products or unrealistic hacks.

I’m going to share 10 common skincare mistakes (and their solutions) that are likely ruining your skin as we speak.

These are things I used to do but have fixed now.

And WOW…I can tell a difference in my skin!

These are skincare mistakes that you are going to want to avoid so that you can make sure your skin is top quality!

For more tips on getting rid of acne, read this article on 5 Tips To Get Rid of Your Painful Acne and sign up for the Streak of Chic newsletter below to get all the skincare updates!

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I know you’re itching to know all the skincare things you are doing wrong, so let’s get into it!

1. Sleeping with Makeup On

Oh, my goodness! This mistake makes me cringe!

The worst thing you can do is to suffocate your pores with layers and layers of makeup without a break!

It doesn’t matter what skin type you have, sleeping with makeup on wears out the softness and clarity of your skin.

Imagine all the chemicals you are putting on your pillow and pushing into your pores!!! Ew!

It really doesn’t take long to remove makeup, so there’s no excuse.

Just like your body needs rest at the end of the day, so does your skin.

So long story short…..stop sleeping with your makeup on.

Here are my favorite makeup removers that won’t tug on your skin:
• Clinique Take the Day Off Balm
• Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Balm
• Simple Micellar Water
• Drunk Elephant Slaii Makeup Melting Butter

2. Only Moisturizing at Night

I am SO guilty of this one….or at least I used to be. I remember thinking back in high school that moisturizing in the morning would make my skin even greasier.

Boy did I have it backwards!

Your skin actually gets OILIER when you don’t give it the moisture it needs.

Skipping out on a morning cream is a big mistake when it comes to nurturing your skin.

Trust me! I’m an oily acne-prone gal and I’m telling you this.

There are plenty of morning products out there that are lightweight and perfect for makeup and non-makeup wearing gals.

Here are some of my all-time favorite morning moisturizers:
• Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb
• First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
• Tatcha The Water Cream
• Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream

3. Not Changing your Pillowcases

This mistake used to contribute to my check acne THE MOST!

Just think about it!

By not changing your pillowcases every week, you’re are laying your face down on a surface covered in oil, build up, excess skincare, and nastiness!

Let’s not even mention the excess hair grease and products that seep into the fabric too!

No one wants unnecessary cheek acne in the morning, especially when you can easily prevent it.

I’ve mentioned silk pillowcases in several other blog posts before but transitioning from cotton to silk fabric will really help you.

Silk doesn’t soak up excess products and oils like cotton does.

By using silk pillowcases, you are saving yourself unwanted cheek acne.

Don’t be fooled, though! You’ll still have to change out your pillowcases preferably every week.

But at least you won’t be laying your head on an oil-soaked cotton sheet.

Click here for my favorite affordable silk pillowcase set.

4. Constantly Touching and Picking at your Face

Ummm, I’m pretty sure I was guilty of this just ten seconds ago (lol!).

That’s ok, though, because this is something most of us tend to do subconsciously.

When you have that annoying red pimple, there is this overflowing gross urge to pick at it until you pop it.

I’ve learned too many times that THIS IS SUPER BAD FOR YOU!

First of all, touching your face in general transfers nasty bacteria from your hands to your pores.

That’s literally asking for more acne.

Secondly, picking at your pimples will cause scarring down the road, and acne scars are definitely challenging to get rid of.

I know it’s really hard, but make the effort to stop touching and picking at your face.

If I can get better at this skincare mistake, so can you!

5. Over or Under Exfoliating

This one is a biggie!

If you’re into skincare, then you already know how important exfoliation is for revealing fresh skin.

Sadly, too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing, and this definitely applies here too!

Over exfoliating can cause micro tears in your skin that will lead to irritation, potential breakouts, and hyper irritation.

Ummm, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that.

On the other hand, not exfoliating at all will cause unnecessary buildup of dead skin cells that can also block your pores.

So, what’s the solution?

You want to find a nice balance of exfoliation products based on your skin type.

I rarely use physical exfoliants (the gritty products) because they are super harsh on the skin.

I much prefer chemical exfoliants because they won’t tear the skin.

Start with using exfoliation products once or twice per week, and the increase or decrease the frequency based on the results you see.

Here are some of my all-time favorite exfoliation skincare products:
• Farmacy Honeymoon Glow Serum (OMG a Must-Try!!)
• Drunk Elephant Sukari Baby Facial Mask
• Drunk Elephant T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Serum
• Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Toner
• Pixi Glow Tonic
• Summer Fridays Overtime Mask

6. Eating Too Much Sugar

This is one of the skincare mistakes that makes me sad ☹.

Anyone who knows me knows I have the BIGGEST sweet tooth this world has ever seen!

What sucks is that sugar is really bad for your skin.

(I’m crying on the inside!!).

I always notice that when my sugar intake is high, I get breakouts the next day.

The same goes for fatty and fried foods.

This isn’t to say that you should NEVER eat sweets, but definitely try to limit sugary foods if you want clear and bright skin.

Trust me….this will constantly be an uphill battle for me!!

If I can do it, you can too!

7. Wearing Too Much Makeup

Just like you should never sleep with makeup on, it’s not a good thing to cake on the layers of foundation.

Yes, makeup can make the skin look #flawless, but it blocks the pores from being able to breathe.

Now, I’m not advocating that you just stop using makeup at all.

I understand that we all have situations where we need to look a bit more put together.

But, at least look for noncomedogenic (acne-proof), lightweight face products that won’t wear down your skin.

The worst thing is caking up 10 layers of greasy, oily foundation on your skin.

No thank you!

Here are my favorite face makeup products:
• Maybelline Fit Me Foundation
• Bare Minerals Loose Powder SPF Foundation
• Coty Airspun Translucent Powder
• Covergirl Matte BB Cream

8. Not Wearing SPF Every Day

Let’s be real. The sun is some powerful stuff.

Whether you realize it or not, your skin is always exposed to UV rays when you’re out and about.

SPF isn’t just for those beachy days.

So many people don’t use a daily SPF to protect their skin.

That’s a HUGE no no.

Sunscreen doesn’t have to leave a white cast on the skin and can actually layer really nicely with other makeup products.

Get in the habit of applying SPF every morning so that you are always protecting your skin.

Here are my favorite SPF products:
• Clinique City Sun Block SPF
• Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector
• Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen

9. Not Drinking Enough Water

Yep! You heard it from me, and you’ll hear it again.

Staying hydrated is literally what makes our body function properly.

If you are not taking in enough water, your skin is going to suffer as a result.

No one wants dry, crinkled, rough facial skin!

I know it’s really hard to remember to drink water throughout the day, but try keeping a jug of water near you at all times so that you can have easy access to some hydration.

That’s what I do every day, and I’ve noticed a huge increase in my water intake.

What’s the result you might ask?

BETTER SKIN!

My face is brighter, more glowing, and I tend to have less breakouts when I’m really hydrated!

Sounds like heaven to me 😉.

10. Over or Under Cleansing

I’ve seen people make this skincare mistake WAY too often, especially when it comes to lazy tendencies.

There are folks out there who are convinced they should never wash their face with a cleanser because it’ll dry out their skin.

Then there are those who think they should cleanse many times a day so they don’t get acne.

Ummm, both of these are wrong.

If you just rinse your face with water, you are leaving all the gunk and excess oils to hibernate in your pores all day.

If you over wash your face with cleanser, you are drying out your skin for nothing.

No matter your skin type, you should aim to cleanse twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening.

Trust me, I have acne-prone skin and I’ve made all of these mistakes before.

The key is finding a happy medium when it comes to cleaning out your pores.

Figure out what type of skin you have, and then search for cleanser that will fit what you’re looking for.

Here are my all-time favorite cleansers that can work for any skin type:
• Korres Greek Yoghurt Cleanser
• Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
• Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
• CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Well my friends, those are 10 common skincare mistakes that you should avoid.

Chances are you’ve been committing a couple skincare crimes, but that’s ok.

Who hasn’t?!

It’s not too late to learn from your mistakes and turn things around for your skincare game!

I have, and I can surely say I’ll never go back to making any of these skincare mistakes every again.

If I can do it, you can too!

Let’s work together to make our skin better, brighter, and healthier one step at a time.

Feel free to leave a comment with any questions or topics you want me to address next!

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