Your skin is your body's largest organ, and it protects you from the toxins, UV rays, and pollutants that are everywhere in our environment — as well as encasing all the organs that keep you going 24/7.
What would you do without it? You wouldn’t last long, let’s put it that way.
Taking care of this precious commodity is reason enough to commit to a solid, natural skin care routine. But that can be easier said than done.
Many of us fall into bad habits and mess up our otherwise awesome skin by making some pretty common skin care mistakes.
To help you avoid veering off your skin care course, let’s talk about how your skin works, the 5 worst skin care mistakes, and how you can get on track for a flawless complexion. Keep reading, or watch our quick video below:
IN A NUTSHELL
Main Takeaways: Using toxin-laden products is one of the major skincare mistakes people make. Clean skincare is affordable, effective, and much better for your skin.
Good to Know: Picking at a blemish can exacerbate your skin problems and lead to an infection and scarring. Just don’t do it!
Recommended Products: Deluxe Set.
How Your Skin Works 101
Here’s a rundown of your skin’s basic biology: The epidermis sits on top, and it’s also the thinnest layer of your skin. It’s waterproof and contains melanin, which dictates your skin’s color.
Next up is your dermis, which has hair follicles, sweat glands, nerve endings, oil glands, and blood vessels. Here, your pores absorb everything from skin care products to toxins in the atmosphere.
Once materials are absorbed through the dermis and pores, they can move into the bloodstream or lymphatic system. If they’re toxic, they can potentially cause health issues — which is why it’s so important to stick with clean, naturally-derived ingredients.
Keeping your pores clear and protected is key to healthy, hydrated, and youthful looking skin. Many of the worst skin care mistakes directly affect your pores, which can lead to long-term issues and a less-than-radiant appearance.
Fun fact: your skin has approximately five million pores, with around 20,000 on your face alone!
The Worst Skin Care Mistakes You Can Make
Now that you understand the basics of how your skin works, let’s talk about those all-too-common mistakes. No guilt trips – we’ve all been there! The key is opting for better choices moving forward.
1. Using Products Containing Toxins
As we mentioned, what you put on your skin can be directly absorbed into your pores. When you use skin care products that are loaded with cheap chemical ingredients, those materials dive deep and can make their way into your bloodstream.
Do you want formaldehyde, parabens, or fragrances (common ingredients in many beauty products) in your bloodstream? We think not!
Clean skincare means products that are free of any of the above toxins– and clean doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. Every product in Fleur & Bee’s skincare collection is priced affordably at under $120.
2. Picking at Your Skin
Itching or picking at any spots or blemishes on your skin can leave long-term damage. When your skin is traumatized, it can scar very easily, leaving behind spots that can be worse than the initial damage.
Picking can also make your skin problems worse or cause an infection. Often when you’re trying to “pop a pimple”, you actually cause the pus to internally bleed into other pores, resulting in more pimples. Um, gross. So to put it mildly- just don’t do it! Spot treat the area and allow your skin to heal as it should.
Acne patches, or “zit stickers”, are a great way to keep from picking at your skin and helping your skin heal properly.
3. Overdoing It With Products, Including Cleansing Too Often
Too much of a good thing is still too much. While there is nothing wrong with a 13-step skincare routine, some steps of the process only need to be performed morning and evening. Stick to washing your face twice per day with lukewarm water – with the exception of when you need to shower and cleanse after a workout. Overwashing can cause dryness and irritation, particularly if you have sensitive skin.
Over-exfoliating is another trap many people fall into. Exfoliation typically only needs to be done one to three times a week. Using harsh physical exfoliants, like a face scrub, can harm your skin more than help it, resulting in microtears and irritation.
4. Sleeping With Makeup On
Many of us are guilty of this bad habit. While once in a while won’t kill you, going to sleep without washing your face is a major no-no. Even if you don’t wear makeup, pollutants, bacteria, dirt and dead skin cells build up on the surface of your skin throughout the day. It’s crucial to wash it off with a gentle cleanser every evening. Makeup remover wipes don’t count!
Also, not washing properly means your skin care products will be less effective. Your toner, serum and moisturizer cannot properly absorb into your skin if there is still a layer of pollutants, oil or makeup on your skin.
If you’re super tired or staying up way too late, it can be tempting to skip your nighttime skin care routine. Please don’t! It really only takes a handful of minutes. Long-term, it sets the stage for healthy, beautiful skin.
5. Not Drinking Enough Water
The skin is 64% water, so if you’re not hydrating on the regular (or opting for diet soda and coffee instead of H2O), your skin may be suffering. Of all the important skin care tips, drinking the proper amount of water is near the top.
Experts suggest drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, or about a half gallon. It’s called the “8x8” rule, making it really easy to remember!
Tip: use a 32 ounce reusable water bottle; that way, you know you only have to drink two full bottles in any given day. Bonus points if you drink more!
How to Build Better Habits
The key to forming new habits is to simple START. Studies suggest it takes between 18 days to 254 days to form a new habit.
Habits are all about repetition, so the sooner you get started, the sooner the habit starts to become automatic. When it comes to your skin, begin your daily routine now, if you haven’t already. We’ve made it simple for you to start with our Deluxe Set.
Applying Fleur & Bee’s 5-step skincare routine only takes about 10 minutes in the morning and in the evening. Now that you know which habits are better left in your rear view, here are a few tips to help you stick to your routine and build better patterns for your day-to-day:
- Set reminders. Use your smartphone for more than social media. Set reminders in the morning and at night to do your full skin care routine, as well as reminders to drink water throughout the day.
- In addition to reminders, you can also set your phone to give you encouragement! Set notes to tell you how awesome you are for sticking with your new routine, washing your face before bed, engaging in self care, etc.
- If you have trouble with skin picking, consider an app that helps you break bad habits, like HabitBull or Quit That!
Commit to a daily routine and your future self will be super grateful– no filter needed.
Frequently Asked Question About Common Skin Care Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
What are the most common skin care mistakes?
Some of the most common skin care mistakes include not drinking enough water and using products with awful chemicals like parabens, artificial fragrances, and even formaldehyde. Another is passing out with our make-up still on and not washing your face before bed. The last major mistake is picking at your skin as it can lead to infection or permanent scarring.
