24 January 2020

5 Bad Skin Habits You Should Leave Behind In 2020

2020 is the year your skin will look better than ever! You have many great products to choose from, all the skincare information you need, and a well thought out resolutions plan. 😊

You know what you need to have great skin, but you also need to keep in mind the things you do, or don’t do, that may jeopardize your skincare routine. We made a list of 5 bad skin habits you should forget about for good, starting 2020.

SPF, SPF, SPF

Baby, it’s cold outside, no need to put on SPF – sounds familiar? Even when it’s cloudy outside, the sun can still harm your skin. UV sun radiation is divided in 3 categories: UVA, UVB and UVC. We are mostly affected by UVA and UVB rays. UVB is what gives us sunburns and it’s most potent during 11 AM and 4 PM, whereas UVA is present all day long, no matter the weather. It can rain, it can be dark and cloudy, UVA rays have the power to penetrate atmospheric layers and even glass, and they are more dangerous because they can penetrate our skin deeper and cause photoaging.

Although we need the sun to benefit from vitamin C synthesis (which has anticancer properties), sun exposure needs to be properly controlled, especially if:

You have a white/very white complexion, with freckles and/or beauty marks.
You have certain actives in your routine, like chemical exfoliators (AHAs, BHAs) or you’re on an anti-acne treatment, like Roaccutane.
You’re allergic to the sun.
You have hiperpigmentation spots.

Don’t forget, when it comes to anti-aging, the best „treatment” is sunscreen, so remember to always apply a minimum of SPF 30 on your face, all year long.

Expensive products – ungenerously applied

Here we’re talking about 2 different scenarios:

You buy an expensive sunscreen product and you apply it in thin layers.
You buy an expensive serum and you apply it „on special occasions”.

Sunscreen needs to be applied in thick, generous layers, about 1.25 ml per face (the size of an almond) and about 30 ml per body. Otherwise, it won’t work. So buying an expensive SPF cream just to apply it frugally, so „it’ll last”, will not meet the end purpose, which is sun protection. Sure, we want certain things from our day cream – a moisturizing/glossy or matiffying effect, other good skincare ingredients aside sun protection, nice texture, no white cast. Keep in mind that the main purpose of a sunblock is just that – to protect you from sun’s harm – so no matter how much you spend, if you don’t apply it correctly, your money will go down the drain.

As for the second scenario, let’s assume you’ve set aside some money or received a beautiful, expensive serum. If you apply it from time to time, to last you longer, you will not get to see how great it can actually work for your skin. Serums are usually packed with active ingredients that address a certain skin issue: hiperpigmentation, acnee, wrinkles etc. They need to be used consistently in order to properly act on your skin. It’s true you don’t need to apply a generous amount – serums have concentrated formulations, so a little goes a long way – but you do need to apply frequently. Otherwise, no matter how good the product, you won’t see the promised results.

Makeup removal with wipes only

You may remove your makeup with face wipes only if you are too tired to do a proper night routine. And that means REALLY tired, not just „I had a long, annoying day” tired. We’re only human. It happens. Otherwise, makeup removal needs proper makeup removing tools – micellar water, cleanser, makeup removal balm, oil, or lotion, whatever suits your skin best and helps you remove everything effectively, without having to rub on your skin too much.

One thousand and one creams, all at once

The skincare industry is thriving. Your feed is jam packed with all sorts of stylish beauty product spreads, carefully curated, with amazing anti-aging claims in the captions. You want them all (so do we), and it’s not hard to create a solid skincare shelf with the amount of products on the market. Imagine this: you can have a little treat yourself moment anytime – you simply go get a couple of The Ordinary products and you’re set, without burning a hole in your pocket.

Here’s the problem: you wake up, one day, with your bathroom cabinet almost bursting with products, some of which you use, some you don’t that much, or you have a crazy 15-step routine from which your skin doesn’t really benefit.

Rule #1: when you insert a new product in your routine, make sure it’s just the one. This way, you’ll genuinely be able to gauge its effects on your skin.

Rule #2: be patient with the new product. As long as you don’t get a bad skin reaction (redness, itching, burning sensation, dry patches, flakes etc.), use it for a couple of weeks before deciding if the product serves you or not. A good way to objectively analyse your skin’s improvement is by taking photos – one for when you started using the new product and another one in a couple of weeks’ time, for comparison.

The key to good skincare is a simple, sustainable routine, with new products carefully inserted.

The pimple massacre – a classic

It’s big, it’s ugly, you can’t stand it on your face anymore. Even so, let the pimple be. What you can do to speed up the healing process is to apply a spot treatment with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, which will dry up the monster, and, in the meantime, cover it with a bit of concealer. By picking on your pimples all you get is acne scarring and pigmented spots – and that implies a whole new level of skin healing. Bottom line is: if you stop picking on your pimples, they will no come back as hard, or as many, and you avoid the ugly scarring. Say this to yourself whenever you’re fighting the temptation to kill one off, and your skin will be oh, so thankful.

Take care, girls!