Skincare routines are something to look forward to especially when you love your products. Depending on skin type, individuals may have a strict regimen to prevent symptoms. Most women have more than 6 skincare items they like to use on a regular basis. Hydrating serums and toners promise to eradicate our dull and aging skin in just 5 easy steps, and when products are beautiful they call us to add it to our cabinets.
It seems logical to have a plethora of products with many ingredients to get our desired skin. it’s possible with our countless skincare items, we are doing more harm than good. Many skincare serums and moisturizers gracing our counters can easily be combined as they have similar ingredients or purposes. It’s important to note, knowing what you’re putting on your skin and when is vital to optimizing your skin care.
The right routine alleviates your skin concern and leaves your skin feeling refreshed, hydrated and healthy - never dry or irritated. Here's what you need to know to stay 'in tune' with your skin's needs and avoid popular trends that may do more harm than good.
Layering too many products
For all skin types it is best to stick to minimal products and minimal ingredients. Think, “too much of a good thing can result in too much of a not-so-good thing.” Layering too many products can clog the pores and inhibit the skin from absorbing the products being applied. It is common to have a plethora of ingredients in your routine, however, most people do not need more than 3 or 4 products in a day. Our skin does have limits and works more optimally when using fewer products.
How to Fix it:
Remember CTM. Cleanse, Treat, Moisturize. The simpler the better when it comes to your morning and evening routine. Depending on your skin type, a simple splash of lukewarm water to your face in the morning could be all you need to refresh your face from the night. At night, use an oil cleanser and a gentle wash to cleanse from makeup, sweat, and environmental pollution. For the treatment portion, limit what you target for each day. Use a lipid protector as a treatment for the day, and retinol as a night treatment. For moisturizer use a simple product with intense hydration that will lock in your treatment oils, while providing a nice natural glow for the day.
Choosing Quick Fixes
Before reaching for that new glowy product that promises a quick fix, think about what might be causing the pesky break-out in the first place. A common skincare mistake is grabbing a quick fix instead of repairing the root cause. Many skin issues are caused by inflammation, gut disturbances (microbiome), lack of hydration, and hormonal imbalances. Skincare products might have our beauty in mind, but think nothing of our health. Ingredients like parabens and fragrances can exacerbate our skin issues and harm our endocrine system. Some of those hastily bought products might cause more damage to our beautiful skin in the long run if we don’t also prioritize our health.
How to Fix it:
Do a full health exam. Many annoying skin issues are caused by changes in our current environment or lifestyle. Take into consideration your age, current health, environment, and stress levels before picking up a product that promises results. A simple change in nutrition could help alleviate acne or rosacea. Peruse the products you have and read the labels. Ingredients like parabens, fragrances, oxybenzoate and phthalates are all known by the EWG to be hormone disruptors. These ingredients could potentially be causing the flares you are seeing in your skin, due to their toxic load in the body. If these ingredients are in any of your products, replace them with an organic brand that offers the same results without these ingredients in them. You can try this collection for full body moisture.
OverWashing
Does your skin feel dry after cleansing? You may be overwashing your face. Washing your face more than twice a day actually strips away the good natural oils, leading to cracked, angry skin. Sodium Laurel Sulfate might be the active ingredient in your wash, making your skin feel squeaky clean after washing. This ingredient strips away the oil from the day but also takes off the protective oils our skin needs to be healthy. Stripping natural oils away from the skin weakens the integrity of our skin.
How to fix it:
Even if you have acne or oily skin, try washing once or twice a day - and mix in a scrub once a week to avoid overdrying. Avoid ingredients like sodium laurel sulfate as it strips the protective oils from your skin, causing damage. Repairing your skin from being overwashed would be to limit your washing all together. Rinse your face with lukewarm water in the morning and practice double cleansing at night.
Not reading the Label
The European Union has banned over 1300 ingredients from skincare and household products. The US has banned only 11 of those 1300. Protecting our bodies from harmful chemicals and free radicals begins with reading the labels on our skincare items. Research proves many of the ingredients in our favorite celeb-promoting skincare items cause a host of health issues and cancer. Most products are promoted as safe for the skin but they do not have your overall health in mind.
How to fix it:
To begin, avoid all products with parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and fragrances. These specific ingredients are known endocrine disrupotors (hormones) and cause reproductive issues. Take inventory of the products you have in your cabinet and begin to find alternatives that have your whole health in mind.
What Ingredients to avoid in your SPF
Are you making these skincare mistakes?
- Depriving the body of sleep
- Over Using Products
- Not Taking Off makeup
- Not moisturizing
- Over exfoliating
- Not Exfoliating
- Using Comedogenic ingredients
- Putting too much faith in skincare products and avoiding Nutrition
- USing aqua/water Ingredients
- Applying Retinol in the morning (link to retinol blog)
- Inconsistent Skincare Routine
SUMMARY:
Skincare routines are something to look forward to especially when you love your products. Depending on skin type individuals may have a strict regimen to prevent symptoms. Most women have more than 6 skincare items they like to use on a regular basis. What if we could get the same benefits with one or two products instead of a 30-minute routine?
The right routine alleviates your skin concern and leaves your skin feeling refreshed, hydrated and healthy - never dry or irritated. Here's what you need to know to stay 'in tune' with your skin's needs and avoid popular trends that may do more harm than good.
- Layering too many products - Our skin does have limits and works more optimally when using fewer products.
- Choosing Quick Fixes - Skincare products might have our beauty in mind, but think nothing of our health.
- Overwashing - Stripping natural oils away from the skin weakens the integrity of our skin.
- Not reading the label - Research proves many of the ingredients in our favorite celeb skincare items cause a host of health issues and cancer.
First Seen on www.hafenbeauty.com