Me- “tell me about your skincare routine.”
Client- “Well this influencer I watch on YouTube said I should do this DIY facial scrub everyday.”
Being an esthetician in Brooklyn, I tend to hear about a variety of different things one shouldn’t do to their skin. Now that 2020 is here, it's time to leave your bad skin care habits in the past.
1. Sleeping with your make-up on.
This is one of those things that everyone has done. Not removing your makeup before bed ages the skin up to seven times faster. Sleeping in makeup traps dirt and environmental pollutants inside the skin, resulting in premature aging and breakouts. Not removing your eye makeup, can cause inflammation and infections in and around the eyes. My favorite tip to make sure you remove makeup before bed— cleanse your skin right as you get home to avoid falling asleep, or just plain being lazy before bed.
2. Not double cleansing.
Double cleaning has become a trend in 2019, but this is a trend that should not fade away. If you're not sure what double cleansing is, it's cleansing your skin twice! Double cleansing involves using an oil based cleanser—cleansing oil, balm or micellar water first, then your water based cleanser—like a gel or creamy cleanser. The first cleanse is used to break down makeup, waterproof eye makeup, and SPF, while your second cleanse treats your skin. Doing this nightly will ensure you go to bed fresh and clean. Your skin will thank you.
3. Exfoliating every day.
Contrary to what many think, using a chemical or physical exfoliant every single day will cause over production of oil, irritation, dryness, redness, and sensitivity. Exfoliation should be done between 2-3 times a week to ensure removal of dead surface cells and unclogging pores; it improves pigmentation and allows for better product penetration.
4. Taking skin advice from a non-licensed influencer.
We live in a society that idolizes influencers. While they might be entertaining to watch, one must take their recommendations lightly. Taking recommendations from a licensed professional (dermatologist, licensed esthetician, aesthetic nurse) will be far more effective than someone who is getting paid to promote products. A licensed professional can analyze the skin and provide recommendations to products they know can make a difference. Someone on social media can ONLY tell you what products worked for their skin, by their determined skin type. What works for someone on the internet, may not be beneficial for you or your skin.
5. Picking at blemishes/pimples.
Picking at your skin is probably the most tempting thing in the world. It’s so easy to check out your skin in a magnifying mirror, pick and squeeze. While it can be so satisfying to see the fluid coming from a whitehead, extracting your breakouts improperly or simply trying to pop something that just isn’t ready, can cause inflammation, pigmentation and scarring. What might be a satisfying task at the moment can cause more breakouts to form and worsen the existing pimple.
6. Using Pinterest DIY skincare.
While Pinterest is amazing for recipes, decor and outfit inspiration, there should be no place for skincare recommendations. Pinterest DIYs are notorious for including ingredients like apple cider vinegar, lemon, baking soda and coconut oil on your skin. While these ingredients are great for cooking, they're not ideal for skincare. As much as you might want to go the "natural" route for your skin, you will end up spending much more trying to repair your skin from the damage these "natural" products have caused.
Make your esthetician proud and drop the harmful habits. Visit our skin studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for a skin analysis to get your skin in its best shape for 2020. Your skin will thank you!