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7 Common Mistakes People Make with Their Skin

Posted in Skincare

woman looking in mirror concerned

There is nothing better for your skin than properly taking care of it. The right skincare, diet, and habits can all affect your skin’s aging course. With one million different voices out there telling you what you should be doing to achieve your best skin, it’s hard to decipher what you absolutely, without-a-doubt should avoid. Here are 10 of the most common mistakes people make with their skin and how they could be contributing to the look of your skin:

1. Not Wearing Sunscreen

The most common mistake people make with their skin is not applying some sort of sun protection. The sun is a wonderful thing, and we need it for all sorts of reasons, but it can be extremely damaging to our skin in high doses. Too much sun can contribute to sunspots, premature aging, rough-textured looking skin, and even cancer. An SPF of 30 or higher is recommended daily to help protect against too much sun exposure.

2. No Skin Care Routine

A skincare routine can easily be one of the most important things you can do to help maintain your skin integrity. It can also be very time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be. Advertisements of sixteen step skincare routines are all over the place, and even when you walk into the beauty counter at the mall, they tell you you need seven steps to perfect skin. Actually, you really need three or four primary products: a cleanser, a serum, a moisturizer (one with SPF for the day and one without SPF for the night), and an eye cream. With those simple steps, you’ll have glowing skin all day long.

3. Cheap Skin Care

A skincare routine can not only be time-consuming, but it can also be costly. It’s easy to go to the store and buy the least expensive skincare that you can find. But it’s important to understand that it’s inexpensive for a reason. Make sure that when you’re buying your skincare, it has ingredients that are going to work to help your skin concerns.

4. Too Much Exfoliation

Exfoliation is an excellent way to buff away dead skin and promote new cell turnover in our skin. However, when it’s done too often or with a product that isn’t gentle, it can actually cause early signs of aging. Be gentle with your skin, and instead of a physical exfoliant like a scrub, try a chemical peel to promote cell turnover and reverse early signs of aging.

5. Sleeping in Makeup or Not Cleansing

Another of the biggest skincare mistakes is sleeping in your makeup or not cleansing your face before sleeping. Our skin regenerates while we sleep. If it’s layered with makeup or debris from the day, it cannot regenerate to the best of its abilities, leaving you with an unwanted breakout, clogged and enlarged pores, uneven texture, and premature wrinkles.

6. Hot Water or Cold Water?

Neither! You should use lukewarm water to wash your face and even your body. Hot water can strip your skin of its natural oils, leaving it tight and susceptible to premature lines and wrinkles. Washing with cold water can trap dirt and debris inside the pores. A gentle lukewarm rinse will open pores and leave your skin feeling refreshed.

7. Picking and Popping

We’ve all done it. The moment a blemish pops up, we reach for it with our bare nails and a few choice words. Popping or picking blemishes, while satisfying, can leave your skin tough to remove scars and texture. If you’ve had acne in the past and have scarring, invest in laser skin resurfacing to help smooth away any scarring and drastically reduce acne.

Give Your Skin Some Love with Dr. Livingston

Dr. Christopher K. Livingston offers a catalog of ways to help restore, rejuvenate, and replenish your skin. As a board-certified member of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Livingston’s experience and knowledge make him one of the first choices for plastic surgery in the Houston area. Contact Livingston Plastic Surgery for more information on skincare, along with cosmetic surgery of the breast, body, and face.