Are you guilty of some of these common skincare mistakes that are ruining your skin?

I used to be a famous one for not washing my face before going to bed at night *gasp*!  Never skipping this step has made a huge difference to my overall skin condition.  So here’s our list of top 10 things to avoid doing if you want to be living your best skin life.

Toxic Buildup on your phone

From our morning commute to the dinner table to the grocery store, most people don’t think twice about using their cell phone. Cell phones, however, are much dirtier than most people believe, and the more germs they gather, the more germs you touch, according to studies.

In fact, when it comes to contaminating your phone, your own hand is the most common perpetrator. According to a survey by Deloitte, people check their phones 47 times per day, providing lots of possibilities for microbes to spread from their fingertips to their phones. This in turn spreads germs to your face, which is why it’s number one on our list of common skincare mistakes.

Always keep antibacterial wipes handy and clean your phone regularly to help your skin stay clear.

Dirty Makeup Brushes – a common skincare mistake

Makeup brushes are a breeding ground for bacteria in addition to accumulating product residue, grime, and grease. This could harm both your appearance and your health, resulting in acne breakouts and rashes. Infections from dirty cosmetic brushes, such as a fungal infection, E. coli, or staph infection, can be quite serious.

Use the following method to clean your makeup brushes:

• Use a gentle shampoo or soap to wash your brushes. Harsh detergents and soaps can dry out the bristles and damage your brushes.
• Dampen the bristles and massage each brush tip in the palm of your hand to work up a good lather. Don’t submerge the brushes as this can compromise the glue that holds the bristles in place.
• Rinse each brush thoroughly under running water.
• Dry each brush using a clean towel and then place in the sun to dry completely.

To avoid this common skincare mistake it’s a good idea to wash your makeup brushes every 7 to 10 days.  This will destroy any harmful germs that may be lurking in them and protect your skin.

Product Fads

Chopping and changing your skincare regime to chase after each new fad is another common skincare mistake.  This can prove costly to your budget as well as your skin!

In order to achieve the best results from a product you should use it consistently for eight to twelve weeks.  This will allow the active ingredients to penetrate, delivering the promised results.  This also allows your skin to become accustomed to the product.

High Sugar Consumption – the hidden skincare mistake

A high sugar intake could hasten the aging process by speeding up the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. In addition, foods that have a high glycemic index (refined sugars) can increase oil production and inflammation, resulting in acne breakouts.

It’s best to watch what you eat and stick to a healthy diet to help manage the negative effects sugar has on your body.

Sleeping with Makeup on – the biggest no-no on our list of skincare mistakes

Breakouts are caused by makeup residue clogging pores.

The cell regeneration process leads hair follicles to lubricate and allow oil to flow to the surface of your skin while you sleep. This oil can become trapped by residual makeup, resulting in clogged pores and breakouts.

Throughout the day, makeup mixes with toxins from the environment. These byproducts can break down your skin barrier and attract acne-causing bacteria to your pores. Furthermore, foundation and thick, oil-based primers are known to create blackheads and dull skin. Additionally, if you already have pimples or sensitive skin, sleeping with makeup on can result in an infection.

By removing your makeup before going to bed, you can reduce skin inflammation, dryness, and breakouts. This will give your skin a chance to regenerate so you can wake up with a great glow!

Excessive Alcohol Intake

Alcohol can damage your complexion by robbing it of moisture and slowing down cellular healing processes; studies have shown that even moderate alcohol use influences skin.

Just a couple beers a week can cause under eye puffiness and discolouration.

Heavy alcohol consumption, defined as eight or more drinks per week, is linked to accelerated signs of aging. These include increased oil production, enlarged pores, fine lines, damaged blood vessels, skin discolouration, and puffy eyes.

It is best to stick to moderate alcohol consumption.

If you are planning on going big though, try and keep up your hydration levels to mitigate the negative impact alcohol has on your skin.  For instance, a glass of water in between each drink will help keep your cells hydrated and may even help with the hangover!

Dehydration

We’ve all heard the “drink a minimum of eight glasses of water per day” health advice. But few of us realise that not drinking sufficient water has a direct negative impact on the appearance of our skin.  Dehydrated skin appears less plump and lacks elasticity, resulting in more fine lines and wrinkles.

Skin that is adequately hydrated will appear plump and maintain flexibility.  One University of Missouri – Columbia Study showed that adequate hydration immediately increases blood flow to the skin.

Keeping your skin properly hydrated can help:

• Reduce signs of ageing – Keeping your body well hydrated can help maintain your skin’s elasticity and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Improve the overall appearance of your skin – Lack of hydration can make your skin appear dull, tight and dry. When skin is hydrated, plump, and elastic, it’s less likely to crack and let in external particles that can cause irritations and blemishes.
• Help combat acne and breakouts – Adequate hydration helps decrease the concentration of oil by balancing the water to oil ratio on the surface of the skin and combating the build-up of dead skin cells.
• Help with detoxification processes – Drinking water helps the body to detoxify. It flushes toxins through the skin via perspiration, as well as using the liver, kidneys, lymphatic and digestive systems.

Excessively Touching your Face

Whilst touching your face alone shouldn’t cause breakouts, it can spread oil, dirt and bacteria which can lead to blocked pores.

This recent Pubmed study found that people touch their faces an average of 23 times per hour! This can spread germs from your hands to your face and can contribute to breakouts.

Lack of Sleep – a little known skincare mistake

Because sleep increases collagen formation, a lack of sleep over time generally results in dark circles, fine wrinkles, and pallid complexion.  Additionally, growth hormone levels rise during deep sleep, which is critical for cellular repair.

A good night’s sleep is necessary for top health and clear skin. The most effective time for your liver to cleanse the blood is during your sleeping hours. This is also the time when your cortisol levels decrease and your skin gets a much-needed oxygen boost.

When you sleep well, cellular regeneration is at its best, which is why you wake up with a glowing complexion.

As mentioned above, lack of sleep can cause a decrease in collagen formation and, as a result, very poor skin suppleness.

Poor Gut Health – another hidden skincare mistake

Gut dysbiosis (an unhealthy gut) can have a significant impact on your overall health.  This includes the appearance of your skin. It can even result in acne, inflammation, eczema, and rosacea.

What you put into your body in terms of food and nutrition can have a significant impact on your gut health. What you eat not only provides nutrition for you, but it also provides food for the billions of bacteria that live in your intestine. This is called your gut microbiome.

Your gut microbiome influences your overall health.  This in turn impacts your skin, meaning that your food is a key aspect in achieving a clear complexion.

A pivotal part of my journey from severe acne to clear skin involved avoiding many of these skincare mistakes, but especially taking better care of my gut.

Changing your diet can really change your life and your skin!  Focus on cutting out refined foods (especially sugar and wheat!). Introduce foods that are rich in natural probiotics on a daily basis.  Yoghurt if you can tolerate dairy, but also homemade sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, etc.

Take note of how your body feels after you’ve consumed a food. If you’re bloated and uncomfortable then it’s safe to say that that food is not agreeing with you.  Eating any food that aggravates your digestive system will cause inflammation. This in turn will result in reduced uptake of nutrients and can also lead to systemic inflammation.

Avoiding these top 10 common skincare mistakes can really help improve your skin and help you look your best.

Read our other blogs for more skincare tips and tricks.