Today, everyone who cares about looking healthy and young knows about the importance of proper skincare. As well-informed and aware we might think we are, some of us are still making huge skincare blunders. Make sure you’re not one of them by going through this list of :

Sleeping with your makeup on.

Had a long, rough day? Have no energy to wash your makeup off before bed? Aw! Sadly, your skin doesn’t care. Sleeping with your makeup on will clog your pores, make you break out and may even cause eye allergies, no matter how genuinely tired you were. If you’re often too lazy and end up procrastinating, keep a pack of makeup remover wipes next to your bed and use them when you have no energy to get up. It’s the least you can do.

Changing your entire skincare routine at once.

If you change all of your skincare products together, you’ll never be able to tell which of them is working and which of them is making you break out. Always change your skincare products one at a time.

Using bar soap on your face

A big NO-NO! As a rule of thumb, you should never use anything meant for your body on your face. The skin on your face is far different from the skin on the rest of your body. Similarly, a soap bar can be used to wash your body but not your face. They mess up the pH level of your skin, irritate your skin and cause you to breakout.

Skipping toner

Bar soaps are not the only thing that can mess with your skin’s pH. So, to make sure that doesn’t happen, a toner is an excellent, and vital, part of your skincare. But wait. That’s not ALL toners do. After you have cleansed your face, a toner will help remove any leftover dirt, impurities, oil or makeup on your skin. Toners help tighten and close your pores and, hence, help reduce acne. So the next time you want to skip toning, think again.

Skipping moisturizer

Repeat after me, moisturizer is important for EVERYONE. Oily or dry, your skin needs it. Here’s why. If you have dry skin, your face can use all the external help it can get. If you have oily skin, every time you wash your face or wipe the oils away, the lack of moisture on the surface of your skin leads to the production of more and more oil. Giving it the moisture it wants through a moisturizer, the need for the skin’s oil production decreases, making it happy and healthy. Get it?

Skipping SPF

Now, what did we learn back in our guide to sunscreens? It must not be skipped. So do I even need to tell you why that’s a bad idea? I hope not. Never. Skip. Sunscreen if you love the skin you’re in.

Applying in the wrong order

This is very important. Unlike makeup, the order of your skincare application makes a lot of difference. It changes everything. Because I care so much about you, here’s the order that you should be applying your products in :

•  makeup remover
•  cleanser
•  exfoliator
•  toner
•  treatment products
•  serums/mists
•  moisturizer
•  eye cream
•  face oil
•  sunscreen

Neglecting your neck and hands

Just like the face, your neck and your hands need special care. No matter how hard you work on your face, these areas will give it all away. Whatever you put on your face, gently massage it down your neck and onto your hands, as well. You’ll thank me later.

Overuse

Excessive use of everything is bad. On your skin, however, it does a lot more damage. Over cleansing can remove your natural oils on the surface of your skin, which causes excessive oil secretion, clogging of pores, acne and even allergies. Exfoliation is supposed to remove excess oils and dead skin cells from your face. Over exfoliation damages your skin very badly. Over application of skincare products can clog your pores and cause you to break out.

Moderation is key.

Experimenting without research. This is the worst of all.Never, I repeat, never put anything on your face without knowing your skin type and exactly what you’re putting on your face. Do thorough research on the ingredients of a product (especially the active ones) before you lather it on.

If a product is not meant for your particular skin type, or an ingredient is not suitable for you, it may damage your skin very badly. Be aware and cautious.

Skincare can make your skin or break your skin. Literally. So you can never be TOO careful with it. Be aware. Be cautious. Be alert of what you put on your face, and how you put it on. I wish you a happy, healthy skin!