Moisturizing and Other Skin Care No-No’s

Moisturizer and Toners

6. Even if your skin is looking and feeling oily, you should still be using moisturizer. Oil is not the same as moisture! After you have washed your face, the moisture is stripped from your skin, so it is important to moisturize to protect your skin and keep it healthy.

7. For those who suffer from terribly dry skin, this next common mistake will be astonishing. Some people think that they need to dry out their skin to remove excess oil and help control their acne. This is a huge no-no! Allowing your skin to dry removes important nutrients, and can even strip the skin of the necessary sebum. Without sebum the skin can crack, as it loses flexibility. These cracks are not only painful, but they open the door and personally invite in infection.

8. Toners should be used on your skin as they provide moisture and help to remove the chlorine and various minerals that are found in tap water. By keeping the skin damp through toning, it allows the skin to absorb moisturizer more efficiently. 

9. The mistake many people make is using toners that contain alcohol. Instead, look for one that is alcohol-free.

Other Common Skin Care Mistakes

10. The most important component of protecting your skin is the application of sunscreen. And this doesn’t mean you just need to put it on when going out into the sun. No…you must wear it every single day regardless of the weather, as harmful UV rays can still burn your skin through clouds and rain. This is not only essential for having nice looking skin, it can even save your life! Put it on!

11. Of course we have to mention smoking. Yes, not only is it bad for your organs inside your body, it is also harmful for the biggest organ you have that is outside your body – your skin. One of the reasons it is bad for skin is because it shrinks the small blood vessels, and these vessels are what feed the skin.

12. With so many products on offer, it is really easy to get all the wrong ones. When purchasing products, make sure they are the right ones for your individual skin type. Do stay away from those that say "suitable for all skin types" because this is pretty much impossible to achieve in one product.

13. Finally, one of the mistakes a lot of women make, is not taking care of their make-up tools, especially sponges and brushes. There is no point in cleaning your skin if you are then going to play with it with a dirty brush! Foundation remnants on your brush or sponge are likely to contain bacteria, as they have been out in the open or flopping around in a make-up drawer. Dust, dirt and bacteria…that’s what you are putting on your face. You can invest in brush cleaners, but really the easier option is to wash them or in the case of sponges, replace them.

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So there you have it. The 13 skin care mistakes you are probably making. Before you start purchasing a product for this and a product for that, think about your grandmother’s skin. They didn’t have all these cosmetics and beauty routines back in their day. A lot of the older generation of women has beautiful skin, and this is because they kept it simple. All you need to do is wash, moisturize and tone, and let nature take care of the rest. And put your sunscreen on!