The Biggest Skincare Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

Okay, so you skincare, but do you skincare correctly? If you’ve committed to a skincare routine, day and night, and still aren’t seeing the results you want, you might be falling for these common skincare mistakes. When it comes to skincare, there are a few hard and fast rules to follow which can make all the difference. So, tell your friends, family, and anyone who will listen that these are the biggest skincare mistakes and how to avoid them.

1. Forgetting to reapply Sunscreen Throughout The Day

Applying sunscreen daily is a good place to start for sure, but for full protection against UV rays, you need to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. Not doing this is up there with the worst skincare mistakes you can make as once sunscreen comes into contact with your skin and UV rays, the ingredients begin to break down, dramatically reducing protection. 

Try: ABIB Quick Sunstick Protection Bar SPF50+ PA++++ (22g) - £22.00

Ideal for reapplying on the go, ABIB Quick Sunstick Protection Bar SPF50+ PA++++ protects the skin from sun damage without leaving a white cast behind or risk of spillages when you’re out n’ about. It also includes centella asiatica extract to strengthen the skin barrier, as well as aloe vera leaf juice, green tea leaf and cucumber fruit extracts for defence against free radicals, hydration, and soothing.

2. Exfoliating Too Often 

One of the most common skincare mistakes is exfoliating more than 2-3 times a week. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, speeds up skin cell renewal, helps skincare products penetrate deeper into the skin, and boosts collagen production in the long term. 

With all these benefits to gain from exfoliating, you’re probably tempted to exfoliate more often than you should, but any more than 2-3 times a week is a skincare mistake you’ll want to avoid as it’ll wear down your skin’s barrier and leave your skin vulnerable to the outside world causing irritation, redness, and dry patches.

Try: PURITO AHA/BHA Refreshing Solution (100ml) - £19.00

An easy-to-use, leave-on exfoliator that unsticks dead skin cells to enhance radiance and smooth out uneven skin texture with willow bark extract and 7% glycolic (AHA). Salicylic acid (BHA) goes beyond the surface and takes a deep dive into your pores to reduce and prevent acne, in particular whiteheads and blackheads, and excess oil. 

3. Forgetting To Exfoliate Your Body

Speaking of exfoliating, another common skincare mistake is not exfoliating your body. The body sheds dead skin cells in the same way that the face does, and with a larger surface area, you can bet a lot more skin shedding is taking place and being collected on the skin’s surface (y-u-c-k). 

Try: DR CEURACLE Vegan Kombucha Coffee Bean Body Scrub (200ml) - £26.00

Buff that beautiful body of yours with DR CEURACLE Vegan Kombucha Coffee Bean Body Scrub. Infused with coffee seed powder and green tea extracts, it clears dead skin cells, unclogs pores, hydrates, calms inflammation, and even helps to reduce the appearance of cellulite. 

4. Applying Skincare Products In The Wrong Order 

This is defo a skincare mistake to avoid as it can create a barrier on the skin, preventing skincare ingredients from being fully absorbed and limiting their effectiveness. Translation: you might as well not even bother unless it’s in the order below. 

1. Cleanser 
2. Exfoliator (2-3 times a week)
3. Toner
4. Essence
5. Serum/Ampoule
6. Masks (if and when used)
7. Eye Cream
8. Moisturiser 
9. Sunscreen (during the day)

5. Skipping Eye Cream

The eye area is super delicate, meaning it’s more prone to thinning, puffiness, fine lines, and wrinkles, so neglecting eye cream is a skincare mistake you’ll want to avoid if you don’t want to be paying for it later with premature ageing. 

Try: HEIMISH Marine Care Eye Cream (30ml) - £25.00

Featuring a bunch of algae extracts, HEIMISH Marine Care Eye Cream works to smooth fine lines and brighten dark circles whilst improving elasticity and moisture levels. It also comes with an applicator to prevent bacteria transfer and a cooling massage ball to relieve puffiness. 

6. Picking Pimples

Best case scenario? You’ll cause more swelling and redness. But worst case scenario? You’ll damage the skin tissue leaving permanent pits or scars. Thanks, but no thanks. 

Try: SOME BY MI AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Clear Spot Patch (18 Pcs) - £4.50

To prevent you from self-sabotaging, these clear, waterproof spot patches will protect pimples from you and bacteria whilst healing them with salicylic acid, tea tree leaf oil, and lavender. Simply stick a patch on the blemish and leave it on overnight to reduce inflammation, pus, and redness. 

7. Not Doing A Patch Test

Trying new skincare products is all fun and games until your skin starts to freak out. It’s important to take the excitement down a notch and do a patch test before you smother them all over your face. To avoid allergic reactions and making this common skincare mistake, apply a small amount to your neck and monitor the area for the next 24 hours. If there has been no change, you’ve been given the green light - yay!

8. Applying Hyaluronic Acid On Dry Skin

Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that draws and absorbs moisture, leaving the skin more hydrated and plump. Sounds good, right? But there’s a catch, AKA another common skincare mistake to avoid. When hyaluronic acid is applied to dry skin, it’ll suck up water from the deeper layers of the skin to the top layer where it’s easily evaporated. Because of this, it works best when applied to damp skin.

Try: HADA LABO Gokujyun Premium Hyaluronic Acid Lotion (170ml) - £19.95

With 7 different kinds of hyaluronic acid, including nano, super, and regular, HADA LABO Gokujyun Premium Hyaluronic Acid Lotion provides ~superior~ hydration to each layer of skin, whilst strengthening the skin barrier to prevent moisture loss for long-lasting dewiness.