Love your skincare routine enough to not give into any blunders? When it comes to beauty blunders many of us don’t realise how we could be diminishing our skincare routine by committing skincare mistakes. And we aren’t talking the basic rules of removing makeup or applying sunscreen religiously here. There are some small, inadvertently made blunders that even the most celebrated influencers amongst us commit. Take a look at these not-so-commonly-known beauty oversights and let us know if you’re guilty too!
Blunder 1 – Skipping Retinol
When you see Retinol, you also read age-defying, anti-wrinkle and acne warriors! Retinol, a synthetic derivative of vitamin A, is seen as the gold standard ingredient in skincare. Why then would you skip it from your routine? Whether you’ve got your Vitamin C to slather or want to protect and renew with an acid, remember that retinol is the cherry on top that you can’t omit – especially if you are over 30 years of age. When retinol is applied topically, it converts to retinoic acid by specialized enzymes found in the skin that help to alter the behaviour of ageing cells and make them – not age! It also smoothens and refines the texture of your skin leaving it radiant and without wrinkles. As much as you’d love to skip another product in your regime, Retinol is not the one to forego! When retinol is incorporated into age-preventive skin care routines, it promises accelerated skin renewal, enhanced collagen production and reduction in the appearance of age spots.
Read more: True Beauty is more than what meets the face
Blunder 2 – Avoiding a Double Wash
So cleansing your skin is something you never skip(and you shouldn’t!), but have you stayed away from double cleansing all this while? Whether its laziness or not knowing enough, double cleansing is a sure shot way to cleaner, refined texture. A method of cleansing your face twice – first with an oil based cleanser and then with a water based version, double cleansing has a range of benefits for your skin. The first cleanser helps to break down any makeup, and remove dirt and excess oils. Step two involves a good old-fashioned lathering cleanse that gets deeper into the pores. Still a skeptic? Try a double cleanse for 1 week and you’ll know what a difference it can make!
Blunder 3 – Not Using Your Products Correctly
Repeat after us. The thinnest product goes on first, followed by the next thicker product and so on and so forth. Many of us have no idea what to do with the massive number of skincare products sitting on our shelves! Does the face oil go on first or the moisturiser? Do I put on during the day or even at night?
The order of application is as important as the products themselves! If you don’t apply the products in a correct sequence, you simply won’t see the results. Start with the most watery of your products after washing your face – be it a toner, mist or essence. Follow that up with the next heavier consistency formula which could be a serum, retinol or your favourite acid. Finally, slather on the right moisturiser to reap glowing benefits.
Timing with products matters too. Some people for instance use the same moisturiser for day and night. However, night creams are generally thicker and designed to be absorbed over the course of several hours – giving you that hydrated glow overnight!
It’s perhaps equally important to wait before each step to ensure proper absorption. If you don’t have too much time, pause for at least 1 minute between steps to allow the product to seep in.
Read more: Oily, dry or ageing: Facial Oils to Buy for All Skin Types
Blunder 4 – Neglecting your neck and décolletage
Investing in yet another cosmetic brand? We’d recommend using those precious dollars for a neck and décolletage product instead! No matter how committed you are to skin care, there’s one enormous white space which we all tend to neglect – our neck and décolletage. This delicate area — from the chin to the chest is one of the first places on your body to reveal signs of aging. And while you maybe working your anti aging creams on your neck, are those the right products for it?
The skin of the neck is sensitive and thin compared to other parts of the body, which means it needs to be treated differently. That and the constant crevices formed from looking at your laptop or phone and you need an effective range of skincare that defies aging like no other!
Blunder 5 – Skipping Lip care
Constantly reapplying gloss or a lip balm? You’ve probably been skimping on lip care just like the rest of us! The skin on your lips suffers from air conditioning, pollution and over-smacking – which means cracked, fissured lips even though you maybe sporting the lipstick of this season! Instead of reapplying products nonstop you should reach for a lip care product such a lip oil. Lip oils nourish and soften cracked lips, while also giving them a glossy shine. You don’t have too compromise on colour either. Lip oils may be made specifically for skin hydration or come with pigments in a colour of your choice.
Adding a lip oil to your routine leaves the lips hydrated with less dead cells on the surface. Choose lip oil that contain jojoba seed or castor oil for extra nourishment.
Read more: A for AHAs: All you need to know about Alpha Hydroxy Acids
Science of Pretty 