The Top 5 Worst Things You’re Doing to Your Skin

It’s a new year and time to get into good habits, including those for your skin! We spoke with our educators and asked them to list the top 5 worst things that they often see.  Guilty of any of these? Read on to learn how to turn it around NOW!

1. Exposing your skin to UV light

Whether its UV rays from the sun or a tanning salon (yikes!) this is perhaps the worst thing you can do to your skin. UV light exposure damages your skin’s collagen, causes premature wrinkles, hyperpigmentation (sun spots), and can lead to skin cancer. No matter what time of the year it is, facial protectionis a MUST!

2. Going to bed with makeup on.

We all have busy lifestyles, but when it comes to your skin care routine, you cannot cut corners. Dedicate time to taking care of your skin and make sure you are cleansing your face every night. Especially if you are in your 20’s, a time where your skin’s natural renewal process is faster, it’s important you cleanse and exfoliate regularly to remove excess oil and dead skin cell build up. Oil + left over makeup = clogged pores and breakouts!

3. Using soap to clean your face.

While even the gentlest soap is okay to use on your body, washing your face with soap is not. Soap will not only dry out your skin but also will strip your skin’s protective barrier. This leads to skin dehydration and irritation in the long run. An appropriate cleanser, followed by a toner to rebalance your skin’s pH, should be used morning and night.

4. Getting a facial only once a year.

Getting regular facials, not facials once a year or “once in while” should be on your priority list for 2016. Even if you’re taking care of your skin properly at-home, it takes a skincare professional to give your skin a thorough examination to see what it really needs. Read more about why to get a facial.

5. Over-exfoliating

The more the better concept is a misconception when it comes to skin exfoliation. Using scrubs, peels and exfoliating brushes every day can be very damaging to the skin. Over-exfoliating can even lead to breakouts! Although they are not as strong as acid-based facial peels, granular or natural forms of exfoliation are excellent ways to remove dead skin cells, and should be used 2-3 times a week.