Skincare red flags: Ways you're sabotaging your own skin

SKIPPING SUNSCREEN

Sunscreen is the holy grail in any skincare routine which should never be skipped - 123RF Photo

Skincare tips can be found in abundance online. Some sites may recommend a five-step routine, another beauty reviewer may say a seven-step routine is optimum, you can even find a 13-step skincare routine online.

Even so, with all these different opinions of approach in skincare, one step remains constant and superior which is the use of sunscreen.

Beauty moguls never contest against the holy grail of skincare.

Sunscreen is direly important to safeguard our skin against harmful rays from the sun.

Going head first within the sun’s ray without sunscreen may cause among others, hyperpigmentation, premature aging, uneven skin tone, rashes, sunburn, uneven skin tone and tanning. The list is longer if the importance of sunscreen were underestimated.

Those with oily skin may opt for water-based sunscreen, dry skin could be used with cream-based sunscreens while those with sensitive skin should go for mineral-based sunscreens. Normal skin type may use any type of sunscreens.

RELYING ON FACIAL WIPES ONLY

Facial wipes may contain ingredients causing skin irritation - 123RF Photo

Frequent makeup users will think makeup remover wipes to be one of the best beauty hacks to exist due to its quick and easy use.

However, things that are too good to be true often has its setbacks.

The most important factor causing facial wipes to have a bad reputation is due to the ingredients. Since facial wipes are damp, strong preservatives are needed to be used to prevent molding.

Aside from that, facial wipes often contain ingredients like parabens which are not necessarily toxic but may cause skin irritations.

Also important to note facial wipes use rayon fibres usually made from wood pulp, the same ingredient used in normal facial tissues.

Usually, when someone has a cold and constantly use facial tissues to wipe their nose, their skin will appear red which in actuality, is the cause of micro-tearing from the tissues.

The same could be said for facial wipes where prolonged use may not just cause irritation but skin damage due to the micro-tearing effect.

OVER EXFOLIATING

Over-exfoliation does more harm than good - 123RF Photo

"Less is more" is usually the golden rule in skincare. Although exfoliating is good to keep from grimes building up on the skin but over-exfoliating can aggravate the skin and cause redness, irritation and even acne breakouts.

Knowing our skin type is of the essence to decide on what is too much when it comes to exfoliating.

An oily skin type may require around two to three times of exfoliating per week while dry skin may only need once or twice per week. For those with a combination skin type may start from two to three times per week and adjustments may be needed to see which way suits best for the skin.

However, these steps require one’s own understanding in their skin type.

Thus, knowing that first is vital before making decisions when it comes to exfoliating like frequency and types whether chemical or physical exfoliation is best.

OVERLOADING ON PRODUCTS

Minimal amount of products are advised to be used in skincare routine - 123RF Photo

As mentioned, with skincare it is always important to bear in mind that less is more.

An overloaded skin often times than not will never guarantee a plump and more radiant skin. Instead, it is just a waste.

Although our skin is durable against harsh environments and pollutants, overstressing the skin with various skincare products will not be wise as using layers and layers of products will only cause discomfort.

Consequently, worsening breakouts and blocked pores.

Currently, various trends of intricate skin care routines with the use of essences, serums, lotions, toners in the routine were said to be effective but for all we know, skincare essentials may only contain around two to three products to be sufficient.

This will be depending on one’s own suitability of skin to decide which skincare products are effective to be used on their skin.

But remember, the use of sunscreen is still non-negotiable. That is a must and forever remains so.

Skincare is not just a female thing. For men too, as normal humans, would also want to aspire towards having healthy skin.

Although the above tips could also be practiced by men but there are some factors for men to need extra caution.

NOT KNOWING YOUR SKIN TYPE

It is vital to determine the skin type prior to making skincare decisions - 123RF Photo

The common skincare process that people often overlook is their skin type. Misidentification of skin type may cause wrong use of products and practice of routines that might be unsuitable or even harmful for the skin.

For instance, caring for an oily skin will be different than caring for a dry skin.

It is normal for any process that any subsequent steps will not be effective if the foundation or the first step is not established well.

The same can be said for skincare. There are more common cases in men’s skincare that they do not spend time to have a one-on-one session with their skin to properly determine their skin type.

This process requires patience and most importantly, genuine love and care for their skin.

There are five common skin types; normal, dry, oily, combination and sensitive.

Indications can be observed after cleansing the face where normal skin will not be feeling tight or oily, dry skin will have a tight and a sense of pulling to the face, oily or acne prone skin will feel oily all over the face, combination skin will usually feel oily on the t-zone – forehead, nose and chin – but feel normal or dry on the cheeks and finally, those with sensitive skin will appear red and patchy.

Identifying the skincare type will save you a lot of trouble from any skincare mishaps later on.

DRY SHAVING

Dry shaving may cause skin problems like folliculitis - 123RF Photo

As the name suggests, dry shaving is a shaving method that do not use water.

Repercussions outweigh the benefits of dry shaving as only one benefit can be named which is just the fast process of it.

However, a list of consequences await those who often practise dry shaving such as cuts, flaky skin, burning sensation, itch, uneven results, razor burns, ingrown hairs and even folliculitis which is a skin condition where hair follicles become inflamed.

Thus, it’s not worth the extra effort to counter the many aftereffects of dry shaving just to save up on time.

Instead, it is important to practise using a waterless shaving cream or moisturizer like coconut oil and to also apply moisturizer post-shaving.

USING BAR SOAP

Bar soaps are effective for dirt removing on our bodies but too harsh for the skin - 123RF Photo

Facial cleansing is an essential step in skincare but not just any soaps can be used as facial cleansers.

It is not an unusual phenomenon for men to opt for bar soaps as their facial cleanser – even though some women are also guilty of this as well - but most bar soaps are not made to be used on the face.

Usually, bar soaps will contain ingredients that can highly irritate the skin like fragrance and dyes, this will make the skin become red, itchy or blotchy.

A good facial cleanser will often have moisturizing ingredients and this is usually absent in traditional bar soaps which then leaves the skin becoming drier.

Most bar soaps will have a high pH value that is effective in removing dirt from our bodies but too harsh for our delicate skin.

If bar soaps are still the preference for certain men, they should look for the ones containing ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid or niacinamide which are go-to ingredients said to promote healthier and radiant skin.

PIMPLE POPPING

Infection leading to a larger pimple can be caused from pimple popping - 123RF Photo

The practise of pimple popping is not just particulary bad in men’s skincare, it’s bad for anyone. Despite so, awareness in pimple care seems to be at a lower rate among men which leads to the misconception that popping a pimple is an easy removal.

Dermatologist, beauty skin reviewers and even our mothers have advised against pimple popping because it obviously does more harm than good.

More inflammation surrounding the pimple area can happen. Adding to that, pimple popping invites infection which can lead to the formation of an even larger pimple.

Aside new pimples, skin damages like scaring and discolouration may occur as well.

Rather than pimple popping, it is advised to go for acne spot treatments where over-the-counter treatments can be used to be dabbed on existing pimples or simply using an acne patch that can be easily found in drug stores will also be effective.

5. Smoking

Aside lung cancer and heart diseases, smoking can greatly damage the skin as well - 123RF Photo

Lifestyle greatly impacts your skin condition like losing sleep or drinking less water will have consequences on your skin.

What more of smoking in which you allow various chemicals to enter your body with just one inhale of cigarette.

Smoking is one of the deadliest perpetrator against our health, both internally and externally. Besides causing well-known illnesses like lung cancer and heart diseases, smoking can greatly damage our skin as well.

The chemicals in a cigarette has the ability to damage the collagen and elastin which are two essential fibres that worked to give our skin its youthful look and elasticity.

Loss of collagen and elastin will cause the skin to weaken, sag and eventually wrinkle. Thus, smokers are more susceptible to premature aging.

Furthermore, nicotine cause the narrowing of blood vessels which impedes the blood flow to the skin causing it to appear dry, dull, pale and blotchy.

Smoking also cause lesser red blood cells to be produced and with that, the skin will gradually lose its healthy glow.

Smokers’ repetitive pursing of the lips to inhale the cigarettes will also lead to wrinkle formation.