Arthi Raguram, Founder, Deyga Organics
Skin is an important part of aesthetics that determines our self-confidence. Therefore, everyone desires healthy, clear, glowing, and blemish-free skin to look the absolute best. Following a good skincare routine is the most important step to accomplish beauty goals. However, sometimes we can end up sabotaging our skin following wrong skincare practices without even realizing we are doing it. The unintentional beauty mistakes can end up taking a toll on our skin and lead to multiple problems like acne, pigmentation, excessive dryness, dark circles, etc.
Here are some of the beauty mistakes you must avoid in maintaining healthy and hydrated skin.
• Using cleansing wipes to remove makeup
Removing makeup after a long and tiring day can seem like a lot for many people. Hence, many of them resort to cleansing wipes for removing makeup and skipping the sink completely. While cleansing wipes may give you the feeling of clear skin, they do not necessarily remove the makeup completely but only smear the dirt and bacteria further into the pores. Thus, rinsing action with a gentle cleanser after removing the makeup with wipes or removing the solution is crucial to avoid clogged pores and breakouts.
• Avoiding sunscreen when indoors
Many people skip using sunscreen while being indoors or on a cloudy day, assuming they do not actually need it. However, the sun rays reflecting on you from the windows or UV-rays emitting from your electronic devices can be detrimental for your skin if you are not using adequate sun protection. Skipping sunscreen can lead to premature signs of aging, parched skin, dull areas with discoloration, dark spots, etc.
• Using abrasive face scrubs
Abrasive face scrubs with large granules or microbeads made up of plastic or even nutshells are actually harmful to your skin. These scrubs do not exfoliate or make your skin glow, rather slough off layers of the upper layer of skin and cause microtear damage, which makes the skin more vulnerable to sun damage and pollution. Therefore, it is essential to use mild scrubs or exfoliant peels containing alpha-hydroxy acids, beta-hydroxy acids, glycolic acid, etc. to gently remove dead skin cells and reveal fresher and healthier skin underneath it. Besides, avoid over-exfoliating your skin as it can strip away the skin’s natural oils and glow.
• Rubbing your eyes to remove mascara
Removing eye makeup with just makeup wipes or cleansing solutions can be challenging. But, rubbing eyes too hard to remove the eye makeup can cause lashes to tear out and accelerate the formation of fine lines. Thus, instead of rubbing eyes aggressively, one can use a gentle oil-based makeup removing solution to wipe away the makeup and then follow it with a rinse.
• Using the wrong moisturizer
Moisturizers are an important part of the skincare routine that maintains hydration in the skin, which makes it look plump and healthy. However, one should make the right selection of moisturizers according to their skin type or skin conditions. For instance, if you have oily skin then you should opt for gel-based, or light moisturizers to control excessive oil production. Besides, make sure to immediately use a moisturizer within the first minute after cleansing your skin.
• Popping zits
Squeezing or popping pimples is the worst thing you can do for your skin. Squeezing can push the dirt and debris down into your pores, leading to infections in the surrounding area and causing even more inflammation. Thus, it is best to treat pimples with topical medications consisting of salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to get rid of zit faster without any scars.
• Using unclean makeup brushes
Unclean makeup tends to accumulate dirt, bacteria, dirt, etc., which can enter the pores while you use them to apply products. Thus, clean your brush more frequently to prevent skin problems.
