- Common mistakes like over-cleansing, skipping SPF, and sleeping in makeup quietly damage skin over time.
- Hopping from one product to another and popping pimples isn’t doing your skin any favors either.
- Be diligent with SPF, extend care to your neck and hands, and stay up-to-date on what actually works.
Building a skincare routine that works for you takes a bit of trial and error. You’re bound to make many skincare mistakes along the way. Some can be as minor as forgetting eye cream before bed, while others can be as major as skipping sunscreen for weeks at a time, especially when you’re lounging on vacation and convincing yourself that a golden tan isn’t skincare gone wrong in the making.
Break the Bad Habits
The thing about bad skincare habits is that their impact doesn’t always show up right away. The consequences stack up over time until your skin sends you a wake-up call in the form of breakouts, sensitivity, and fine lines.
Myths Make It Worse
Many of the skincare mistakes we make are also in part due to the widespread skincare myths that circulate online, like rubbing lemon on your face to brighten uneven pigmentation or using toothpaste as a spot treatment for acne.
Why It Matters
These kinds of myths and habits seem harmless at first, until you become a textbook example of skincare gone wrong. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common skincare mistakes standing in your way and how to correct them for healthier skin.
Mistake 1: Over-Cleansing & Over-Exfoliating
The surface of the skin (epidermis) contains natural oils and lipids that act as a protective shield. When you’re overzealous with harsh cleansers and exfoliants, you strip away these protective elements, leaving your skin vulnerable to irritants.
Ever felt your face burn when putting on moisturizer? Then you’ve likely compromised your moisture barrier. The best practice is to cleanse twice a day and exfoliate 2-3 times a week with gentle skincare products suited for your skin type.
Mistake 2: Neglecting Sun Protection
Most of us lead busy lives, and applying sunscreen can sometimes feel like a chore we’d rather skip. Our minds are quick to offer persuasive arguments like “I won’t be outside for too long”, “It’s cloudy today”, or “I’ll be indoors anyway”. Alas, it’s a grave skincare mistake.
UV rays can find their way to you through clouds and windows, and even a few minutes of exposure will quietly add to long-term sun damage if you make a habit of it. Skip sunscreen often enough and you’ve got yourself a classic case of skincare gone wrong. So, remember: do not skip SPF!
Mistake 3: Skincare Hopping
Treating your routine like speed dating is a skincare mistake most beauty lovers are guilty of. You try a product for a week, decide it’s not “the one”, and immediately move on to the next promising thing.
Social media will tell you that you need vitamin C for brightening, retinol for anti-aging, niacinamide for oil control, hyaluronic acid for hydration, and oh, also that mysterious new peptide serum everyone’s raving about. Before you know it, you’ve got a shelf full of products that will expire before you figure out if they work, and skin that’s too overwhelmed to show results from any of them.
How to avoid this skincare mistake? Just keep it simple. Use only a couple of actives at once. Introduce new products slowly. And always patch test first.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Your Neck & Hands
You want to look youthful even when you’re well into your 40s, 50s, and beyond, but you’re only taking care of your face? Expect your hands and neck to betray your efforts. The skin on these areas is thin and constantly exposed, aging faster than your face as a result.
Just think back to that viral 92-year-old woman whose face looked decades younger than her neck after she made the skincare mistake of skipping SPF and moisturizer below her chin for 40 years. This is an eye-opening example of skincare gone wrong.
The point is simple: if you stop your routine at the jawline, you’re only doing half the work. Extend skincare to hands, neck, and even the back of your ears every single day.
Mistake 5: Picking at Pimples
We know we shouldn’t, but the urge is hard to resist. Yet, we must resist. Picking and popping pimples may feel satisfying in the moment, but the stubborn scar this skincare mistake leaves behind is far harder to get rid of than the pimple ever was.
And if you’re one of the unlucky ones, you might end up with permanent scars that will cost a pretty penny in corrective skincare treatments to fix. So, just stick a hydrocolloid patch on that bump and leave it alone. Consult a dermatologist if it doesn’t heal in a few days, gets worse, or shows signs of infection.
Mistake 6: Not Removing Makeup Properly Before Bed
Wiping your face with makeup wipes or using a foaming face wash might trick you into thinking your skin is clean, but your pores are still holding on to some of the residue. Not removing makeup properly (or at all) is one of those skincare mistakes that can have dire consequences. Talk about skincare gone wrong! Instead, take the extra two minutes to double cleanse before your nighttime skincare routine, and your skin will thank you.
Keeping Your Skin Healthy
Skincare mistakes happen to everyone, but they’re easy to fix once you know better. Knowledge is power, so take a look at our skincare blog for actual science-based guidance on how to achieve healthy skin.
