25 Skincare Red Flags Ruining Your Skin

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It has taken me some time to actually weed out some bad skincare habits that are actually doing very bad for your skin, and to my surprise, we are all putting blind trust in them without any evidence.

I used to suffer from clogged pores, comedonal acne for 5 years of my life, and there is not any single ingredient left which I haven’t tried. I tried them emm all. Instead of seeing any visible results, I’m seeing more breaking out of my skin. Which is a hell frustrating for me.

I didn’t have any patience to give a generous time to one ingredient and make it work for my skin. I used all of them at once, I know, it is a blunder. But anyways, I didn’t know I was just 15 ahhh!

After many ups and downs and a slump of efforts, I finally found out and made a blog on 25 Things You’re Doing Right Now That Are Gaslighting Your Skin. I know this because I did all of these. So here they all are.

So why wait? Just slide straight into what actually blunders you are doing to your skin daily in the name of skincare, which is probably not.

Let’s decode all 25 things, or we can say skincare red flags that are standing between you and your best skin ever. And yes, some of these are going to sting a little, lol. But that is kind of the point!

1. Skipping Night Cleanse

You know what my golden rule of skincare is? Do not sleep with makeup on ever, like ever. I made this mistake for sooooo long in my life. I know I should hide my face now somewhere out of shame.

Okay, what is double cleansing? Well, if you wear makeup or sunscreen, you genuinely need a double cleanse afterwards to ensure that all of this gets off your skin because one single cleanse cannot remove that.

I know that after such a long, exhausting day, going to wash your face feels like the hardest task ever. But leaving all that grime, oil, and city muck on your face overnight is a BIG NO-NO. But why? They can clog pores and irritate your skin if not removed.

So you can reach for double cleansing? It is so simple. First step, use one oil cleanser, micellar water or even cleansing balm. These are all the stuff which can actually pull out all the grime out of your face without leaving any residue, which a face wash cannot. Second step, use any hydrating, gentle cleanser afterwards to make sure there is nothing on your skin left now.

One of the things I truly see on my face is the texture, there are no more bumps on my skin, and my skin is just ravishing. One of my favourite makeup removers are The Body Shop Chamomile Sumptuous Makeup Cleansing Butter and Garnier Micellar Water.

2. Not Wearing Sunscreen

Please, for God’s sake, don’t tell me you are skipping sunscreen. Even if you are doing everything right on your skin, not applying sunscreen is just a foolish task you gotta hang on to. I say this.

UV rays are the most damaging part for your skin, which can give you dark spots, uneven skin tone, premature aging, and whatnot.

Regardless of your age and skin concern, you should immediately start using sunscreen from now on. I said immediately. Always go for broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 50, and it should be strictly your last step as skincare.

Staying indoors? Don’t skip it either because the LED light we have inside is also a damaging part, it is less, but still.

3. Popping Your Pimples

Yes, I know the satisfaction of popping a zit out of a full-filled pimple, I didn’t even give any apology, even for me to do this. But babe, the pimple, if it comes, would go on its own after 4-5 days, but if you pop in between, then it will leave a dark spot which will take 2-3months to clear. Will you justify this?

What does popping actually do to your skin? It pushes bacteria and dirt out of your pimple, which further spreads to your surrounding spaces, and now there is a high chance you will get more 5-6 pimples on those spots, huh!

Instead, there are very good topical ingredients available in the drugstore like salicylic acid, azelaic acid, niacinamide or bakuchiol, that generally help to reduce the appearance of a pimple in one night, I mean, much better.

If you still hesitate about that, by mistake, you’re gonna pull off your pimple, like me, then try these pimple patches from COSRX Acne Pimple Patch Absorbing Hydrocolloid. Stick it before bed and peel off the next morning, by then the appearance of the pimple should be reduce upto 70%, and they come in different sizes so you can choose one that fits your pimple.

4. Layering Your Skin Care Incorrectly

Layering products the right way is essential to ensure each product is doing its maximum effectiveness. The golden rule is to from thinest to thickest consistency always. If you apply the products in the wrong order, then you are creating some blockage to your skin, and those products will actually not work.

The ideal order of skincare is-

A gentle cleanser
A toner
A serum
Any topical treatment for your skin concern
Seal it all with a moisturizer
At last, the sunscreen

If you choose to apply the product in the wrong order, then it will just sit on top, just like a cherry on top.

I recommend going for vitamin C in the morning routine as a serum or even niacinamide would do greattt and add retinol at night. Please don’t use both at the same time, they are not made to be used with each other.

5. Touching Your Face All The Time

I would genuinely agree with this because I used to touch my face dozens of times a day, maybe it is just too natural, so we can’t avoid it.

But our hands carry a ton of bacteria from door handles, washroom and whatnot, and every single time your hands touch your face, you are transferring all that to your face.

Even your bangs that are whispering upon your forehead can be the reason. So limit these actions, keep an eye on this and rest it will be all greatt.

6. DIY Skin Care is a Big Skincare Mistake

Ohh, I had to address this one. DIY skincare looks appealing, like ingredients straight from our kitchen look good and are kind, but it is not. They are skeptical. There are many DIY masks for the face that do more harm than treat, but anyway, you are doing it for self-satisfaction.

Let me tell you clearly, ingredients like lemon juice are highly acidic and can even burn your skin. Okay, let’s not go into more ingredients, they are worse than this. These DIY ingredients have not even been tested for use on the face.

If you don’t want to take any chances on your skin, please don’t ever go for DIY masks. They are of no use. Other than experimenting this go, build a gentle skincare routine that goes with your skin type and is designed for your concerns.

7. Not Changing Dirty Pillowcases

Do you take a look at your pillow covers? You might be thinking they are clean, but they absolutely are not. They are full of nasty stuff like oils transferred from your hair. They collect all the bacteria and dirt, and on the same pillow, you are digging up your face and sleeping.

Know the cause now? Most people change their sheets once a week or, honestly, sometimes more longer, we are all human, lol. Change your pillowcase every three days so you get a clean pillow to sleep on.

Also, if you want to upgrade this game, then go for silk pillowcases, they are much gentler to the skin. If you want to try, you can, if it is out of budget, because real silk pillows are way expensive, then leave this idea behind.

But in case you want, then this is my top recommendation for silk pillow, it is ZIMASILK 100% Pure Mulberry Silk Pillow Cases, you must give it a shot!

8. Over-Exfoliating Is Turning Your Glow Into Irritation

I can fully understand you here because I’ve been here for a long time. It is true that exfoliating can make skin smooth and brighten up your complexion, which almost everyone recommends on the internet, but doing it in the right way is also most important. Actually, it is the important one.

If you overexfoliate your skin, it can leave your skin more irritated, drier, and damaged barrier, so it is important to keep in mind that more is not always better. In skincare, less is more, so start less always, but be consistent, that’s the key.

Over exfoliation happens when you face wash too frequently without any need and use a lot of actives at once or 2-3 times a day. If you see any signs of over-exfoliating, then leave all the actives for a week, give your skin a bit of relaxation, and hydration is key. Apply moisturizers in a good amount.

9. Skipping Moisturizer On Oily Skin

Oh, this myth, this is such a convincing myth. I used to believe years back that oily skin doesn’t need moisturizer. I used to think that oily skin is already making too much oil, and I already have go-gifted moisturizer, but I hate to admit this thought, because oily skin (or any skin) wants moisturizer otherwise, your skin tends to get more oilier.

One more reason, I didn’t have an urge to apply moisturizers because they are too heavy and don’t suit the skin, but the key is to find the right one, especially for people with oily skin. A lightweight, gel-based, oil-free, noncomedogenic formula works best for oily skin.

I will get the best moisturizer for oily skin, which is especially made for oily skin and is the best without any talk.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel is a lightweight, gel-based, hyaluronic acid packed and does not add a single bit of oiliness. I have been using this for years and repurchased it so many times, just trust me. This one is my top recommendation for oily skin girls who think they do not need moisturizer. You do. This is the one.

10. Hot Water On Your Face

I know, in winters we almost skip or wash our faces with hot water, I do, you do, we all do. But it is the damaging part too, as hot water tends to strip all the natural oils from the face, leaving them dry and weakening your barrier. And there is an opposite results for cold water.

Cold water reduces your puffiness, makes your skin clearer and cleaner, and is the best thing I like to do just after waking up, which is to wash my face with cold water. You will feel much better inside and outside.

11. Switching Products Too Fast

This one. This is the biggest skincare mistake I see people making, and honestly, I too was stuck there for a year. Lol! that just me. When we are too frustrated by our skin, we ain’t able to give a justified time to an ingredient unless we want to try another one, chasing products, wasting our potential time and money on that.

Babe, that switching ain’t doing any favours to you, so chill, give a product the time it takes to show up results and don’t panic, please. Like niacinamide takes 4-6 weeks to show a bit of results, and ingredients like retinol take even more time, like 2-4 months.

So ya, pick up a simple routine with 2-4 products and be consistent with it only.

12. Dirty Phone Screen

Studies show that your phone screen has more bacteria than a public restroom, which is shocking. Your phone screen is a bed of germs, grime, dust, sebum, sweat and many other nasty stuff.

So, whenever you pick up your phone to receive a call, all these germs get transferred to your face, blocking your pores, and then… hehe, acne is on the way. Clean your phone screen with wipes one time a day. I know it is such a small thing, but it genuinely adds up the value, I bet.

13. Using Expired Products

Ever see the expiry date of any of the products you apply? I know who checks all that. Understand it for a general reason that if a product comes with an expiry date, then it is so generous that it has some sort of ingredients that will work for some time only.

I see that my products are on the shelf that I’m not using currently, but they are 2 years past expiry. Products like actives and sunscreens lose their efficiency and work against you if you still use them. They are not only applicable in the world of skincare but also in makeup.

Go through your shelf, examine all the dates carefully and discard all that is of no use. Using effective and fresh products is much better than holding on to old ones. Do it today! only.

14. Neglecting Your Neck, Chest & Hands

I often do a whole skincare routine just on my face, neglecting my neck, chest and hands, thinking it is already clear, like maybe we all do. But neglecting your chest, neck and hands is aging them faster. You might not get it now, but after 40, you’ll see the difference. Other than regretting then it is good to start today. Start applying the skincare you apply on your face also to the neck, chest and hands. Okay, there is no need for all steps; only moisturizer and sunscreen are also okay. But rather than applying nothing, it is better.

15. No Patch Testing

There are skincare products that can ruin your skin. When trying a new skincare routine, you don’t know how that product is going to react on your face. So, for being on the safe side, start doing a patch test when applying a new product.

What the heck is a patch test? A patch test is a reliable way you can check whether the product is going to suit you or not. It literally takes 30 seconds. How to do it?

Apply a little product to the inside part of your wrist, behind your ear and wait for like 30-40 seconds. If nothing happens, then you are good to go with the product. If some sort of redness or itching happens, then please don’t apply it to your face, that product is not for you. Try it with every single product you are going to experiment with on your face for the first time.

16. Smoking & Vaping,

If you want your skin to lose all of its collagen and start to sag in your 30s and make you look like you are in your 50s, then welcome here, chill out. I’m not even kidding, smoking and vaping actually had a very bad impact on skin, which includes reduced blood flow to your skin cells, which are responsible for making skin youthful and firm. There is an actual study on it.

I will not say anything because results speak louder than words. Make changes in your lifestyle, eat healthy, and you yourself will feel a lot of difference.

17. Applying Actives On Dry Skin

You are doing exfoliation using AHA BHA, but instead of showing results, it shows blunders or no results at all. Because it is not penetrating into your skin, and you are applying it to dry skin. Hell!

Always ever apply active ingredients on a damp skin, which means your skin should be well-hydrated, maybe from some water or use toner. When your skin is well hydrated, then it will penetrate into the skin better and work well.

18. Too Many Actives At Once

We are in the golden age of skincare, and there are so many good actives available now, and it looks tempting to buy all of them and use all of them at once (at least to me). But some ingredients do not work with each other. If they react, they can also leave the skin red and irritated, lol!

So, not to make this blunder and be serious now and kind to your skin, I prefer using one active at a time. Give one active a proper time and situation to treat your skin.

19. Not Reapplying Sunscreen

Applying sunscreen once in the morning and thinking it would protect you for the whole day? Haha, joke? I wish this were true, but we are talking about skincare, nothing here is easy. You have to reapply it every 2 hours strictly if you want to see good, serious results.

I know, sometimes we get lazy because we have applied makeup, so it seems hard to reapply on top of it, but you can use sunscreen mists or even sunscreen sticks, they won’t spoil your makeup at all.

You can skip reapplication if you are indoors, but for goodness ‘ sake, if you are outdoors, then please follow this strictly. Here is a good sunscreen to use underneath makeup for a makeup base. Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40, it has primer, sunscreen, hyaluronic acid and glow glow! Must try.

20. Relying On Makeup To Fix Skin

Hey, hello you, if you really believe in makeup and feel good after seeing good skin, it is good, but every day? Heck! Makeup enhances your features and makes you look confident in your skin, but insidiously, it is harming your skin. So instead of relying on makeup, you should treat your skin in a better way that genuienly add up values to your skin.

I’m not saying stop doing makeup, I’m just saying stop prioritizing makeup over skincare. Skincare is the best thing you can do for your skin.

21. Too Many Fragranced Products

What is better and more enjoyable than applying a moisturizer that smells like vanilla and leaves you feeling like a soft vanilla baby? I know it’s good, but haven’t you noticed that smell is just from added fragrances in your moisturizer, nothing else, nothing natural!

And fragrance in skincare products can actually harm skin more than treat. For those who have sensitive and acne-prone skin, by god stay away from it. Fragrance can actually damage your skin barrier leaves skin red, irritated and whatnot, and I experienced it myself also.

Fragrance is listed in the product with the name parfum. Check the product before buying. If it is listed there, then please skip buying that product.

22. Same Routine All Year Round

As your skin behaves differently throughout the year, like mine used to be oily in the summer, while in the winter, it becomes very dry, and the skin barrier gets damaged. That’s why we need different products according to what our skin actually needs at that time.

And most of us don’t change this routine, we keep doing what our dermatologist told us 1 year back, isn’t it true? Understand, like in summer, we are less focused on moisturization and more focused on SPF, and in winter, we focus more on giving rich moisturized protection due to dry skin issues.

The only motive of this tip is to tell you to change your skincare according to your skin needs, don’t keep the same routine 12 months of year round.

23. Never Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes

Uhmmm, okay, tell me how much time it’s been since you last washed your makeup brushes, 6 months, a year or never from the day you buy them? Do you know your makeup brushes are loaded full of makeup, bacterias and all pesky stuff which can trigger your skin if you continue using them?

They are the cause of breakouts, blackheads, eczema and a lot more. Actually, using makeup is not that harmful, but using old, unwashed brushes is.

I recommend cleaning makeup brushes after every use (if you can), otherwise, once a week with a gentle soap, soak them, and you will see how much stuff comes out of it, seriously. And replace your sponge every 10 uses.

24. Not Being Consistent In Your Skin Care Routine

Okay, let’s get into this straight forward, no sugarcoating. Skincare is not magic which gives you results after using it for 2 days. It generally takes up to 15-20 days to show little results, and that too if you use it daily.

So if you are not consistent with it and demand results, then nothing in this world will let you achieve clear skin. Results need time and effort, and consistency is the core of it.

25. Ignoring These Red Flags

Trust me, ignoring all these red flags is one of the biggest red flags of all. Listen to your skin, give time to every product and keep your body hydrated and healthy.

So don’t ever let these red flags block your best skin ever! And yes, don’t forget to take beauty sleep.