Learn from the 4 biggest skincare mistakes I made as a beginner!

I was in my early teens and was going through a book which was full of DIY recipes for skincare. I decided to try one that looked like magic to treat my acne. The two ingredients I remember using were raw milk and lemon. I applied the mask on my skin. I remember there was a lot of tingling sensation but I thought maybe it’s the mask working, as written in the book. After removing it, I went to sleep hoping my pimples will be less tomorrow! I woke up the next morning only to shout after looking at my face in the mirror. It was a mess! But did I learn my first lesson on skincare mistakes? Nope!

A lot of similar DIY recipes gone wrong made me realize that I first need to know my skin type in order to treat the problems. Of course, the learning curve did not stop there. I made a lot of mistakes, learned and I’m still not an expert. But I’m sharing my ‘4 biggest skincare mistakes I made as a beginner’ with you all today so that you don’t have to learn your lesson the hard way.

Let’s get started!

Using harsh cleansers

I’m not lying when I say that my skin produces more oil than the Middle East. When I was new to the world of skincare, I believed what the commercials showed me.

What they said: This cleanser will effectively lift off all dirt and grime from your face and leave it looking matte for hours!

What that really meant: This cleanser will leave your face feeling tight and stretchy. With the passage of time, it will produce even more oil in order to compensate for the loss. Your skin will have less bounce and get vulnerable to water loss. It’s because it will become dehydrated!

And I’m still paying a price for it! My skin is oily yet dry and flaky, particularly cheeks. Not a very favourable combination for people who love makeup as applying base makeup gets very tricky.

Stay away from cleansers that strip off every moisture content from your face and make you run for a moisturizer. From the time I switched to gentle cleansers, my skin has been behaving much better.

Trying a new product every week

Visit the skincare section on my blog and see the products I have covered from 2012 to 2016. You will not find reviews for more than 60 products in the past 4 years. Even the majority of them comprises of facial cleansers. Of course, there are still products I use diligently and haven’t covered on my blog. But the point I’m trying to make here is that you need to be patient when you try a new skincare product. Also, as a beauty blogger, it will be ill responsible on my part to sing praises about a product only after some days of using it.

Giving into the temptation of new skincare launches every time and then, crying over the empty promises made by them isn’t quite beneficial. I found my skin more on the irritated side when I used to bombard it with new products regularly. Once you’re sure that a particular product suits for your skin type, give it time to work properly.

Example: You bought a product to lighten your acne marks. Take clear pictures of your face and record the progress. See the results after 2 months. This will help you determine the efficiency of that particular product.

If you are trying a new skincare product, introduce only one product at once. If your skin reacts, this way you will know about the culprit.

Not reading the ingredients list

I think this is one of the most common skincare mistakes people make. The ingredients on a skincare product are usually mentioned in descending order, starting with the one that has the highest concentration. But for products that claim to have an active ingredient, that particular one might be listed towards the last as only a small percentage of it is required to work.

Paying attention to the ingredients list can go a long way in benefiting your skin! Always research about a skincare product you’re about to buy and go through its ingredients list. Study about those ingredients online and then, make a decision whether to buy it or not.

Example: I rely heavily on moisturizers with ingredients from ‘Occlusives’ and ‘Humectants’ category. While the former blocks water from evaporating from skin, the latter one helps draw moisture to the skin. But does that mean every ingredients falling in that category suits my skin type? No!

I have a pharmacist product with 4% Glycerin as one of its ingredients, combined with occlusives. It works well for my skin type. A few months back, I tried a sample of Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate which contains 15% Glycerine. It was horribly sticky, broke me out and just sat on the top of my skin.

Relying ONLY on my skincare routine to calm my acne

Relying solely on a skincare routine to improve the texture and natural color of skin was one of the most foolish skincare mistakes I made.

From developing a consistent sleeping schedule to exercising daily to cutting down on sugar, these things have helped me tremendously! Add to it a lot of good skincare practices too!

Developing a skincare routine suited to your skin type helps, helps a lot but it’s not going to be your only saviour!

 

I still DO NOT have a flawless skin. I do not compare my skin with people who are blessed with a flawless skin. I have a lot of large pores, peach fuzz, acne marks and dry patches to deal with. Good lighting and concealers makes my skin look real good in pictures. But the good news is that it looks good to me even in person today! I’ve come a long way in my winning my battle against acne by rectifying these skincare mistakes.

What has been your biggest skincare mistake till date? Do share!