Have you been fighting to get clear, smooth skin, but nothing is working? Yes? Then there might be something you’re not doing right.

First, it’s important to note that nobody’s skin is perfect; everyone has skin problems. Some skincare mistakes can worsen specific skin problems, and the most popular being acne. 

Acne is a severe skin problem because its effects last longer. So, if one is aware of the behaviors that aggravate acne, it is easier to avoid them. If you’re in this boat, keep reading;

What are Skin Conditions?

In simple terms, skin conditions are medically diagnosed skin diseases. It is anything that affects the organ encompassing the skin, nails, and any gland related. It is an abnormality of how the skin should be in appearance.

These conditions could make it hard to look at your skin, whether rashes, itchiness, inflammation, etc. You don’t want that. Instead, you want to flaunt your skin in that sleeveless dress or that cargo shorts you bought.

Won’t it be nice if you don’t have to draw a shawl over your head even when the weather is so hot? Instead, you want to tie your hair into a bun and walk while the sun bathes you in a glorious beam.

12 Skincare mistakes that are costing you clear skin.

You may have noticed that the go-to solution to skin conditions is getting skincare products and starting a routine. This is what manufacturers, marketers, and Influencers of skin care products will tell you.

They won’t tell you that ignoring simple, basic things that may look minute will cause more acne than you wanted to clear or cause acne in areas where you didn’t even have one. It is one thing to get a good product and use it right. It is another to avoid minor mistakes.

Below are 12 Skincare mistakes that are causing/will cause you acne. Avoid them!

Leaving your morning makeup on overnight:

You got up, got dressed, and got ready for the day. You put on a dash of powder, some bronzer to define your looks, and blazing red lipsticks to make your grin bright, and you’re out.

It’s evening; the day is dark, and you’re back but too tired. So down you plopped on the bed, with the makeup still on.

This is a fatal mistake. Wrong! Avoid it. Ensure you wash your face to avoid the makeup products clogging your pores and follicles.

Also read: how to get rid of facial hair permanently for women

Absence of a Sunscreen:

This can be likened to putting your hands into the oven without wearing a mitten glove. The heat will be too much to bear. So also it is with your face and overall skin. It’s either you wear clothing to shield, or you use a good sunscreen.

Overexposure to the sun is dangerous for the skin in the long run.

Touching your face too frequently and unnecessarily:

The hands collect most germs from other parts of the body. It touches almost everything and everyone. So why take all of that germs (quite numerous) into your face or any part of the skin?

It may seem impossible to refrain from touching your face. But make a conscious effort to avoid it.

Also, make it a habit to wash your hands often.

Using too many different products within a short period:

When you set out on a skincare journey, ensure you first research deeply for the right products that will suit your skin type and skin problems.

Then, stick to it for as long as recommended, maybe a month, to get desired results. After that, switching between products will cause more problems for the skin.

However, you must discontinue product use if you observe adverse reactions.

Forgetting your neck region:

As much as this sounds funny, people do it a lot. People wash, moisturize and exfoliate their skin, leaving out the neck.

You don’t want to have a different skin color and texture on your neck. But it’s also part of your skin; take care of it.

Inconsistency:

As explained earlier, don’t make the mistake of not dutifully caring for your skin but expecting a miracle to happen.

Under/Over Exfoliating:

Exfoliating means scrubbing to remove dead skin cells and let new ones bloom. 

Not exfoliating will leave the dead cells everywhere. In contrast, over-exfoliating will get the skin irritated and rough.

Re-use of dirty makeup brushes:

Most people who do their makeup themselves are guilty of this. They apply makeup today, put the brushes away, and when it’s time to re-apply, they re-use that old brush they put away.

Worse are makeup artists who attended to various clients before you. The remains of makeup on the brush and the potential skin conditions of other clients are now transferred to you.

So, to avoid this mistake, you know you should always keep brushes clean. Use cleanser, clean up the bristles and leave them to dry.

In this way, you have healthier skin and a long-lasting brush.

Also read: 11 working homemade remedies for eczema

Popping the Pimples:

This is excruciatingly painful, yet 80% of people are guilty of this and an’t stop themselves.

Know today that it is very wrong! Its one mistake cannot be corrected because every popped pimple is an acne scar and the tendency for an increase in the breakout.

Bathing with boiling water:

It’s okay to enjoy bathing in hot water, especially on a cold, chilly morning. But bathing at a 100⁰C won’t get you cleaner. Okay, not necessarily a 100. No one can stand that. But the point is that if the water is too hot, it will dry out the skin. This can frustrate any skincare routine you have

Poor Diet:

Understand that you’re what you eat. Whatever you consume will determine your outlook. So enrich your meals with a healthy supplements, nutrients, and vitamins such as;

• Avocado
• Walnut
• Fish etc.

These will help your skin glow and look fresh.

Insufficient sleep:

I know you want to get those tasks done tonight, even though you had the entire day, which wasn’t enough. But have you thought about how you’d look tomorrow simply because you haven’t had enough rest?

Dark circles form, emaciated and wrinkled skin —all these are consequences of staying late.

Experts recommend at least 7 hours of sleep a day.

Common causes of Skin disease.

Now that you’re stuck with something you detest, it will be wise to find out what caused it. When the cause is known, it will be easier to avoid relapse after treatment.

So let’s dig in;

Genetic factors: 

Some critical skin conditions can be traced to inheritance from genes. Examples are Albinism, some severe acne breakouts, etc.

Lifestyle factors: 

This is why you must adopt the right way of living. Poor diet, poor water intake, smoking, insufficient sleep, etc. If critically examined, you’ll understand the effects this bad lifestyle has on your skin.

Other causes include;

• Bacteria dwell in the pores and follicles.
• Sick Kidneys and weak Immune system.
• Contact with allergens that can irritate.
• Fungus and parasites live in the pores and follicles.
• Some medications don’t correspond with the body’s system.
• Viruses on the skin and inside the body system.
• Excessive exposure to the sun.

Now that we understand the causes of Skin conditions, especially acne (our pain point here), let’s move on to solutions.

Solutions to Acne Skin conditions.

This is where you breathe a sigh of relief because you’re about to get solutions to your skin conditions.

The most important hack is avoiding habits that trigger acne breakouts. If lifestyle factors cause yours, avoid activities and substances that irritate the skin and overexposure to the sun too.

Other solutions include;

Skin care treatment

Prescribed acne medications. However, you should understand that results will become visible after 4 – 8 weeks. It will also take some more months or years for your acne to be eradicated thoroughly, depending on the degree of the acne. Patience and consistent use are required.

Why Aren’t Skin Care Treatments Working For You?

There are times when people complain that solutions proffered are not helping. They get enticed to purchase a skincare product, and rather than ‘save their face,’ it worsens.

This article has been carefully curated from thorough research. Hence there shouldn’t be a doubt.

Here’s why your skin care treatment is not clearing up your acne;

Inconsistency

You’re not consistent enough with the skincare routine. You’ll need to carry out this activity repeatedly at recommended times. You must also understand that skin care treatment takes time to produce results. You must use it long enough and consistently.

Giving a break will only provide time for the bacteria to reinforce.

If your schedule seems too busy, don’t complicate the routine. Keep it simple yet regular and correct too.

Hormonal disorder

This may be a regular change or a serious disorder that should be looked into. Hormonal changes can be due to stress, pregnancy, menstruation, or in and out of contraceptive pills.

The hormones secreted in our body during these times, as well as chemicals in contraceptive pills, are so powerful to cause a break on the skin despite the skin care products used.

So if this happens, work from the inside as the skincare products work on the outside; together, the results will be achieved.

Using Skincare with ‘active’ ingredients:

Most people want quick results, and they resort to using active ingredients. However, this is silly because you need to know what these active ingredients are and if they are good for your skin.

And worse is when people overuse these active ingredients. It’s just like Drug abuse, taking in too much excess. The result will be disastrous rather than quick healing, as you expected.

Wrong Products for your skin conditions

This is where a qualified doctor is important. You must understand what you’re going in for, with what, and why. You’re ready for the skin care treatment when you can comfortably answer these questions.

Using the product for a skin problem you don’t have, is the wrong move. You’ll end up spending money with no results because the original problems still need to be tackled.

You’re using an expired product.

Whoa! This sounds bad; yeah, it is. Just as you fear food poisoning when you consume expired food, so will the skin get a kind of poisoning.

The ingredients get expire, and the quality declines. Most times, the span of the written date is usually 1 – 12 months. So check out the expiration date before use.

You could have purchased your skin care products in fairly good condition, but in a bid to be economical with the quantity used, you kept it, and now the leftover is expired. Always check out for expired products and avoid them at all costs.

Conclusion

Before you apply anything to your skin or even draft up a routine, you must acquire the basic information and educate yourself properly. And skincare should be included in proper research.

Hope this article has answered and will answer your questions of doubt and ignorance. We look forward to seeing you on the beach as you flaunt that flawless skin.