Whenever we buy a new skincare product, we are filled with hope. Hopeful that it will work miracles for our skin, transforming it into a perfect complexion in an instant.
But the shine wears off pretty quickly when we don’t see the effects we hope for and soon, we’re on the hunt for some new elixir with even more hopeful claims.
Sounds familiar? Then you need to pause and reflect. Are you doing your part to bring the most out of your skincare? Read on to see if you’re making these 5 mistakes and change your ways so that all your skincare can work better for you.
#1. You don’t apply the right amount
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Skincare should always be applied in a thin layer on your skin, and it should absorb quickly and be imperceptible after it goes on, be it creams or serums or lotions. If you stinge on it and stretch it too thinly, you get a fraction of its promised benefits, or nothing at all.
On the other hand, if you apply too much, especially if it has active ingredients like retinols and AHAs, you could be causing skin irritation.
#2. You don’t exfoliate
It’s simple, you need to spring clean every now and then to make way for the good and new stuff. That’s exactly what exfoliating does for your skin, it gets rids of the top dead skin layer so that whatever you apply on top can work its way into your skin layers and yield its benefits. Use a grainy scrub, an exfoliating pad, or an at-home peel every three days to a week, or try a daily scrub wash – a facial wash with milder exfoliating particles so that you can use it every day.
#3. You are applying skincare on dry skin
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Damp skin absorbs more and absorbs better. I personally don’t believe in applying my skincare the moment I step out of the shower, I’d rather dry off and get changed first. But then I mist my skin with a thermal water spray before I start on my skincare steps. The water softens dry skin (imagine a hard, dry sponge softening with a sprinkling of water), so that it more readily absorbs all your other skincare steps better. If you don’t want to use a thermal water spray, pat on a generous amount of your softener or facial treatment essence or toner and that will also do the trick.
#4. You’re not sticking it out
A lot of us lose interest in our new skincare in a matter of days. You slap it on, don’t see any difference, try a couple more times, then chuck it aside and forget about it. But do stick it out because any new product takes time to prove itself. Anti-ageing and collagen building takes a month or two to make any visible difference to lines and wrinkles; and for anti-acne stuff to be effective, it can take up to two months as a pimple can take that amount of time to develop.
Main image: showbit.com
This story first appeared on www.herworld.com
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