There are so many I could answer ten identical questions…
Here are some of the most common things people do that are harmful for the skin:
- Using toothpaste on an acne breakout. This is NOT beneficial. Toothpaste can actually make your breakouts worse because of its drying agents! Acne is already a lot to deal with; be careful and do your research before you trust a friend’s suggestion.
- Using coconut oil to “solve” all skin problems. I have heard it all: coconut oil instead of sunscreen(!), coconut oil for anti-aging, coconut oil as an eye cream…it’s absurd how overrated it is. Coconut oil is not anti-aging, shouldn’t be used on your eyes and it certainly does NOT substitute sunscreen. That said I am not against coconut oil as an ingredient in a formulation, but I advise against using it alone on your skin as it’s comedogenic.
- Drinking water thinking that’s the only way to fix dry skin, no products needed. The water you drink gets distributed to the whole body, therefore your skin doesn’t get much of it. I know this is bad news for those who hate using skincare, but applying hydrating products topically is the best way to properly hydrate the skin.
- Exfoliating too little because some think it’s useless, or too often because they think the more, the better. The first will make your skin dull, the second leads to overexfoliation (=dryness, redness, sensitivity, etc). You don’t need to exfoliate every day and you don’t need to scrub your skin harshly if you’re using physical exfoliants…a couple times a week with a chemical exfoliant is perfectly fine for most skin types.
- Some people seem to believe that after some time products stop working as your skin “adapts” to the ingredients. Skin doesn’t adapt to ingredients: they continue to work, but once you reach a plateau you won’t notice the same dramatic effects. There’s no need to retire the cream you love in fear it won’t do anything for you anymore, perhaps for a new product that might or might not be as effective. Great skincare products aren’t that easy to get…once you find one it’s a good idea to stick with it for as long as you see fit.
Hope this helps!
