5 Common Skincare Myths that are Destroying Your Skin’s Health

We all want that glowy, healthy-looking skin and we’re willing to try an abundance of products to get it.

However, some skincare myths may actually be the reason for your skin concerns and may actually cause you to be ruining your skin.

Find out facts from fiction and learn what common mistakes might be ruining your skin today!

What is Skincare

Skincare is an act of protecting and supporting the health of your skin.

It can target a specific skin concern, like acne, or dryness, or it can be simple support and protection like moisturizing and SPF.

Skincare is practiced with a variety of products like cleansers, serums, moisturizers, SPF, toners, and more.

Skincare can be a simple routine as well! As we’ll find out, sometimes those overly complicated routines are the ones causing skin problems!

Why do we Practice Skincare?

Our skin is the number one dense our body has against the outside world. The skin is much more than a canvas for makeup and tattoos, it is the largest organ in the body.

It is resistant, flexible, and vital to survival.

Our skin is responsible for sensation, protection against bacteria, temperature regulation, insulation, and the production of vitamin d.

How to Know You’re Products are Worsened Your Skin?

Skincare myths may be ruining your skin and you don’t even know it. There are a couple of signs to watch out for.

• Irritation – your skin should feel good after your skincare routine, not dry, oily, or irritated.
• Inflammation – inflammation is actually a cause of acne and breakouts and should be avoided at all costs.
• Shininess – if your skin feels too shiny, it may be a sensitive product.
• Over-sensitivity – using products should not hurt, so if you have too much sensitivity, even water might sting, meaning its time to change something
• Bumps – we want smooth skin, not bumps or acne! You may be allergic to a product, combine ones that should not be combined, or make another common mistake

Top 5 Skincare Myths

Here are the top five skincare myths that are absolutely ruining your skin’s health!!

1. You Have to Exfoliate

You don’t.

While exfoliation can have great benefits, it is not a necessary step in a skincare routine for everyone.

Cleansing is already a soft type of exfoliation, and for some people, this may be enough!

Over exfoliating can lead to reading skin health and ruining your skin barrier. This can be when you experience sensitivity, redness, or even acne or bumps! Exfoliating can strip the skin heavily if done too often.

Morse, even when you have dry flaky skin, exfoliating can have detrimental effects.

Dry flakey skin can be a sign of a disrupted skin barrier, meaning the issue is not dead skin cells stuck on the skin. The issue may be your cleanser, actives, or other things well discuss further on!

2. Cleansers Don’t Matter

They just rinse off right?

Even though cleansers will be washed off, they absolutely matter!

While cleansers can be picked for specific skin types, there are some things they should have. 

Cleansers should be low pH, they shouldn’t be overly stripping with harsh sulfates or other damaging ingredients.

Plus, you can try out different types and textures to fit your specific skin concern. If you have oily skin, a cleanser with salicylic acid might be good. Dry skin may benefit from a cream cleanser that doesn’t foam up too much.

But remember, every person’s skin is different. You might have oily skin, and choosing a cleanser that is overly harsh and stripping may cause more oil to be produced by the skin.

Try out different cleansers and listen to your skin, seeing what works and what doesn’t.

3. Higher Percent of Actives are Better

It’s normal to think higher percent, higher effectiveness, but this is not the case.

Sometimes using a higher percentage of products will actually cause the disruption of your skin barrier, causing redness, and inflammation, which can ultimately ruin your skin health for a while.

High percentages don’t always mean more effective, as they can be highly irritating. Like a recipe, you don’t want to add too much of one ingredient as it will throw off the balance of the whole meal.

Some people will never be able to use a 30% AHA exfoliating peel and should only use 10%. 

Retinol should always be started at low percentages, and once the skin gets used to that, you can increase it slowly.

There are many more examples, but in general, start with low percentages of actives and see how your skin reacts. Add produces one at a time so you know what causes a bad reaction and what works well for you.

4. Using too Many Actives Every Day

You don’t need to be active every day. 

For example, vitamin C, specifically ascorbic acid has properties that sink into the skin and work for over 24 hours.

After retinol, it is recommended not to use it the next day.

An exfoliating AHA or BHA peel cannot be used every day.

Additionally, some skincare ingredients should not be mixed, meaning you can use one on one day and use another on the next, but not combine.

5. Sunscreens are Optional

There are definitely optional steps in a skincare routine.

Sunscreen is absolutely not one of them.

SPF in sunscreen, be it chemical sunscreen (like octisalate, homosalate, and octinoxate) or physical sunscreen (like zinc oxide or titanium oxide), protects the skin from the damaging rays of the sun.

Of course, we need some sun exposure for our bodies to produce vitamin D, nicknamed the sunshine vitamin, but too much, especially on the face, can cause premature aging, skin cell damage, and even cancer.

Sunscreens can cause irritation or sensitivity, so try out different types to find one that works for you!

The Takeaway

Skincare is a necessary step in the AM or PM, yes, but luckily it does not have to take hours or be too intense.

On the contrary, simple skincare may be highly beneficial to your skin’s health, while longer routines with more activities may damage the skin.

Too many actives, using them too often, or over-exfoliating can cause damage and may be ruining your glow up.

Remember to try new products one at a time to make sure you have a good reaction and don’t be afraid to try new products out!

Skincare is progress, not perfection, it should be fun!