Skincare Habits To Stop

Dr. Sam Ellis, dermatologist, explains:

Mistakes to avoid

There are quite a number of things that many people do that unintentionally sabotage their skin health; here’s what to do about that:

• stop overexfoliating your skin: many people exfoliate too often, leading to redness, breakouts, and dullness instead of the desired glow; Dr. Ellis recommends removing exfoliants and actives for at least two weeks, then reintroduce exfoliants just 1–2 times a week based on your skin’s needs.
• how to exfoliate properly: use gentler products like mandelic acid serums for sensitive skin, or stronger ones like glycolic acid peels less frequently; always balance with moisturizers and avoid combining with retinoids on the same night.
• stop constantly changing your skincare routine: your skin needs consistency to respond well; using the same few products long-term is more effective than always trying the latest thing—only make changes for major climate shifts.
• stop picking at your skin: picking causes scarring, red or brown marks, and prolongs healing; instead, use hydrocolloid pimple patches to protect and heal blemishes faster and reduce the urge to pick. She also advises that supplementing with n-acetyl cysteine (NAC) can help reduce compulsive skin picking behavior.
• stop smoking and reduce* alcohol: both accelerate skin aging, dullness, dehydration, and wrinkles; cutting back or stopping can make a visible difference in skin appearance.
• don’t sleep in your makeup: this prevents your skin from recovering overnight and can clog pores; even just removing makeup without applying other skincare is better than leaving it on—micellar water is gentler than makeup wipes and recommended.
• stop skimping on sunscreen: most people underapply it; aim for two full finger lengths or ¼ teaspoon for proper coverage; if textures bother you, try lightweight non-greasy oil-based sunscreens.

*She says “reduce”, we’d advise “stop”. The fact that drinking alcohol is still considered socially normal, while smoking is not, does not change the fact that just like smoking, the only safe amount of alcohol is zero.

For more on each of these things, enjoy:

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Take care!