Today I want to quickly address 10 silly skin mistakes that I made in my teenage years. I used to have extremely bad cystic acne, to the point where I just didn't want to show my face to society. I would overly edit any images that showed my skin because I became so critical of myself. I had tried everything, pills, antibiotics, prescribed topical creams... None of them worked and just looked like it was worsening and dulling my skin. Nowadays, people can't even tell that I had acne. I still get the odd breakouts here and there, but I am controlling them a lot better now!
So what are these silly little mistakes I talk of?
Without further ado, let me tell you the silly mistakes that I made!
MOISTURISE MOISTURISE MOISTURISE
this is the lovely moisturiser I currently use - on the right hand side
"I don't want to moisturise because that will just bring up more spots since my face is already oily"
Sound familiar to you? It is a TOTAL MYTH that you'll break out if you moisturise! Unless you are rubbing moisturisers with high oil content (some oils are non comedogenic though!) or 100% pure sunflower oil on your face you should not break out! In fact, you will probably break out more if you do not moisturise. This is because you are stripping off your natural oils off your face so it needs to replenish it by creating more oils. and guess what that can lead to? Yep! Breakouts! So go and grab yourself a non comedogenic moisturiser (if you are acne-prone or oily/combination skin type) and moisturise away!
TIP: it is better if you get a daily moisturiser with SPF in it to avoid any sun damage! Make sure your moisturiser actually moisturises your face - some moisturisers designed for oily to combination skin type may not hydrate your skin enough! So make sure to get one that nourishes your skin properly!
KNOW YOUR SKIN
"my face is really oily so it must be that I have an oily skin type!"
Nope and nope. Sometimes, deciphering your skin type just isn't that easy. For the past 4 years of my life I always thought I was the oily skin type so I kept buying skin products for acne-prone and oily skin type. My skin was not getting any better, in fact it looked like it was dulling out and getting even worse than it did even before I began to cleanse my face with face washes! And voila, it was all because I didn't get my skin type correct. my skin was actually more of the dry skin type than the oily skin type, but because I kept using over-drying products and acne products, it kept stripping my skin off all its oils and so my skin tried to replenish the moisture lost. This made me believe I had oily skin. So when I had a face mapping done, I bought more milder skin products such as the Gentle Skin Cleanser by Cetaphil. This changed my skin completely and was my first step forward to clearer skin!
TONE IT
current toner I am using - about to finish the bottle!
"all I need is a cleanser, spot treatment, and moisturiser"
If those are the only 3 things in your skin regime, you better start getting out money and go to the nearest skin store! I've found toner to be extremely important in my skincare regime, especially when I'm breaking out! I recommended a toner to my friends who had not used toner previously, and they say they can see a drastic improvement in their skin condition. I think the largest benefit is the difference you can see in your skin over time. it helps to balance the pH of your skin and wipe away any excess dirt leftover by your cleanser. Imagine you just came out of the bath, after washing your face with warm water you slap on some moisturiser and ultimately go to sleep. Your pores will still be 'open' and there may have still been dirt residue on your face when you slapped on that moisturiser. Now toner isn't necessary but I greatly recommend it for it has helped me to even out my skin tone A LOT.
TIP: if you are the oily skin type beware not to go overboard with facial skin care containing alcohol! it has been said it has done more damage than good to the skin. If you are looking for a toner look for more organic and natural toners such as ones with rose water in it - extremely good for uneven skin tones and nourishing!
OUCH TOO MUCH
my favourite gel! WARNING: contains 10% glycolic acid which is quite a high content! USE SPARINGLY! (learn from my mistake!)
"I am going to scrub everyday to clean out my pores"
Do NOT scrub everyday with super harsh movements like you are trying to scrape off your skin. I shall repeat: DO NOT! over scrubbing of the skin (more than 2 times per week) can cause your skin to become extremely dry and damaged. when you do scrub your skin make sure to not apply too much pressure! it can also lead to more whiteheads, which can be extremely difficult to get rid of! When I was younger I thought the harder I scrubbed the more I could get rid of those little nasties that hid within my skin. I was wrong. It lead to more breakouts and my face became a whole lot more oilier. From then on I scrub my face on a Monday and Friday nights! Make sure not to scrub your face two times in one day - a tip from my dermatologist. You also might want to look at AHAs and BHAs which are chemical exfoliators. They can be more effective than a scrub, whilst also being more gentle on the skin!
NOT TOO MUCH
currently my favourite spot treatment
"maybe if I dab a bit more the spot will disappear quicker"
Applying more product will not make spots disappear any quicker unfortunately. If anything it can overdry the patch of skin and cause it to become more inflamed. it is from my own experience where I used to think that if I put on a bit more spot cream than I was advised to onto the blemish, it would disappear quicker. nope. it became bigger and more angry and then I would sit and cry in corner. so if it says on instructions 'just a pea sized amount', please stick to the instructions!
TIP: for whole face spot treatments, apply the spot treatment before your moisturiser - I was told by my dermatologist to apply creams with the most active ingredients first whilst your face is still damp.
TIP: for whole face spot treatments, apply the spot treatment before your moisturiser - I was told by my dermatologist to apply creams with the most active ingredients first whilst your face is still damp.
PAT IT DOWN
"need to dry my face quick! have to rub my face in a towel"
Actually, it has been shown that you should pat your face with a soft facial cloth rather than to rub it. This is because gentle patting will not damage your skin and will also get blood circulation flowing better in your face! sS every morning make sure to gently pat instead of harshly rubbing your face in your towel! And more than anything, make sure the towel is clean! There are also discardable facial tissues specifically designed for this, so if you want you can grab those instead.
DON'T TOUCH ME
"just going to pop this spot cause it looks ready and all"
Do NOT touch your face, and worst of all do NOT pop that spot! When you touch your face with dirty hands it will cause a spread of bacteria on your face which can cause breakouts! Furthermore, if you pop a spot and leave it, it will also cause a spread of bacteria which can leave you with a new spot to deal with later. Do not try to attempt to pop an under-the-skin spot - you know what I mean right? those pesky large and painful spots that you have to wait to go away. If you attempt to pop these or carry on squeezing or poking at them, they will only become more inflamed and angry, so touching is a no go! And you especially don't want to scar... Just wash your face, tone, moisturise, spot treat and leave your body to do the healing!
TIP: if you really feel the urge to pop the spot (it must be 'ready' to be popped), then steam your face beforehand before extracting it, it is less harsh on the skin and will be easier to remove.
SLEEP AWAITS YOU
isn't aurora pretty?
"gonna pull that all nighter, oh well, since I'm awake I won't get a new spot"
GET-THAT-BEAUTY-SLEEP! Even if you're a guy, you need that beauty sleep too! It is during this beauty slumber where our body repairs itself from any daily damage caused to our skin. Whilst we sleep our body actually produces proteins to help repair our skin, without it our skin could not repair from the damage that is caused every day. Lack of sleep makes your skin look dull and less radiant, causing a not very good look! For example: red eyes, puffy bags underneath eyes, non dewy skin and the list goes on! Trust me, one will see the benefits of your increased sleep!
TIP: if you actually can't get much sleep then drink soy milk the next day! it is said to be a 'sleep replacement' in case you have had a lack of sleep~! it has an anti inflammatory effect on the skin and can reduce puffiness! cool right?
WASH THOSE BRISTLES
"if I leave these without washing them, it's only going to be on my face so it's fine"
When you apply makeup with a brush, the brush collects bacteria from your face and hides them between the bristles. Now bacteria multiplies please remember, so if you leave your brushes unwashed for weeks imagine how much bacteria has built up by then. This is from my friend's experience, where she went on days without washing her brushes and always wondered why she broke out. She thought it was the foundation she was using when in fact it was just her unwashed brushes! Please remember to wash them after every use and to invest in a good brush cleanser!
EIGHT CUPS PLEASE
I absolutely adore green tea
"water doesn't taste like anything, so I'm going to get a coke"
Water, one of the most important things you could ever do for your skincare regime is to drink 8 cups of water a day! Water flushes out all the nasty toxins that build up in your body and can lead to more radiant and clearer skin! If you drink more water puffiness in the face has also been said to decrease! I used to skip cups of water and just turn to juices, but boy was I wrong. for the past 2 months I have been drinking only water and my best friend, green tea. the change in my skin condition is extremely noticeable and I would definitely advice everyone to drink at least 8 cups of water a day!
TIP: why not try and drink at least 3 cups of green tea a day? not only does it help with skin condition, but it helps with weight loss too! it is extremely good for flushing out toxins and guess what? it is a very easy to make toner! just make some of the tea and pop it into the fridge~! some people even add tea tree oil or witch hazel to the tea and then swipe it on~ will you give it a go?
Anyway folks, that is all for today! I just wanted to add that obviously your diet can also be a large contributing factor, along with any foods that could break you out (e.g. dairy). I hope you found some of these tips helpful and I wish to do more of these as I go along. unfortunately I was a bit short on time I've got to get some rest for an early start tomorrow! Stay well everyone and contact me if you need to!
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