The number one mistake I see people making with their skincare is using only products designed for acne-prone skin. These products are targeting only your skin condition and neglecting the needs of your skin type.
There’s a place for products that treat acne but it’s not your cleanser, toner, moisturiser, face scrubs, masks, and acne treatment gels. Many skincare products for acne are drying and irritating to the skin. Overloading your skin with these products every day leads to dry, irritated and unbalanced skin.
Here are 3 signs you’re using the wrong skincare products.
1. Your skin is tight.
Clean skin is not tight skin. If you associate clean skin with dry, tight and uncomfortable skin, you’re not using the right products. Your skin may be dry or dehydrated, or at least being dried out by products that are too harsh for you.
2. Your skin is oily.
If you use blotting papers like they’re going out of fashion and have to reapply your makeup frequently throughout the day, your sebum glands might be overactive.
Sebum is your skin’s natural lubricant. Your body is well equipped to produce the right amount of sebum to keep your skin hydrated. The products you use on your skin can interfere with your sebum production, even if you don’t have oily skin.
When you use products that are too harsh for your skin, it dries the skin out. Your sebum glands go into overtime to produce more sebum to counteract the dryness.
You may have naturally oily skin. That is skin that has large pores, feels warm to touch, and looks dewy. But skin that’s swimming in oil through the day is more likely to be imbalanced than naturally oily.
3. Your skin is inflamed and irritated.
You’ll have heard before that a new skincare regime can make skin worse before it gets better. There is some truth to this. Acne can get worse before it gets better. But new acne is very different from inflamed and irritated skin. Anything that stings or gives you blotches or redness is not working for you.
Choosing the right skincare
A better approach to skincare is to choose products that meet the needs of your skin type, plus one or two products that target your skin condition.
Skincare should leave your skin feeling soft and comfortable, not tight and tender from an assault of harsh products.
Knowing your skin type is key to getting that glowing complexion you crave.
What’s your skin type? If you’re not sure, get your copy of my book to help you find out.
