1. Rough exfoliation is best
Do you vigorously scrub your face when washing it to make sure that all the dirt if off your face? You might want to stop doing that. Skincare experts agree that rough exfoliation could actually damage your skin further by breaking down its natural barrier – especially if your use something like a physical exfoliator. Instead, be gentle.
2. Hot water is best for washing your face
If you have dodgy water pressure, then sometimes you can’t help if your tap water comes out boiling hot – but you should not necessarily use this for washing your face. Lukewarm water is the best temperature of water you could use for cleansing. This is because hot water can cause redness, itching, and even causing your skin to peel! At the very least, it will leave your skin feeling tight and dry, leaving you to have to compensate with more moisturizer.
3. You should always buy hypoallergenic products
Do you even know what hypoallergenic means? Because most people don’t. It actually means that the products are less likely to cause an allergic reaction to the skin – so it might be gentler and cause less problems for sensitive skin. However, there will never be a clear legal definition, so products can label themselves hypoallergenic, without even testing the products. If you are avoiding specific ingredients, it’s best to just read the back label.
4. It doesn’t matter what order you use products
Do you sometimes mix up the order you put your products on the skin? Maybe today you just feel like using a serum and leaving out your moisturizer? Stop! Experts agree that having a consistent order does actually matter. Certain products need to be applied before others, in order to build up that natural barrier and make sure they’re absorbed correctly – so always check!
5. You don’t need to apply SPF to your lips
Actually, though lips seem like a different kind of barrier, they are very much so like skin. The lip membrane is actually only 3-5 layers thick, whereas your actual skin is 16 layers thick. And because they’re still affected by sunlight and they’re a sensitive area anyways, it’s imperative that you continue to use SPF lip-balm on your lips everyday.
6. You don’t need a moisturizer if your skin is oily
Hands up who has skipped moisturizer on days when your skin feels extra oily and slick? It seems quite unnatural to apply a product onto skin that already feels quite ‘moisturized’. However, this is not something that should be followed, moisturizer can help balance out your oil production and result in less oily skin in the long run.
7. A higher SPF is always better
There’s always a lot of confusion over what SPF actually means. In fact, the difference between SPF is actually quite small; SPF 30 blocks 97% of UV rays, whereas SPF blocks 98%. The most important factor you should consider when buying sunscreen is that you choose one that has a broad range of protection from both UVA and UVB rays. In general, always choose at least SPF 30.
8. Dark circles mean you’re tired
This, again, isn’t necessarily true. Experts agree that there are lots of things that can cause dark circles, from genetics to dry skin, which means that pinning it on tiredness could mean you are ignoring the real problem. So, it’s best to consider different treatments and eye creams, prioritizing ingredients like vitamin C or retinol, depending on the core problem.
9. Your pores can open and close
Did you ever get told that hot water opens your pores and cold water closes them? Well, this is not technically true. Actually, what’s happening is that your pores are stretching out. When this happens, and they become clogged with dirt and oil, they can look bigger. If you want to reduce your pore sizes, think about cleansing your face currently and being more gentle with your skin.
10. Coconut oil is a good moisturizer
Everyone is doing it nowadays; trying to be natural, using non-synthetic products to solve skincare issues. But should you really apply coconut oil to your skin? Experts state ‘no’. Oil is a very rich oil, and by rubbing it on your face you could be adding extra congestion to your pores. This actually gives you dirtier, built up skin rather than moisturized in the long run.