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skincare, you would need about 200 lemons and because it is so acidic you would probably have burnt your entire face off by the third lemon.</p><p id="4973">Formulated skincare is well researched and put together by experienced chemists who understand these ingredients and the percentages which they work best at. Of course not all formulated skincare is great that is why there is an ingredient list to check for ingredients that could potentially be irritating and avoid them. From personal experience, only after I started using formulated skincare that was free of irritating ingredients like drying alcohols and fragrance (essential oils included)did I start to see positive results in my skin.</p><h1 id="f800">3. You think greasy foods cause acne</h1><p id="fd80">Here is something you probably believed your whole life. “Greasy foods cause acne.” Actually there is no evidence to prove that deep-fried greasy foods are in any way linked to acne. YES, it is tempting to think that oily foods equal oily face therefore acne. However, there is absolutely no link, none whatsoever. Your oily face is as a result of your sebaceous glands overproducing sebum. This can be caused by a number of factors like hormones. Some people just naturally have oily skin and even certain dietary choices that you didn’t suspect.</p><p id="3cbb">Foods like dairy, high glycemic foods like white rice and white bread, and sugar have actually been linked to acne. Of course, this is not true for everyone but if you’re acne-prone, you are better off avoiding milk than fried chicken.</p><h1 id="c59f">4. You over-exfoliate</h1><p id="70cc">Exfoliation is one of the most misunderstood steps in skincare. Yes, exfoliation is supposed to remove dead skin cells. It is not supposed to be an excuse to physically abuse your skin. A skincare tip we all need to hear often is “Be gentle”. Stop scrapping, tugging, and scrubbing your skin. Physical exfoliation is the most popular form of exfoliation. If you walk into any supermarket or drugstore you would find a whole shelve dedicated to scrubs. Scrubs feel nice to use but they are actually quite harsh to the skin.</p><p id="1763">Instead, go for chemical exfoliation. I know it sounds scary but chemical exfoliants are actually quite gentle. AHAs like lactic, mandelic, and malic acid are great chemical exfoliants to help to unstick the de

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ad skin cells from your skin. They are less harsh and more effective. BHAs like salicylic acid are great for acne while, PHAs which are the gentlest kind of chemical exfoliants work similarly to AHAs but more gentle. Also, note that they are still acids so do not just jump into buying a 30% AHA. Calm down, breathe, and start with a 5% AHA first.</p><p id="0068">Over exfoliation means exfoliating every day. It is also using two different kinds of exfoliation in the same routine, like a spin brush and a scrub. I have made the painful mistake of using a new hairbrush to exfoliate in an attempt to get on the vanity planet spin brush train everyone on Youtube was using. Then, I proceeded to slap lemon essential oil on my face. I have never felt my face burn more. It was a terrible idea.</p><h1 id="dd51">5. You are not doing your research</h1><p id="4d96">Skincare is quite tricky. The truth is if you don’t do the research you are likely to make a lot of grave mistakes. Finding a skincare routine that works for you takes a lot of research, trial, and error. I have made mistakes like trying 3 new products at once and my face broke out terribly. I did my research and realized that one, trying several products at once was a bad idea and two, my skin didn’t fare well with certain ingredients.</p><p id="b756">Research also teaches you important things pertaining to your skin type and even the color of your skin. I remember I only recently found out that glycolic acid is not great for skin of color. Also, research is how you understand how to treat your skin concerns. It informs you of foods that may trigger those skin concerns and so on. So, read articles and watch informative videos on skincare,(not just those showing you a skincare routine) and you should be well on your way to understanding how to care for your skin.</p><h1 id="64d0">Finally,</h1><p id="99f2">If you have any serious skin concerns like acne or eczema, understand that it won’t disappear overnight. This is why dermatologists typically space appointments for about 6 months. Making mistakes in skincare is common but more often than not, your skin is resilient and hopefully doesn’t fall off because of them. Skincare requires some level of trial and error, of course, with a lot of research. So, Just have fun doing it because that is what it is supposed to be. Fun.</p></article></body>

5 Skincare Mistakes You are Probably Making

And why you should stop now

Photo by Anastasiia Ostapovych on Unsplash

As a recent skincare junkie, I have made a lot of skincare mistakes in my past. And chances are that you have and are probably still making them too. The reality of skincare is many people claim to know a lot about it because they have normal skin and haven’t had to go through the trial and error phases that some of us did. So, to save you time, money and heartache, here are 5 common skincare mistakes you are probably making

1. You don’t wear SPF

I have heard time and time again from many dermatologists, estheticians, and other skincare experts why it is extremely important to wear SPF. Here is the major thing, 90% of premature aging and skin issues are as a result of exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Hyperpigmentation? You can thank the sun for that. Skin aging? Yep, also the sun. Even skin cancer has been linked to overexposure to the sun. The Ultraviolet rays the sun emits causes a lot of your skin problems.

Black people and other people of color, I am talking to you too. Stop skipping sunscreen. Your melanin might protect you from UVB sunburn but your skin can not escape UVA, so buy yourself a broad spectrum SPF and protect your skin.

2. You think Natural Skincare is better

This is by far the biggest misconception in skincare. Natural skincare usually consists of using ingredients in their rawest form and/or mixing up a concoction of them in your kitchen with a DIY youtube video as your guide. Here is the thing, the word ‘natural’ is nothing but marketing. That is exactly why skincare companies slap the word on their packaging to get you to buy their products. No, mixing Tumeric and lemon juice is not going to cure your hyperpigmentation. On the contrary according to Dr. David Lim, a dermatologist, and YouTuber, to get the vitamin C benefits you would find in formulated skincare, you would need about 200 lemons and because it is so acidic you would probably have burnt your entire face off by the third lemon.

Formulated skincare is well researched and put together by experienced chemists who understand these ingredients and the percentages which they work best at. Of course not all formulated skincare is great that is why there is an ingredient list to check for ingredients that could potentially be irritating and avoid them. From personal experience, only after I started using formulated skincare that was free of irritating ingredients like drying alcohols and fragrance (essential oils included)did I start to see positive results in my skin.

3. You think greasy foods cause acne

Here is something you probably believed your whole life. “Greasy foods cause acne.” Actually there is no evidence to prove that deep-fried greasy foods are in any way linked to acne. YES, it is tempting to think that oily foods equal oily face therefore acne. However, there is absolutely no link, none whatsoever. Your oily face is as a result of your sebaceous glands overproducing sebum. This can be caused by a number of factors like hormones. Some people just naturally have oily skin and even certain dietary choices that you didn’t suspect.

Foods like dairy, high glycemic foods like white rice and white bread, and sugar have actually been linked to acne. Of course, this is not true for everyone but if you’re acne-prone, you are better off avoiding milk than fried chicken.

4. You over-exfoliate

Exfoliation is one of the most misunderstood steps in skincare. Yes, exfoliation is supposed to remove dead skin cells. It is not supposed to be an excuse to physically abuse your skin. A skincare tip we all need to hear often is “Be gentle”. Stop scrapping, tugging, and scrubbing your skin. Physical exfoliation is the most popular form of exfoliation. If you walk into any supermarket or drugstore you would find a whole shelve dedicated to scrubs. Scrubs feel nice to use but they are actually quite harsh to the skin.

Instead, go for chemical exfoliation. I know it sounds scary but chemical exfoliants are actually quite gentle. AHAs like lactic, mandelic, and malic acid are great chemical exfoliants to help to unstick the dead skin cells from your skin. They are less harsh and more effective. BHAs like salicylic acid are great for acne while, PHAs which are the gentlest kind of chemical exfoliants work similarly to AHAs but more gentle. Also, note that they are still acids so do not just jump into buying a 30% AHA. Calm down, breathe, and start with a 5% AHA first.

Over exfoliation means exfoliating every day. It is also using two different kinds of exfoliation in the same routine, like a spin brush and a scrub. I have made the painful mistake of using a new hairbrush to exfoliate in an attempt to get on the vanity planet spin brush train everyone on Youtube was using. Then, I proceeded to slap lemon essential oil on my face. I have never felt my face burn more. It was a terrible idea.

5. You are not doing your research

Skincare is quite tricky. The truth is if you don’t do the research you are likely to make a lot of grave mistakes. Finding a skincare routine that works for you takes a lot of research, trial, and error. I have made mistakes like trying 3 new products at once and my face broke out terribly. I did my research and realized that one, trying several products at once was a bad idea and two, my skin didn’t fare well with certain ingredients.

Research also teaches you important things pertaining to your skin type and even the color of your skin. I remember I only recently found out that glycolic acid is not great for skin of color. Also, research is how you understand how to treat your skin concerns. It informs you of foods that may trigger those skin concerns and so on. So, read articles and watch informative videos on skincare,(not just those showing you a skincare routine) and you should be well on your way to understanding how to care for your skin.

Finally,

If you have any serious skin concerns like acne or eczema, understand that it won’t disappear overnight. This is why dermatologists typically space appointments for about 6 months. Making mistakes in skincare is common but more often than not, your skin is resilient and hopefully doesn’t fall off because of them. Skincare requires some level of trial and error, of course, with a lot of research. So, Just have fun doing it because that is what it is supposed to be. Fun.