4 Mistakes You're Making With Your Face Care

Guys, I've been breaking out.

There's no nice way to put it. Throughout school I've had really decent skin, the occasional spot here or there. I always sympathised but could never empathise with my peers who really struggled with their skin.

Oh how the tables have turned.

So I've been trying everything under the sun to clear my skin and through my time researching and trying new things, I found out some things that were really interesting. For those of you that are skin experts and have a flawless skin routine, this blog post may not be the most useful. And I apologise for that. But for us mere mortals that are fighting a constant battle on our own face, I thought I'd share some light on mistakes you may be making when it comes to skin care.

1. You're using makeup removing wipes.

Gone are the days you could take your makeup off and feel safe in the knowledge that your skin is now protected. Now, it's not just that you have to take your makeup off (every night- no exceptions!), it's also about how you take your makeup off.

 

Upon hearing the news that makeup wipes are the pesky double agents that are actually damaging our skin, I threw all of mine away. (Okay I kept one pack for things like the mascara smudge under your eye that just won't budge.) I replaced the makeup wipe terrors with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. I did think it was a bit pricey at £4.99 but then again it's 400 ml so it will probably last me a long while. I paired the cleansing water with double sided cotton pads and as a duo, they make removing makeup a breeze. (And a lot better for your skin!)

 So why are makeup wipes so bad for your skin? Well it's primarily down to the ocean of potent chemicals that every single wipe is drowned in before you put it on your face. The bad ones to look out for are Propylene Glycol, Phenoxylethanol and Parabens. Pretty nasty chemicals.
Also moist cloth is almost the idea breading ground for bacteria... And we're smearing it all over our faces.

Okay I don't want to scare you, just explain what I found out so you're not following my advice with no facts. I'm not avoiding face wipes at all cost, they're pretty useful after a night out and using a face wipe is 10 times better than not removing your makeup at all. Just trying using a cleanser to remove your makeup on a day to day basis... Your skin should love you for it.

2. Exfoliating.

As I went about my research into clearing skin and skin care, exfoliating seemed like a touchy subject. No one could really agree whether exfoliating was stripping away harmful chemicals or the bodies natural defences. I'm no expert but everyone did seem to agree on one thing: keep it in moderation.

When I start breaking out, my initial reaction is to use every exfoliator I can find to exfoliate all the spots away. (Logical, I know.) But actually over exfoliating does strip away natural chemicals in the skin that neutralise PH and kill bacteria. When these are stripped away, the skin goes into overdrive and starts creating more oil to make up for the loss. It's a touching story. Anyway, the moral of the story is that you should exfoliate but not too much.

 

My exfoliator of choice is the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Exfoliating Wash. I know it says 'gentle' but don't be fooled. If you have sensitive skin, I would recommend a slightly more creamy exfoliator like the--------- . However this does seem to clear my spots well and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean.
3. You're not wearing SPF.

Okay so this doesn't technically have anything to do with breaking out. I'm a bit weird about this stuff because one of my life mottos is "better to be safe than sorry." (Don't quote me on that though, it's just a saying!!)

Anyway, I guess it never really clicked that I should be wearing SPF even in winter. Pale winter skin is a lot more susceptible to the sun's damaging UV rays than tanned summer skin. So even though there is less sun, it can still damage your skin in the winter. Especially, if you're a skier/snowboarder. We all know that despite being nut bustingly cold, the sun is actually pretty bright so it's even more important to wear sunscreen then.

Plus I read wearing sunscreen all year round can slow the ageing process by 24%. As a mathematician and historian, my mind is basically built to shout WTF at that statistic. How on earth would they prove that?! Who have they asked?! What are they referring to when they say ageing process!? So I won't worry too much about the statistic but I do know for a fact that wearing sunscreen is good for your skin and will help it in the long run. Go and research in more detail if you're interested people.

4. You're not using toner.

Toner was one of those things that I was always meant to start using but never got round to buying one. So when my face started breaking out, I researched and bought a toner (I know, pushing the boat ay.) I found out it's especially important if you're someone who wears a lot of makeup. In general, using toner made my face feel cleaner and more refreshed, but I knew there were some more scientific benefits. So I researched them.

- It balances out the pH of your skin. All of different products we use on our skin throughout the day kind of screws up the pH of our skin. Like most things, our skin has an optimum pH and toner helps rebalance it.
- Tightens pores which stops dirt and bacteria from getting under your skin and causing spots.

I use the Simple Soothing Facial Toner. It smells clean and refreshing. I apply it after exfoliating with a cotton pad.

So there you have it. I know in the title it said 4 mistakes you're making... I actually meant 4 mistakes I was making which I thought I'd let you know about.

Hope this helped some of you out there and let me know if you've got any great skin tips (I could really use some!!)

See you soon and thanks for reading
Laura Stone x