Today I’m sharing common skincare mistakes to avoid after five years of being a skincare fanatic in hopes you’ll avoid my mistakes! These are tips I’ve learned over the years that I wish I had learned sooner. I hope you find this post helpful for figuring out your own skincare journey!

Buying Products that Aren’t for Your Skin Type

When I first started getting into skincare, I didn’t really know what my skin type was. I started buying products just because they were popular instead of taking the time to figure out my skin type. I was using products that were formulated for oilier skin types that resulted in acne for years. About two years ago, I figured out my skin was dry. Since then, I’ve learned to add as much hydration in my routine as possible.

Skin care tip: To learn your skin type, cleanse your skin and pat dry. Don’t add any skincare products and wait an hour. After an hour, examine your skin. Whether your skin is dry or oily after one hour, will determine your skin type. If it’s only oily in parts of the face, you may have combo skin. 

Ignoring Climate

While skin type is ultimately one of the most important factors in choosing skincare products, taking climate into account is important as well. I live in a desert climate which ultimately leads to my dry skin becoming even more dry. You may need to buy more hydrating skincare if you live in a dry climate like me or lightweight products if you live in a humid climate. 

High pH Cleansers

Last spring, a high pH cleanser ruined my skin. Through this experience, I learned about how the acidity of skincare interacts with the acidity of the skin. The skin is naturally acidic with a pH between 4.7 and 5.7. Using a basic cleanser with a pH over 6 can disrupt your skin barrier and cause all kinds of issues like acne, dryness, redness, and tightness. I have really been enjoying the Cerave hydrating cleanser and I recommend some other low pH cleansers here.

Beginning Two New Products on the Same Day

As a beauty blogger and someone who genuinely loves trying new products, I’ve gotten into a bit of trouble when I start using two or more products on the same day. The problem with trying multiple products on the same day is if one of those products irritates your skin in some way, it’s tricky to figure out which product is the issue. Try starting new products at least a week apart so you can monitor your skin condition with each product. 

Too Many Actives

Actives like retinol, vitamin c, and exfoliating acids are amazing for the skin, however, if you use too many at the same time, they can irritate the skin and disrupt the skin barrier. I never use more than one active in one day. I usually use a vitamin c serum in the mornings and an exfoliating AHA twice a month. Learning how frequently your skin can handle actives is a bit of a trial and error process, but everyone’s skin is different and it will vary with each product.

Have you made any of these common skincare mistakes?