Five Common Skin-Care Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

The holiday season is here, which means you are likely looking for shortcuts and simple solutions for everything from shopping, to exercise, to your skin-care routine. A time- and money-saving holiday gift for you: when it comes to skin care, less is more. That advice, plus four more tips to help avoid common skin-care mistakes you may not even realize you are making:

1. Not cleansing before bed. With holiday parties and events, there are likely to be many nights where you’d much rather fall into bed than take a few minutes to cleanse your skin. Sweat, oil, and dirt sit on your skin all day, so even if you don’t wear make-up, you still need to cleanse. An evening skin-care routine also is your time to address any concerns and/or maintain your current skin health. Before going to bed, I recommend just a few steps: use resurfacing ingredients such as AHAs, retinols, and restorative peptides.
2. Too much caffeine. Not what you wanted to hear, I’m sure. That morning cup of Joe dehydrates skin, which you definitely don’t want to enhance in the winter. If you need alternatives to help you wake up and stay alert without caffeine, I suggest upping your intake of vitamins B and D, adding more protein to your diet, or simply drinking more water.
3. Sugar, sugar, sugar. ‘Tis the season of the Sugar Plum Fairy. There’s no shortage of sweets over the holidays, so try to enjoy in moderation. External signs of excess-sugar-induced aging typically start showing around ages 30-35. A few tips:
   – Watch “hidden” sugars. Much of the sugars consumed today are hidden in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets. For example, 1 tbsp of ketchup contains around 1 tsp of free sugars.
   -Follow an anti-inflammatory diet with healthy fats, lean protein, fiber, and antioxidants.
   -Eat proteins first as they will balance the insulin spikes of the complex carbs.

4. Inconsistency. A skin-care routine is similar to an exercise routine. Lifting a weight once won’t create muscle definition; wearing sunscreen only when on vacation is not the path to achieving a healthy complexion. You are unlikely to see any results by using products just once or twice. Also, if it takes you six months to use a bottle that is intended to be used in two, you are not benefiting from the active ingredients. Find what works for you and stick with it.
5. Overdoing it. As the saying goes, “Too much of a good thing is too much.” If you are repeating your routine more than twice daily, it is too much. By over-cleansing/toning/astringing, you are stripping your skin of healthy oils, which causes it to produce extra oil. Oil production can be balanced with a healthy and consistent skin care routine.

For more information on mistakes you may be making with your skin care, I urge you to talk with a skin coach. It’s simple to connect with a coach through the new My Skin Authority app. I helped create the app, which is the first interactive lifestyle app that connects people with a live esthetics expert for coaching and guidance. My Skin Authority is a free download at the Apple App Store and on Google play.