It’s time to get serious. Skincare is no joke and it’s time to stop making the same mistakes. All these beautiful products will not do your skin any justice if you are not using them correctly. I’m by no means a skincare expert quite yet, but I have picked up some helpful tips along my skincare journey. I encourage you to take a look at your skincare routine and identify aspects that can easily be improved. Our skin is our largest organ, therefore we should treat it with as much love and care as possible.

1. Dirty Hands

Before you even think about beginning your skincare routine, it’s probably a good idea for you to wash your hands. It may seem silly that I’m even mentioning washing your hands, but after asking around and seeing other people do their skincare routine, I was shocked to see how many people didn’t wash their hands. I promise you, you will not be doing your skin any good by rubbing in your gorgeous cleansers with gross, grimy hands.

There are literally a million germs e v e r y w h e r e. On our phones, keyboards, door handles, elevator buttons, you name it there are probably germs.

If you’re not thoroughly washing your hands before beginning your skincare routine, you’re most likely spreading those ugly germs all over your beautiful face, which can then lead to breakouts. I kid you not, I literally wash by hands about three-times throughout my skincare routine. Do yourself a favor, and wash your hands!

2. Cleansing Incorrectly

Even if you already removed your makeup with a wipe or didn’t even wear makeup that day, it is still important that you wash your face. Left over makeup, dirt and sweat can still be lingering on your skin even after using a wipe. Taking the extra step to wash off that gunk will do wonders for your skin. However, you need to make sure you’re cleansing your face thoroughly. A lot of times we can be so exhausted from the day that the last thing we want to do is wash our face so we only do it for like 15 seconds. Washing your face for that long won’t do much. Try washing your face for at least 60 seconds to ensure your skin is free from all the gunk of the day.

3. Bad Ingredients

A variety of ingredients found in skincare products have been linked to causing cancer and hormonal imbalances The more natural your products are the better off you’ll be in the long run.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is an ingredient often found in face wash. The main concern with this ingredient is that it can cause skin irritation, it disrupts the skins natural oil balance and is “a major contribution to acne around the mouth and chin”.

A common ingredient found in skin exfoliates is butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). BHA has been linked to causing skin pigmentation and studies show it can cause liver damage and stomach cancers.

Parabens is probably one of the most common ingredient found in beauty products. The main issue with parabens is that they can lead to breast and skin cancer.

Lastly, one of the main products to avoid is fragrance. Federal law doesn’t require corporations to list the ingredients in their fragrance formula. “Recent research from Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found an average of 14 chemicals in 17 name-brand fragrance products”, which are not listed on the ingredient label.

Next time you’re shopping for a new face mask or moisturizer, take a look a the ingredients to make sure your product is as natural as can be. Rubbing in these harmful ingredients into our skin is very dangerous. These ingredients can easily find their way into our bloodstream and can cause numerous health problems.

4. Breakup with the Wipes

I’ve been there, I’ve done it. It’s been a long, wild night and the last thing you want to do is wash your face, so you reach for a makeup wipe. You tug at your eyeliner, try to erase the smeared lipstick and drag the wipe all over your face in an attempt to remove that 24-hour foundation.

It looks like all your makeup has been removed, right? Wrong. Using a makeup is just not the way to go honey. You’re literally massaging all this makeup and dead skin all over your face, and I can guarantee you there is still quite a bit of makeup lingering around.

Trust me, I understand the convenience of a makeup wipe, but do your future self a favor and stop using them! You are fabulous and your skin really deserves a good wash after a long day.

Using a makeup wipe can also lead to irritaiton and wrinkles. Basically, makeup wipes are pure trash and you really shouldn’t use them.

I understand that there are those nights were you really can’t bring yourself to wash your face, but if you stay tuned for an upcoming blog post, I’ll tell you all about a miracle product that will remove your makeup better and faster than a wipe.

5. Forgetting Your Neck

I truly am so proud of you that your moisturizing that beautiful face, but honey, don’t forget your neck! She needs some loving too.

The neck is probably the most forgotten when it comes to skincare. I know you’re blending that foundation down to your neck, so you need to be sure that you’re taking the time to cleanse it properly. Also, cleansing your neck also stimulates your skins “inner cleaning system, also known as the lymphatic system”.

Since our neck skin is so thin, it is the first to show aging, therefore it is so important to moisturize. Remember, apply moisturizer in an upward motion, never downwards.

Like I said in the beginning, our skin is our biggest organ and we need to treat her right! I’m not perfect and sometimes after a long day, there is no way that I will be washing my face. It’s totally fine to have those days where you take a wipe and say goodnight, but as long as you’re taking the initiative to care for your skin is all that really matters.

I encourage you to check out these tips and make some changes in your skincare routine. Let me know if you see a difference and be sure to comment your skincare routine tips down below.

Thanks for reading and be sure to follow me on Instagram for more beauty content.