These are the worst aging skin mistakes you can make!
Ok, let’s set the record straight: time is not kind to your skin, and this is so easy to notice. Collagen and elastin are the main proteins that give skin its elasticity and structure, and as the years pass, we lose these proteins, which is how we get wrinkles.
Hopefully, there is an entire industry that is trying to make our skin look amazing no matter our age, but do you know how to take advantage of this, or are you making the following aging skin mistakes?
According to some surveys, 62% of Americans reported that they use products that are formulated for mature skin as part of their skincare routine. But not everybody is using the right items, and sometimes the steps we take can be incredibly wrong and even damage our skin.
Read on and learn how to avoid these common aging skin mistakes that can make your skin age faster or, even worse, cause serious health problems.
1. Following skincare trends
We live in a time when social media skincare advice is more popular than ever, but as with any information you find online, you can’t just follow it blindly. Doing this is one of the worst aging skin mistakes you can make, and we are here to tell you more about what you can do about it.
Skincare trends are incredibly popular, and the internet is full of various influencers who are promoting thousands of products and techniques that are supposed to help you have young and beautiful skin, but are they really working?
Well, it depends. Let’s take a look at the collagen craze. People really fell for that one, and they ingested collagen through pills or drinks. The only problem is that there is no research that can confirm that ingesting collagen can make a difference in the way your skin looks and feels.
This is a lucky one because ingesting collage doesn’t have negative effects and can at least make your bones stronger. But there are many other similar pieces of advice that can take a wrong turn.
2. Not wearing sunscreen
Dermatologists all around the world say that this is a big one and also one of the most common aging skin mistakes. UV rays are incredibly harmful to the skin, and they are known to cause premature aging, also known as photoaging of the skin, as well as skin cancer. It all happens because of the chances at the cellular level that take place when the rays hit your skin.
Believe it or not, 80% of the skin on the face that is aging is caused by sun exposure, and this is the reason why you should wear sunscreen every day without exception. What is surprising is that sunscreen not only protects you from photoaging but also reverses it.
Now, not any type of sunscreen will protect your skin. Experts recommend picking one that has both UVA and UVB protection, and the SPF should be at least 30, preferably 50. Also, don’t forget to equip yourself with sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat when you go outside in the summer.
One thing that most people forget or are not aware of is that the face is not the only part of their body that needs sunscreen. This is a big one of the aging skin mistakes. You should also apply sunscreen to your neck, chest, or hands. The golden rule is to cover every part of your body that is exposed to the sun with sunscreen before you leave the house.
3. Using hyaluronic acid incorrectly
There was a fuss about how hyaluronic acid can make you look young forever, and you can see it in a lot of commercials. Well, this is true: hyaluronic acid really helps slow down the aging process, but using it incorrectly is one of the biggest aging skin mistakes.
How hyaluronic acid works is that it attracts moisture from the environment and effectively pulls it into your skin. But there is a thing that no commercial is telling you. When you apply it to damp skin, you have to seal it with some moisturizer, because if you don’t do that, it can actually have a reverse effect and greatly dehydrate your skin.
4. Overexfoliating
Yes, exfoliation is important, but another one of the aging skin mistakes is when you overdo it and, in the end, overexfoliate your skin. You should have a gentle approach to exfoliating because if you use harsh practices, your skin will look older and will also have a dull appearance.
We use exfoliation because it is extremely efficient—actually the most efficient—to remove dead skin and debris from the surface of your face. But when you exfoliate too much, you will also remove the beneficial oils and, in the end, damage the moisture barrier.
Also, there are two types of exfoliants, and they act differently. Manual or physical exfoliation can be done using a brush, coffee grounds, or anything that acts physically on the skin to remove the dead skin cells.
Then we have chemical exfoliation, which uses chemicals such as beta-hydroxy acid or alpha-hydroxy acid, and it has a more gentle mechanism compared to the method presented above, the physical one.
Experts and doctors recommend the last method of exfoliation as it is more gentle, but you should still be careful and not overdo it. You’ll probably need to do it once a week, and if you have very sensitive skin, maybe once every two weeks.
If you plan to go on vacation this summer and you also want to go to the beach, don’t forget to always wear SPF. This one is effective and also has an amazing price: Neutrogena Beach Defense Water-Resistant Face & Body SPF 70 Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB Protection
You should also read: Which Workouts are Recommended for Varicose Vein Relief?
