5 Skincare Mistakes That Age You

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With a lot of time in our hands (thanks to the pandemic!) We all have started some type of skincare regime. Needless to say that all things shiny are not good for you! No one wants their skin to be older i.e. age faster than they do.

The skin on our face is the most sensitive and delicate. So taking care of it in the right way is non-negotiable. To add-on to our problems, we have other external factors that cause pre-mature ageing, like – pollution, dust, stress etc. These are not in our control, so we should make sure that the things which are i.e. the right skincare, should be sacrosanct.

Remember prevention is easier than treatment! So age gracefully!

Here I am sharing 5 skincare mistakes, that age you faster. So, avoid making these-

1. Sleeping the wrong way

sleep the right way to age slower — Photo by Damir Spanic on Unsplash

We all know that getting the right amount of snooze time is important for our body to heal. Having said that, the way you sleep also affects your skin. People you sleep with their face smushed on the pillows, age faster and show more fine lines.

Your skin has collagen and elastin, which help your skin to bounce back. Rubbing your face on to a pillow for 7-8 hours every night damages your skin collagen over a period of time. The Ideal thing is to sleep on your back or get satin covers ( the damage is less).

Try out this sleep pillow or satin covers-

2. Over Exfoliating

over exfoliating ages your skin — Pic Credit- Woman Mag

Yes, I said it! There is a thing known as too much exfoliation. With all the exfoliating products in the market, which guarantee a flawless skin. This does tempt us to keep using them and get the results sooner. We all forget that there is a time-period for skin to renew its cells.

Exfoliation is good, but only twice a week. It helps clear the clogged pores, remove dead skin. This helps open the skin for moisturising products to penetrate better. Having said that, too much exfoliation can damage skin too. Be careful to stay away from the scrubs which have harsh beads in them.

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3. Applying SPF only once

Apply Spf- Skincare mistakes that age you — Photo by Blake Cheek on Unsplash

We all know the importance of the SPF in our skin-care regime. SPF protects us from the harmful Ultra Violet rays to avoid skin damage. Not wearing a sunscreen on a cloudy day can damage your skin as well. During overcast the rays still effect your skin by 80%, so do not forget that SPF.

Coming back to the main topic, when you wear sunscreen and go out into the sunlight, the rays break down your sunscreen. The sun breaks down all sunscreen actives over time, and mineral actives are more likely to be wiped off of the skin over time since they sit on the skin’s top layer. Therefore it is important to choose the right sunscreen and apply it every 2-3 hours for the best protection.

Few of my all-time favourite suncreens-

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4. Self Extraction

self extraction ages you — Pic Credit- Loreal Mag

I cannot tell you the number of times I have been tempted to pop that zit or extract that pesky blackhead. I think we all have been there and I would be lying if I say I have been always good :-/

Over the years, I have finally controlled myself more touching my face and let the zits settle down on its own. For blackheads, I use more professional services just to be safe.

Pro-tip- Blackheads are caused by clogged pores. So keep your skincare regime on point and exfoliate regularly. This will automatically reduce the pesky blackheads.

For other times use spot treatment for reliable blackhead strips for gentle extraction.

5. Not washing your face at the right time/ right way

Wash face the right way to slow ageing — Pic Credit- Allure

Soap and water and voila you are done. Wrong! Only if things were that simple.

I love working out and the best part is the after-glow on my face. The flushed face and shine+sweat, talk about the natural glow 😛 But we all often forget to do post-workout skin regime. Wash your face and get rid of the sweat and dirt, it is non-negotiable. All that sweat blocks your skin and you need it to breathe again. So instead of just flashing your face with water, follow a proper skincare routine post it.

FYI- Clean wipes do not count! Using wipes is the worst thing that you can do to your skin. The friction ( point 1) causes collagen damage over a period of time. So throw those wipes in the bin.

This does bring me to the point that, do not be lazy and remove that makeup in the night. It does not matter if you have applied a heavy-duty base or a light bb cream, cleaning your face in the night is crucial. Keep it simple, use the right facewash( massage it for 30-45 seconds),tone & moisturize.

Remember we do not age all of sudden, only we notice it one day. So making changes and following the correct routine everyday will add on to slow the ageing of your skin.

Every day counts!

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