We know you have a lot going on. Between work, spin class, brunch, remembering to call your parents (once a week is more than enough, right? RIGHT?), getting enough sleep, and maintaining your sanity, it can be easy to skip out on the little things. We know that life can get in the way of following through with perfect skin care and beauty habits from time to time.
However, there are a handful of habits that are always best to be avoided. Obviously, as skin care fanatics, we could easily come up with a novel-sized list of habits you absolutely should ditch ASAP. But we can keep it short--so long as you promise to take these seven deadly sins to heart.
Below you’ll find seven of the most common and most important beauty sins to leave behind. And if you mess up here and there, don’t worry, we won’t tell on you!
Sleeping With Makeup On
It should come as no surprise that this one is at the top of our list. Sleeping with your makeup on is one of the biggest reasons you could be seeing breakouts. When you forget to take your makeup off at night, all of the dirt and toxins your skin has been exposed to throughout the day sits on and is forced into your pores. Not only is this habit unsanitary (would you crawl into bed wearing the same jeans you wore on the subway?), but your skin needs time to heal and regenerate while you sleep. The only way this can happen is if your skin is clean before you head off to dreamland. So do whatever you have to do to make sure you are makeup free before you hit the sheets
Helpful Hint: One of our buyers started stashing her wipes, eye makeup remover, and cotton pads in her nightstand so she has no excuses. Having it handy has made her life so much easier!
Washing Your Hair Too Often
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but odds are that you did not need to wash your hair this morning—it just felt good. Washing your hair too often will strip it of the natural oils it needs to be able to grow long and healthy and maintain its natural luster and moisture levels. Furthermore, you will save a lot of money on shampoo and conditioner if you aren’t washing your hair every day. Speaking of—another sin we did not include is using drugstore shampoo and conditioners. We shudder at the thought! You get what you pay for, and we promise the more expensive products are worth every penny.
Washing your hair every single day will also ruin any color treatment you have gotten in the past—so save yourself from having to go to the salon twice as much and cut back on the hair washing.
Helpful Hint: If you cannot stand your hair feeling greasy, try a dry shampoo (we love this one, from R+Co) for after the gym and in-between washes.
Pumping The Mascara Wand In The Tube
We see this one happen so often, it would be criminal not to mention it on this list. When you apply mascara you should never pump the wand in and out of the tube, contrary to what you may have been doing for years. Pumping the wand in and out of the tube forces air into it, drying out your mascara and causing it to lose consistency. More importantly, pumping the wand forces bacteria inside the tube along with the air, which can be dangerous in a product applied so closely to your eye.
Instead of pumping the wand, twist it out of the tube and apply it. The tubes are designed to hold the perfect amount of product each time they’re drawn out, so you have no need to worry about whether or not there is enough on the wand.
Helpful Hint:
If you are worried there is not enough product on the wand, it is likely because your mascara has already dried out. Time to toss your mascara and buy a new one.
Using Expired Products
Speaking of mascara, how long has that tube been in your makeup bag? If your answer is any longer than a few months, throw it out right now! Seriously, drop whatever you are doing, quit your job, jump in a cab, race home, run up the stairs, and throw it out. No, not really, but it does provide a great excuse to go makeup shopping. Given that the lifespan of most makeup and skin care products is six months to one year (depending on the product), you really need to be mindful of expiration dates.
When you use products that are well past their expiration dates (mascara is one of the most common culprits), they begin to grow bacteria that can actually cause breakouts or infections. Products that are made from natural and organic ingredients may have shorter lifespans since they do not contain preservatives. This means that you either need to use them faster, or keep them refrigerated to avoid growing mold and other funky critters. Take some time to check the labels of all of your skin care products and get rid of anything that has been sitting around for too long. Not sure when something expired? That little skin care pot symbol (pictured left) will tell you how long it will last from the date you opened the product (not the date it was made).
Popping Pimples
Contrary to what those disgusting YouTube videos and your teenage self may imply, popping your pimples will not make them go away any faster. In fact, popping them on your own can actually create more breakouts to appear on your skin in the surrounding area. When you get a facial or get your acne treated professionally, the skin care professional is trained to extract pimples properly. When you do it on your own, though, you could expose otherwise clear skin to oil and bacteria that causes even more breakouts.
Even if your skin does stay clear, popping your own pimples can increase scarring and long-term damage. Instead of taking matters into your own hands, slap on a Mighty Patch from Hero Cosmetics to treat it the right way. These award-winning acne patches are inspired by Korean beauty trends (and wound care!) and contain a whole bunch of ingredients that will treat the pimple quickly. Trust us, this product is better than any drying lotion on the market. Plus, they work great for all skin types.
Not Using An SPF Every Single Day
If you read our blog posts regularly, you will be well aware by now that we are huge believers in SPF and how it can save your skin from aging prematurely. Forgetting to use an SPF every single day can lead to an increase in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and expose your skin to harmful UVA/UVB rays (which can cause cancer!). Integrating an SPF into your routine is one of the easiest habits to take on because it can replace a moisturizer or CC cream. One of our favorite color-tinted SPFs is Jane Iredale’s Dream Tint SPF.
Using Dirty Makeup Brushes
In the same way that you should never sleep on a pillowcase that never gets washed, you should be alarmed at how dirty your makeup brushes can actually get. These are products you probably use almost every day, and every time they touch your skin they get exposed to natural oils and different types of bacteria. Washing your brushes regularly can prevent breakouts and keep things sanitary.
Wash your makeup brushes every couple of weeks with a brush cleaner (like this one from Glo). If you share your makeup brushes with anyone else, make sure to wash your brushes before and after you use them. This only takes a few minutes, but can mean a world of a difference in preventing breakouts and infections.
When it comes to cleansing your face, we recommend the LUNA Play from Foreo. The silicone bristles make it easy to clean and resistant to bacteria and dirt. Plus, you can always use it to clean your makeup brushes too--just make sure you clean your LUNA Play afterwards.
How many of these common beauty mistakes were you guilty of? No need to worry, even we slip up every once in awhile. If you want to tackle your skin care routine but have no idea where to start, consider getting in contact with one of our skin care consultants. This is a free service that we offer in-store or over the phone—simply fill out this application and we will reach out to you to help set you up with the perfect routine.