Are You Guilty of the Ten Cardinal Skin Care Sins? The Skin Clinic at Urban Spa Beauty in Bishop's Stortford Reveals All!
How many of these cardinal skin care sins are you guilty of? If your skin needs some tender loving care, book in for a luxurious facial or specialist skin treatment at your favourite skin care & beauty salon serving Hertfordshire & Essex.
1. Forgot To Take Your Make Up Off At Night?
Did you climb into bed again without removing your make up? It’s important to fully cleanse your skin to remove your make up and the build-up of toxins. Pollution, smoke, car fumes – to name a few, all create an invisible film on the surface of our skin. These chemicals lead to the generation of free radicals which damage our skin cell’s DNA. This is a leading cause of premature skin ageing because it prevents skin cells dividing and repairing themselves, and damages the collagen that gives our skin its plumpness and elasticity.
Overnight makeup becomes impacted in the skin pores which clogs and stretches them. This causes inflammation in the skin follicles which can lead to infection and spot formation. The pores also become stretched and dilated, with time; they lose their ability to spring back, so the pores look bigger permanently.
2. Did You Remove Your Make Up With Face Wipes?
Although quick and easy to use, face wipes are not ideal for cleansing your skin. Nothing beats washing your face with a cleanser to fully remove make up, dirt and pollution from the skin surface. Wipes simply spread the grime around without effectively removing it.
They also leave a residue on the skin which can actually irritate the skin and prevent serums and moisturisers being absorbed properly.
3. Are You Using Too Much Moisturiser or Serum?
It’s tempting to layer on more of your skin care product in an attempt to boost or speed up the desired effects. Not only is this wasteful but it can actually overload the skin; clogging pores and in some causes causing congestion, inflammation and triggering break outs. A “pea-sized” amount of product is usually sufficient.
4. No Sunscreen?
Even if the sun isn't shining, we still need a high Sun Protection Factor to protect our skin. The effects of UV rays on our skin is the number one cause of premature skin ageing. UV rays trigger a free radical cascade which leads to intracellular damage to skin cells. This stops them growing and repairing and also damages collagen.
A broad spectrum sunscreen is best as it protects against UVA and UVB rays. SPF 50 is ideal. It is also really important to have a separate sunscreen rather than one combined with foundations or moisturisers.
5. Oily Skin? Don't Forget To Moisturise!
Just because your skin is oily doesn’t mean it does need moisture. All skin types need to be moisturised - just make sure you use the right moisturiser for your skin type. In fact, not moisturising oily skin can may it oilier, by triggering a surge in oil production when the skin is dry and dehydrated.
Invest in a moisturiser which will keep your oil levels in balance at the same time as giving your skin the moisture it needs. Remember moisturisers hydrate the skin by adding water, not oil.
6. When Did You Last Wash Your Make Up Brushes?
You wouldn’t wear the same clothes day in day out without washing them, so why would you apply make up every day with the same make up brushes without cleaning them?
Used make up brushes are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. The bacteria multiply on your make brush ready to be applied to your skin the next time you use them. The bacteria can then cause redness, congestion and trigger breakouts.
Invest in a makeup cleansing spray/solution which is quick and easy to use, so it becomes a daily part of your beauty regime. Not only does it keep your brushes clean, keep your skin healthy, it also improves application of your make up and makes it last longer.
7. Over-Exfoliating Your Face?
Over exfoliating can actually cause more harm than good. Exfoliation is an essential part of your skin care routine, but overdoing it can cause skin irritation and moisture imbalances. So if you are exfoliating daily with a facial scrub, then applying a serum containing ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids which chemically exfoliate the skin surface, followed by a regular microdermabrasion or skin peel - stop! Seek professional advice from the skin experts at The Skin Clinic at Urban Spa Beauty i Bishop's Stortford. Be mindful of the frequency and time allowed between treatments.
8. Using The Wrong Products For Your Skin Type?
When it comes to choosing your skin care products the first step is understanding your skin type.
Typically people buy products based on recommendations from others. This may not be bad advice but it's important to remember, what is perfect for your mum or your best friend may not be best suited to your skin.
Identify whether your skin is dry, oily or combination. It is also important to consider what your skin is sensitive to, what causes breakouts and which types of products have led to skin improvements in the past.
Take the time to book in for a skin analysis/consultation to fully understand your skin type and tailor your skin care regime based on this.
9. Are You Deprived Of Sleep?
Sleep is the time when your body repairs and regenerates. Skin cells are some of the most actively dividing cells in the body and the majority of their activity takes place while you’re asleep. Lack of quality sleep on a regular basis increases your levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol causes inflammation throughout the body. It can trigger flare-ups in pre-existing, inflammatory skin conditions like acne and psoriasis.
Cortisol also increases the breakdown down of collagen. Collagen fibres are an essential part of the matrix found in the dermis of the skin which gives it volume and elasticity. Collagen breakdown occurs naturally as part of the ageing process and leads to the formation of lines and wrinkles. Therefore increased levels of cortisol can lead to premature ageing.
10. Too Many Take-Aways?
Not getting your five a day deprives your skin of essential vitamins and minerals. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables provides an excellent source of antioxidants, like vitamin C and vitamin E which are needed for skin health and have some great anti-ageing benefits.
Diets high in sugar also can cause premature ageing by increasing collagen breakdown... and refined sugar and dairy products may also cause flare-ups in skin conditions like acne.
