The more the years pass, the more you find your skin losing the shine and elasticity that it once had. Now what? You either ignore skin health, citing the lack of time or tend to overdo it, using all the actives that you come to know about. And neither of these helps your skin in the long term. The only way to go about it is to know the ingredients that suit your skin type, how and when to use them, and then make a conscious decision accordingly.
The Channel 46 has collaborated with Mini Sood Banerjee, Assistant Director & Head of Marketing at Innisfree, to know 5 skincare fads you should steer clear of and 4 that you should definitely include in your daily routine.
5 Skincare Fads You Should Avoid
1. Avoid Storing DIY Skincare Treatments
DIY skincare ingredients are easily perishable and can get oxidised if stored beyond a couple of days, resulting in an entirely different and harmful outcome than expected. Especially when it comes to common ingredients like lemon, mayonnaise, sugar, eggs, or any dairy products. To avoid inviting bacteria to travel onto your skin, or risking irritation and inflammation, you should absolutely say a big NO to skincare DIYs for moisturisers, serums, masks, or exfoliators as they can lead to breakouts, increase sensitivity, and weaken your skin’s barrier.
2. Don’t Over-Exfoliate
Exfoliation is one of the keys to maintaining youthful, healthy skin as it boosts the skin regeneration process. However, doing so too frequently can irritate and weaken the skin barrier. Furthermore, over-exfoliation can also cause redness, irritation, and the loss of moisture and hydration, which are required to maintain a healthy, glowing complexion. Exfoliating ingredients that are too potent or concentrated should not be used for more than once a week, as they could be aggressive or irritating for your skin. Frequent use of exfoliators with more than 2% of BHA and 5% of AHA, as well as physical exfoliators, can worsen the skin’s texture and do your skin more harm than good.
3. Layering Multiple Actives At The Same Time Can Be Harmful
Your skin barrier is what acts as a shield for your skin and as a defence against external aggressors. If you use too many actives at once, you may impair your skin barrier, causing over dryness, lack of radiance, and an increase in skin sensitivity, not to mention it can even lead to skin burn out. The most common culprits here are combinations of active ingredients such as salicylic acid, retinol, glycolic acid, and vitamin C! Layering or applying more actives is an ineffective practice that worsens the skin’s condition rather than providing the nutrition that it needs.
4. Direct Use Of Essential Oils Can Worsen Skin Conditions
When used improperly as treatment solutions without dilution, essential oils like tea tree, rose, and citrus oils can be major irritants. Undiluted essential oils can exacerbate the skin issue while using them in a diluted form. Citrus essential oils, for instance, are frequently used to brighten the complexion and are known to be helpful. This helps eliminate dark spots and pigmentation, However, because they are extremely acidic in nature, they may frequently irritate the skin severely and may even readily respond negatively to sunlight and cause serious sunburn.
5. Stop Using Actives Without Knowing Their Pros & Cons For Your Skin Type
There are numerous skincare actives that trend over the internet every now and then, and we’re always tempted to experiment with each one of them. Skin types vary and, hence, using every active that is easily available is strictly discouraged without consulting a dermatologist. Before settling on an active ingredient, it is important to understand your specific skin concerns and needs. If you are unsure about your skin type and needs, you should conduct a test to find out or consult experts. Retinol and vitamin C, for example, are well-known as powerful brightening and anti-ageing ingredients, but that does not imply that they can be layered one after the other at the same time.
4 Skin Care Trends You Should Follow
1. Keep Your Daily Skincare Minimal
Adapting a minimalist skincare approach does not imply giving up your favourite products forever. A well-thought-out skincare routine that does not overload on skincare products concentrates on what’s best and ideal for your skin’s needs. The result? You’ll save time, money, and needless trial and error by simplifying your skincare routine to include only cleanser, toner, serum, cream, and SPF. In addition, it’s better for the environment. product, packaging, and waste reduction.
2. Build On Your Skin Barrier
The skin barrier is the topmost protective layer that acts as a protective shield against multiple external stressors by retaining the water throughout the day. A stronger skin barrier also provides defence by preventing and responding to microbial organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, which are major causes of rosacea, skin irritation and acne breakout. To boost and strengthen the skin barrier, topical supplementation with ceramide, fatty acids, hyaluronic acid, amino acid, and panthenol is the most effective choice.
3. Switch To Hybrid Skincare Practice
Yes, there are products that could offer you a photo-ready look while offering skincare solutions. Hybrid products are rich in skincare actives and ingredients, aiding you to treat, protect, and enhance the skin, without the need for an additional layer of makeup. In addition, ensuring your skin breathes well on the inside and your face dazzles on the outside. Tinted creams are well-known examples of hybrid skincare products. They improve the appearance of the skin with a light tint and provide skincare and makeup efficacy.
4. Focus On Skin Cycling
Skin cycling is a practice that allows for weekly rest days so that your skin can repair itself after using certain products. Skin cycling is great at preventing skin irritation and inflammation. The skin cycling regimen is a four-night cycle in which you can focus on skin exfoliation to boost the skin regeneration process on the first night, follow a routine using retinol night on the next night re-texturise and reduce the appearance of signs of ageing, and lastly, the enable your skin to relax and breathe free on the third and fourth nights. Henceforth, you can continue repeating the same cycle.
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