I know that people come to Ask Lisa to unlock the secrets to having lustrous, youthful skin that belies their age. And we have dozens of articles that will provide you with tips on everything from identifying your skin type to choosing age-defying products to creating the perfect skin regimen for your age.
But it’s also just as important to avoid bad skincare practices and products that can accelerate your age. In this article, we’re going to look at some poor practices that many of you probably have adopted without realizing how bad they are for your skin. My hope is that with knowledge, you'll be inspired to tweak some bad habits, reverse the aging process as it relates to your skin, and get the most out of the skin care products you're using.
Overlooking Sun Protection
Few things feel as good on our skin as the warming rays of the sun, but going out in the daytime without proper ultraviolet ray protection can age your skin rapidly. Here’s how:
- UV rays can penetrate deep into the skin and destroy collagen fibers and elastin, both of which are essential to healthy-looking skin. The destruction of these elements can lead to fine lines, wrinkles, and, eventually, looser skin.
- The heat causes the skin's natural oils to evaporate, which leaves it drier and unprotected.
- UV rays induce free radicals, which wreak havoc in the skin matrix, leading to cellular damage.
- Prolonged exposure to the sun can encourage hyperpigmentation in skin cells, which can result in the appearance of age spots and other irregular surface features.
Now, many of you will counter by saying, “But the sun is how we get vitamin D!” That’s correct, but it’s not the only way to get this essential vitamin. When exposed to the sun, your skin can produce its own vitamin D. However, you can also get plenty of vitamin D from your food and, of course, over-the-counter supplements. If you are bent on absorbing sunlight to generate vitamin D, at least protect your face with a hat and a broad-spectrum SPF sunblock. If you are going for a swim, reapply the sunscreen when you get out of the water.
Neglecting Proper Hydration
Many of Serious Skincare’s products are designed to moisturize the skin or to retain existing moisture, but there is no substitute for drinking water. Hydration is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and not just for skincare. However, so many of us underestimate the amount of water we need to keep our body and skin fully hydrated. Or we consume diuretics without properly adjusting our water intake. These are some of the ways that drinking water will help keep your skin healthy and beautiful:
Elasticity
When your skin cells are fully hydrated, they are plumper, making your skin appear thicker and healthier. On the other hand, if your cells are dehydrated, they contract, which makes your expands your pores and thins your skin.
Collagen
There are many factors that can boost or hinder collagen production, but if collagen fibers are dry, they become weaker and more rigid. The body also uses water molecules in the production of new collagen.
Skin Barrier
The skin barrier is the natural oils that provide a layer of defense against pollutants and other elements. Water is vital to this skin defense mechanism.
Flakiness
If you are exposed to harsh weather — sun, wind, cold, etc. — your skin can become dry and flaky. Water helps to heal the skin and promotes cellular turnover. In other words, hydrated skin produces new cells and sloughs off the dead ones.
Sensitivity
The drier your skin is, the more sensitive it becomes. If you already have delicate skin, it’s important not to exacerbate the issue. Drink lots of water.
Are you Drinking Enough Water?
The Mayo Clinic recommends 15.5 cups (almost a gallon) of water for men and 11.5 cups (about ¾ of a gallon) for women, with some of that coming from the water contained in food. However, that’s just a baseline. You should increase your water intake if you:
- Drink caffeinated beverages
- Drink alcoholic beverages
- Engage in rigorous exercise
- You live in a hot or humid environment
- You are pregnant or nursing (consult your physician about proper water intake)
As a rule, your urine should be light yellow and clear. If that’s not the case, you may not be drinking enough water.
Excessive Exfoliation
The outer layer of the skin (the stratum corneum) is mostly comprised of dead skin cells. While that may sound like a really unhealthy situation, those dead cells still serve as a protective barrier. Don’t get me wrong. For most of us, occasional exfoliation is a good idea. It can help remove the loose cells that clog pores and dull the skin. However, if you exfoliate too often, you can dry your skin, damage the skin barrier, and destroy healthy skin cells.
Some skincare products recommend exfoliating your face as much as three times per week, but my recommendation is to start with once per week and monitor the results. If you want to incorporate a second exfoliation, just be hyperaware of how your skin responds. For most people, that’s enough. You should not exceed three times per week and cut way back if you notice that your skin is getting dry or flaky.
Skipping Nightly Skincare
Under no circumstances should you skip your nighttime skin regimen. Your morning skincare routine is also important, but for now, let’s talk about why the nighttime routine is so vital to skincare by going through the steps.
Makeup Removal
Your makeup will eventually clog your pores if you don’t remove it and use a gentle facial cleanser to ensure that you’ve gotten all of it off. If you skip this step, you will be trapping the makeup underneath other skincare products, which will neutralize their effectiveness.
Cleanser
As we go about our days, our skin accumulates tiny particulates, dust, and bacteria, which may be partially blocked if you have a strong morning routine. Additionally, your natural oils can build up. If these elements remain on your face when you go to sleep, they will block pores and throw off the pH balance of your skin. A non-detergent facial cleanser, like Serious Skincare’s A Defiance A Wash will cleanse your pores and ready your skin to absorb serums and moisturizers.
Serum
Serums are light moisturizers that are loaded with nutrients and enzymes that the skin can naturally absorb. For example, the Serious C3 C Serum contains 6 stabilized Vitamin C esters and is engineered with our proprietary C3 Plasma™ Bio-Technology for rapid absorption. This helps to boost hydration, increase collagen production, and introduce antioxidants to the skin while you sleep.
Eye Cream
If you don’t like the look of bags under your eyes, get plenty of sleep, hydrate, and gently apply an eye cream. The skin around the eyes is among the thinnest and most sensitive in the body. Blood vessels are very close to the surface of the skin. Eye cream often contains hyaluronic acid (HA) to improve hydration, caffeine for enhanced circulation, retinol to promote cellular turnover and other essential ingredients for healthy eye skin.
Moisturizer
A good nighttime moisturizing cream will hydrate your skin as you sleep and help prevent cellular water loss. The nighttime is when most of your body’s healing occurs, and skincare is no exception. Moisturizers promote skin repair and regeneration. Skipping this crucial step can rob your skin of the moisture and ingredients it requires for these essential processes. Serious Skincare’s Reverse Lift Facial Cream optimizes collagen production with powerful peptides and other ingredients as you sleep.
Using Inappropriate Skincare Products
Serious Skincare exhaustively researches the ingredients in each of our products. However, it’s important to recognize that none of our products are appropriate for all skin types. Learning about your skin is vital to your anti-aging efforts. Some products you may want to avoid altogether.
For instance, Serious Skincare does not sell toners. Many commercially marketed toners claim to restore the pH balance of your skin. However, most facial cleansers accomplish this without the help of a toner. Additionally, toners can damage the skin barrier and dry the skin.
Another example is facial oil. I usually only recommend facial oil for dry skin. If you have normal, combination, or oily skin, facial oil can be overkill.
The point is that if you use some of the best skincare products on the market in the wrong way, they’re not going to work for you. And, of course, if you have any questions about Serious Skincare's cosmeceutical-grade skin care products, you can contact us. We are always happy to talk about our various lines with other skincare enthusiasts.