Skincare Do’s and Don’ts: 10 Things You Should Know Sooner Rather Than Later

Here are ten skincare do’s and don’ts you need to know

Let’s talk about some of the most important skincare do’s and don’ts to help you achieve your best skin yet. From using sunscreen to exfoliation, we’ll cover everything you need to know to make sure your skincare routine is working for you, not against you.

Skincare Do’s and Donts

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The Do’s 

1. Do Wash Your Hands First

The true first step in a skincare routine is the cleanser. So I get in, washing your hands may not be at the forefront of your mind, especially after a long day when you just want to get it over with. But products and impatience aside, clean hands are the first step in your overall routine.

Don’t touch your face without thoroughly washing your hands, especially for your PM skincare routine. If you’ve just hopped out of the shower chances are you’ve already applied your body lotion and other body care products – more of a reason to wash your hands first because body care products should go nowhere near the thinner and more sensitive skin on the face.

2. Do pick a cleanser for your skin type

Picking the right cleanser for your skin is one of, if not the most important part of skincare

There are extremely drying cleansers marketed for oily skin. And while those work, overly stripping the skin will make your sebum production worse. Finding the perfect balance between a proper cleanse without overly drying is more often than not trial and error or going off of thousands of reviews. 

I have extremely oily skin, so a foaming or gel cleanser works but someone with dry skin should go for a lightweight, hydration face wash.

3. Do double cleanse with an oil cleanser

My skincare journey started out small, with four products maybe. So months went by before the skincare community convinced me to get an oil cleanser finally. But I wasn’t entirely there yet, so I got the cheapest one I could find. My oily skin saw oil cleansing as the worst thing I could ever do. I mean, why would I put oil on top of oil? But It worked its magic; almost overnight because the next morning my skin looked smoother than it had in a long time.

How To Double Cleanse:

First oil cleanse

Depending on your skin type, your oil cleanser can be lightweight or thicker. People with dry sensitive skin typically go for more lightweight, gentle cleansers such as cleansing balms or cleansing milks. Oily skin works best with heavier and thicker oil-based cleansers in my experience. My favourite Oil cleanser is this Rice Water Oil Cleanser by The Face Shop. The only cons? It’s lightly fragranced and really affordable.

If you wear heavy sunscreen or makeup cleansing balms are the best option no matter your skin type.

The second step follow up with your regular cleanser

Use your regular cleanser to wash away the residue from your oil cleanser to leave your skin properly cleansed. You can follow popular skin care techniques such as the sixty-second rule which involves cleansing your skin for a full 60 seconds without stopping- the easiest and cheapest way to level up your skincare routine

Benefits of Double Cleansing

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4. Do pick a moisturizer for your skin type

Combination to oily skin people know the struggle of finding a good moisturizer that won’t leave us looking like a frying pan at the end of the day, or even mid-day. 

Finding the right moisturizer for your skin type is less of a challenge once you’ve figured out your skin type and the kinds of formulations you need. 

I tried using whatever moisturizer I came across and quickly found out the cons of doing that. 

Moisturizers formulated for dry skin are a lot heavier so they didn’t work for oily skin. While moisturizers formulated for oily to combination skin are too lightweight for dry/dehydrated skin. 

5. Do stick to your routine

First of all, before and afters are super important when it comes to skincare, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve incorporated a new product everyone else swears by. Your eyes will get used to your face even if your skincare is working. Take before and after pictures to compare, especially if you’re skeptical about your routine or a product.

You absolutely have to stick to your routine. I wholeheartedly believe in just sticking with it. My skincare journey started out with the most basic moisturizer in existence, it wasn’t even a good one (in case you’re curious it was this one here, don’t buy it) with the first facial cleanser I could get my hands on. Despite the simplicity, those two plus the sixty-second rule made a huge difference in my skin (but to be fair my skin looked horrible at the time)

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The Don’ts

1. Don’t exfoliate daily

I feel like most people make this mistake, especially if you’re like me who couldn’t believe the benefits of chemical exfoliants when you heard it for the first time. But more exfoliation does not equal better results. In fact, it’s quite the opposite

Effects of over-exfoliation:

How to prevent over-exfoliation:

The simplest way to prevent over-exfoliation is by exfoliation once, or at most twice per week. Chemical exfoliates are very strong (and they sound strong too – glycolic, salicylic acid, and lactic acid. Those names are scary)

Follow the instructions on your skincare product. Unless it says otherwise, exfoliating once a week is the best practice along with doing a patch test before your first use.

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2. Do not forget sunscreen

Like moisturizers, finding the right sunscreen can be an uphill battle, especially for people with darker skin tones. The first step in finding a sunscreen is making sure it has SPF 30 or higher for proper UV protection.

Benefits of wearing Sunscreen:

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3. Don’t forget to store your products

I’ve had one too many bottles of vitamin C go bad on me because of improper storage (that and Vitamin C is just prone to doing that) read your product label correctly to find the best storage practice. Most skincare products do best away from sunlight, especially Vitamin C, and especially retinol. Both ingredients are powerful and more on the expensive side. Do not make the mistake of using or storing a product incorrectly.

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4. Don’t neglect your neck and chest

This is a super common skincare mistake. When it comes to antiaging especially, neglecting the neck and chest is the last thing you want to do. Product application should include both areas, especially when it comes to important ingredients such as retinol and sunscreen. It may not be obvious now, but in a few years, it could show on the thin skin of your neck and chest.

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5. Don’t Over Spend

Affordable skincare is just as good as its more luxurious counterparts. There’s a misconception that more expensive equals quality, and while that may be true in some cases, you can build an extremely effective routine on a budget.

If you have the budget for more expensive skincare then do the research to ensure that what you’re buying is worth the money. 

Best places to find affordable skincare:

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