This is worth filing under moves-not-to-make when applying your skincare routine, says editor Trudi Brewer. Who shares the experts rules?
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From fresh towels to cool water to never placing a dropper on your skin, here’s what experts say when it comes to using skincare in the right way. Read on to learn more.
Don't take a dropper to your cheek.
New York dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, took to Instagram to "set the record straight" on what he categorises as a mistake he sees skincare influencers make every day on social media. "If you're applying a skincare product that uses a dropper, do not take that dropper and apply it directly to your cheek," he advises. "You may like how it looks in your video, but you're contaminating the tip of the dropper that you are putting right back into the bottle. Instead, open the bottle, put a couple of drops on your palm or the tips of your fingers and then apply it to your face."
Wipe down your product bottles and jars.
Elizabeth Lampell, the Biologique Recherche Los Angeles aesthetician, strongly supports the above and offers this advice for non-dropper varieties: "Never dip your fingers directly into your product containers. Instead, use a cotton tip, a small spatula, or a makeup brush to apply thick face creams. She says. "Also, get into the habit of frequently wiping down the outside of your products that you are constantly picking up. Clean products help avoid spreading bacteria on the skin, which cause breakouts."
Don't use hot water.
Avoid using hot water on the skin, and, if possible, wash your face in the sink rather than the shower, Lampell advises. "Hot water can cause; sensitivity, inflammation, dryness and can loosen the skin's elasticity." A quick cleanse in the shower is always rushed, and that's when you can be rough on the skin with that speed. Also, don't use clean towels to dry your face. Not the community face towel hanging on the heated towel rail. It might sound like a no-brainer, but Lampell says she sees it a ton. "When drying your face, reach for a clean towel, a reusable cotton pad or a single-use cotton face towel."
Don't go overboard.
Multistep skincare routines may be the rage, but skincare expert Alicia McKeithan, an aesthetician, is not a fan. "Less is always more. Applying too many products to the skin can cause irritation and sensitivity, leading to chemical burns, rashes, or textured skin. A simple routine is cleansing, a serum and a moisturiser for day and night and SPF on top for the daytime.
Don't wait to feel the burn from active skincare.
"Products should never irritate or burn when applied to the skin," McKeithan says. "That can indicate the product being too strong or the skin barrier is compromised." So stop using it.
Don't drag on your skin downward.
Be gentle with your skin, especially with cleansers and masks. McKeithan says, "When removing these products, don't drag the skin; it can result in premature ageing and irritation.” Use a clean face towel or cotton wipe and remove upward and outward, be gentle under the eye area - it's the thinnest skin on your face.
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