Bad skincare habits you need to break right now

We all have great intentions to master our skincare routine with the hopes of having fresh, glowing skin, but then life happens and we take shortcuts and it all spirals downhill from there. Tumi Lehutso from Fundamentals Skincare gives us the lowdown on the bad habits we need to break up with and the good habits to adopt for quick and easy skincare.

1. Using too many products. Adding more moisturises and serums to your skin is not the answer. With so many skin care choices available you can often overuse or combine too many products which can worsen your skin. Keep it simple – choose the basic products your skin needs and stick with them.
2. Not layering correctly.  Most of us are guilty of this one, as it’s common to mix skincare formulas to boost their potency, but some combinations just don’t complement each other. These include: AHAs and retinoids; vitamin C and retinoids; and salicylic acid and retinoids. Mixing formulas creating a cocktail of actives nonchalantly can be dangerous as these ingredients can over stimulate your skin and possibly lead to damaged skin. Read product instructions and ask a skin care professional for help if you are unsure about layering.
3. Not applying sunscreen. Sunscreen application is a must every day. Whether it’s going to the beach for the afternoon or just walking from your workplace to your car or public transport, sunscreen is necessary to protect your skin from sun damage. Dermatologists and aestheticians everywhere will tell you that it’s crucial to keep your skin safe from sun damage every day, even when you won’t be spending a lot of time in the sun.
4. Exfoliating too much. Exfoliation is crucial and so satisfying when done, but only to a certain extent. Too much or too little can land you in a pickle of bad and sensitive skin including irritation, skin flaking, and general pain. You may even be unable to get certain facials or use certain types of makeup because your skin is just too sensitive. You only need to exfoliate a few times a week. Also, you should only exfoliate with chemical exfoliators as physical exfoliators often lead to over exfoliating in different areas as penetration is not even and many of these types of exfoliators are too harsh and can damage your skin barrier.