6 Common Beauty Mistakes We Make

As women we all try to look our best.  We shop for the latest and greatest, try to get in some pampering time, and enjoy the satisfaction of a new look that we are able to pull off.  But what happens when we overdo it? Sometimes we tend to go overboard without realizing and our beauty quest ends up blowing up in our faces.  Keep reading to find out 6 common beauty mistakes that you may be making and how to fix them.

Showering with super hot water.  I am majorly guilty of this myself.  My fiance says it could burn skin off bone at the temps I like to bathe in but it feels just *perfect* to me.  Even though you are dousing yourself with water, showering with overly hot water strips your skin of its natural moisture and leave you with dry itchy skin.  Keep the water at tepid to warm and you’ll be just fine.

Picking at your face.  I think the majority of us have been guilty of this time to time.  You have an event coming up and that THING is just staring at you in the mirror screaming “pop me!!!”. Popping or picking at blemishes on your skin will only do you harm by spreading bacteria and possibly damaging the skin causing scarring.  Best to leave it alone and dab a medicated treatment on the spot until it goes away. If you CANNOT wait, schedule a quick appointment with your dermatologist to zap the sit with cortisone to shrink it down.

Going heavy with conditioner.  It’s tempting to slather a big dollop of conditioner all over your hair to give it the most glossy shine you can imagine, but in reality you are just wasting precious product.  Conditioners are meant to be used from about half-way down your hair down to the tips. Coating your scalp and roots with conditioner only weighs hair down and can lead to a greasy look much quicker, plus, remember its the tips that are drying out from your heat styling — not the roots.

Using the wrong products for your skin type.  We can easily be woo’ed by beautiful packaging and gorgeous photos on social media of products claiming to turn your skin right around but do your research.  If you have oily skin, look for products that aim to be light and help control oil. If your sky is dry, moisture is key, and if it’s acne-prone, it needs to be non-comedogenic and possibly help with gentle exfoliation to keep pores clear. Sensitive skin needs to use products only in the category and not experiment with exfoliating acids and highly fragranced products.  If you have a difficult time figuring out your skin type ask for recommendations from your dermatologist or aesthetician and they should steer you in the right direction.

Neglecting your hands and neck.  Just like your face, your neck and hands get the same around of sun exposure while doing just about anything we usually do.  Take a look at your hands on the steering wheel when you’re driving –direct sunlight for how many hours for week?  Make sure to apply your SPF to the tops of your hands and down your neck and even your decollete area to prevent spots from forming and help stave off wrinkling.  At night-time, make sure to take your face cream down your neck and use a nice handcream right before you hit the sack.  Your skin will thank you years later.

Over-treating a blemish.  It’s tempting to keep dabbing the pimple with your pimple-blasting cream several times a day but you may just be causing more irritation than helping that sucker go away.  If you are using a medicated acne cleanser too often, scrubbing with exfoliators, and dabbing treatments on incessantly – you may be damaging the skin’s natural barrier,  spreading bacteria around more, and causing more redness than if you stuck to the directions.  Be patient, follow the directions, and don’t overdo it!

What beauty mistakes and solutions have you come across?  Share in the comments below!