Top 10 skincare mistakes most women make

I solemnly swear never to make these again

Words by Kirsti Shuba, co-founder of Katharine Daniels Cosmetics

There's so much skincare advice around that it can be downright confusion as to what to do and what to avoid. Then, life gets in the way. Busy schedules, late nights and a few drinks, then the skincare rules go out the window. I've been working as a skin expert for Katherine Daniels Cosmetics so I've seen quite a few things, here's some key skincare mistakes and how to remedy them.

Not cleansing properly

This is the biggest mistake most women make when it comes to their skin and where a multitude of skincare issues stem from. If we do not cleanse our skin, we are stopping new skin cells from producing, which will result in a dull looking complexion, break outs and fine lines and wrinkles appearing. But not to panic, it’s never too late to start properly cleansing.

Double cleansing will ensure you are fully removing all make-up and impurities from the skin, the first cleanse will remove surface make-up and dirt. The second cleanse will actually clean the skin, and will really make a difference to the look and feel of your skin. Here's a list of some of the best cleansers and amazing Black Friday beauty deals out there to get you started.

Sleeping in make-up

This is probably one of those things a lot of people are guilty of doing. We know what it’s like when all you want to do is crawl into your bed and go to sleep, but when you realise the damage sleep in your make-up can cause you might think twice next time.

The make-up we wear during the day attracts free radicals, these free radicals break down the collagen production in our skin and essentially speed up the ageing process, and our skin becomes dull and dehydrated. Our skin works while we sleep, it’s renewing and repairing our skin cells to produce healthy new ones which helps us to look fresh and radiant. With this in mind, if you have a layer of make-up on your skin you’re making it very difficult for those cells to renew and repair. Making sure you cleanse before bed will fix these issues, leaving you to sleep peacefully!

Eye make-up removal

If eye make-up isn’t thoroughly removed, it’s possible that left over make-up can get into our tiny hair follicles and cause eye infections (not pretty!) and in some case lashes can fall out.

Using a good eye make-up remover that’s specially designed for this delicate area will ensure all make-up is removed safely and efficiently.

Forgetting SPF protection

We all know we should be wearing sunscreen all year round, but why exactly? We need to apply SPF daily to protect us from UVA and UVB. These are forms of radiation from the sun that have an effect on our skin and can cause premature ageing. By using an SPF we will protect the skin from dangerous rays, and by using an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) with the higher rating will protect even more. (If you're on the hunt for one of this summer's best sun creams, be sure to check out our beauty editor's top picks.)

Over exfoliating

When the skin is over exfoliated, we are actually damaging our skin cells by not giving them a chance to grow into healthy skin cells, this can result in skin sensitivity and cause redness and in some cases sores on our skin.

We should all exfoliate our skin, but only once or twice a week, this will remove the dead skin cells leaving fresh ones to develop and giving the skin a chance to breath. But exfoliating our concentrates and treatment creams will also work more efficiently as they are able to penetrate the skin easier.

Incorrect products for sensitive skin

We know that sensitive skin affects the majority of skins in the UK, so these mistakes are made by a lot of the population. By using the incorrect products on sensitive skin, it can result in further skin care issues such as rosacea. Product that are too harsh will strip the skin and become red, also having showers that are too hot for us will contribute to skin sensitivity.

By using products that have ingredients designed to calm and sooth the skin will help a lot, also avoid hot water on the face, washing your face under a hot shower will stimulate the skin, enhancing its sensitivity.

Not drinking enough water

Another thing we know we should all be doing but do we drink enough water? Water maintains moisture in the body and is perfect for keeping your skin hydrated and supple. It naturally suppresses the appetite and helps the body metabolize stored fat. An increase in water intake reduces fat deposits and vice versa. Try for six to eight glasses of water a day.

Order of products

It can be confusing when faced with a stash of products as to which to use first, however there is a correct order to use to make sure you get the most out of your products. Applying in the wrong order will result in your products not working as well as the could do.

Products with the smallest molecule structure should be used first, these are your concentrates and eye creams, the large molecule structured products are then to follow such as your treatment creams and leave on masks. This is the ideal way of layering to ensure best results.

Lack of sleep

One of the best-kept anti-ageing secrets and one of the best friends a glowing, youthful complexion can have is a good night's sleep. It's during those precious hours that our cells repair damage, so this is vital! Try and get your beauty sleep in, the ideal amount is 8 hours.

Diet

As the old saying goes, you are what you eat! And the same applies to our skin. What we eat can have an impact on the way our skin looks and feels. Eating healthily is highly recommended and in reality a healthy and balanced diet will help your internal organs to function well and in turn your skin which is of course the largest organ of our bodies to glow with good health. The glow and the radiance is a sign of happy and healthy cells. The superfoods that we eat are now finding their way into our skincare products and for a good reason.

Acerola Cherry is a beautiful red fruit/berry that has one of the highest vitamin C contents from Mother Nature – 13 times more than the humble orange! As an ingredient for skincare it will bring radiance to the skin, protect elastin fibres against hardening and brings valuable anti-ageing properties as well as being an Anti- Oxidant and powerful Anti-Free Radical. It protects and strengthens blood vessel walls and it has a profound effect on Tyrosinaise – which is part of the melanin production process, this means it will even out pigmentation on skins surface by reducing the production of melanin. Apart from Vitamin C, Acerola Cherry contains vitamin A, and a number of the B group vitamins.

Another favorite is Spirulina Extract, known to the ‘juicers’ amongst us as a super healthy addition to any juiced drink or smoothie. This blue/green algae extract is packed with Vitamins A,C,E and B all working to bring radiance to your skin. Spirulina also contains skin perfecting trace elements and minerals including Potassium, Iron, Zinc and Copper.