I’m a Dermal Therapist & These Are the Skincare Routine Mistakes I See All the Time
Yads Cauchi is a Dermal Clinician, Nutritionist (BHSc, MSc) and Beauty Journalist. She's also a mum of four. Evidence based skin health and nutrition are her thing and she works from her own skin clinic based in Canberra - you can find her there, or on Instagram and TikTok @yadscauchiskin.
As a dermal therapist, I speak to people every single day about their skincare routines and honestly I always see the same mistakes pop up time and time again.
Some of the biggest skincare mistakes can be easily avoided especially if you chat through them with a skin expert.
So, I thought we could chat through some of the most common skincare mistakes that come up for me in clinic and with my clients.
You see, a lot of people tend to do their skincare on auto-pilot.
Some have been using products for years without any real results, while others have relied on their friends' recommendations when they have different skin concerns.
Social media has also allowed for active ingredients to take center stage and many people are overusing really strong skincare ingredients and wondering where they’ve gone wrong?
You’re not alone though.
Below are some of the most common skincare routine mistakes I see and how you can fix them.
Are you making any of these?
Keep scrolling...
Overusing or Doubling up on the Same Active Ingredients in a Routine.
This is the number one skincare routine mistake I see in clinic and during consultations.
Most people don’t really know where the actives are in their routines and are either overusing the same ones morning and night or doubling up with similar active ingredients in different products.
It’s really important to know where the active ingredients are in your routine and why/where you are using them.
And while some skin may be able to tolerate a higher level of active ingredients - many won’t and instead of making your skin better it will make your skin worse. So be careful.
Forgetting to Focus On Hydration.
Your skin loves hydration!
However, if your skincare routine is entirely focused on ingredients that include strong brighteners, exfoliants and retinoids without adding in any barrier supporting ingredients or products into your routine, you may not get the results you’re after.
Barrier promoting ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, panthenol etc… are all super important to support healthy skin.
Our skincare needs both actives and hydration.
You don’t want to be taking too much without then giving something back to the skin in return.
And while a moisturiser is fine, there are plenty of barrier supporting and hydrating serums on the market that are very easy to incorporate into a routine.
Remember: healthy skin = hydrated skin.
Relying on Your Friends’ Skincare Recommendations.
This is one of the biggest skincare mistakes to avoid!
I say it all the time - you need to know what skincare you are using and why.
Is your skincare specifically targeting YOUR skin concerns or are you using it because your friend said it was a nice product?
I’m always chatting to people who tell me for that they want to be treating their pigmentation and that it’s really bothering them, but then when we go through their skincare, they’re using random products with zero ingredients specifically treating their pigment concerns.
Often people have purchased skincare from social media recommendations as well…but without really knowing why and/or if it would work for them.
However, often relying on online recommendations to treat your skin won’t equal the best results.
If you’re stuck with your skincare it’s always best to find a dermal therapist you can create a relationship with and that you can trust for the right skincare recommendations for you.
Using Retinoids and Chemical Exfoliants and Skipping SPF.
I get that everyone wants to be jumping on the active skincare bandwagon to focus on their age management and/or acne concerns but if you are using these ingredients in your skincare routine, you need to be getting the SPF step right first.
In fact, I won’t pop any clients on active ingredients until I know they are using SPF.
And yes, I know that finding a good SPF can be hard for some skin but there are so many great ones out there now and at so many different price points so there really isn’t much of an excuse.
Plus, you don’t want to be using exfoliating acids and/or retinoids to reveal new skin then bare it all to the sun.
Changing Your Skincare Routine Too Frequently or Not Being Consistent.
Another comment that pops up a lot in skincare consultations is “I don’t think that product did anything” but often this comes up when people forgot to use their products or aren’t consistent with them.
The thing with all skincare is that it needs time to work.
I generally tend to pop clients on a skincare routine for at least four-six weeks and results can take months and for some concerns, even years.
So we need to be consistent.
There is no magic cure or product when it comes to skincare.
It’s something we all should want and need to be doing for the rest of our lives to ensure healthy skin.
Couple it with skin treatments and personalised advice and this will give you the best results.
For more expert advice and education check out one of Yad's other articles below:
