You don’t want to start off your day on the wrong foot in the skin care department, right? Right. So the fact that there are sneaky things that might be sabotaging your complexion — without you even realizing it — is a need-to-know situation. Here’s a list of some of the morning mistakes that could be wrecking your skin on the regular. Take note, your A.M. strategy might just change forever.
Mistake #1: Over-cleansing (for sensitive types) If your skin gets red and blotchy after washing your face in the morning, you could be stripping away your natural protective oils. “When we overwash, it looks like our skin is broken out, but it could really just be irritated, peeling and inflamed,” dermatologist Gervaise Gerstner, M.D. told us. The solution? Skip the face wash and rinse away any dirt, dead skin cells, and bacteria you accumulated overnight with plain water or a micellar water.
Mistake #2: Using the same old washcloth If a washcloth is part of your routine, Kelly A. Reynolds, Ph.D., an environmental health science professor at the University of Arizona, says you need to toss it in the laundry daily. “Washcloths typically become soaked and heavily soiled during use,” she says. “When used to scrub skin, soils from makeup or dead skin cells can rapidly accumulate. Being wet and not just damp means there is a longer dry time. This lengthy condition of moisture creates the perfect environment for bacteria and mold to grow to unacceptable levels.” Ew.
[source;huffingtonpost]
