17 Sneaky Things Facialists Say Secretly Sabotage Your Chance at Perfect Skin
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"Not wearing sunscreen every single day is one of the top things that makes having perfect skin impossible!" celebrity aesthetician Shani Darden tells us. "Sun damage is the cause of a whole list of issues including loss of collagen and elastin, which leads to fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation or sunspots, as well as skin cancer. It will also lengthen the time it takes for your skin to heal if you have any acne scars."
"If your cleanser leaves your face feeling dry or tight, try switching to a gentler gel cleanser," suggests Darden. "A cleanser should effectively remove makeup, but it should never strip your skin. This Daily Cleansing Serum (£32) is an effective cleanser with a soft lather that is great at removing makeup and buildup from the day and also adds hydration back into the skin!"
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"Most of the time, I see clients (especially new clients!) following trends, influencers, or just random reviews but not taking into consideration what’s appropriate for their own skin," explains celebrity aesthetician Olga Lorencin, founder of Olga Lorencin
"Retinoids (retinols and tretinoin) are safe to use year-round," clarifies Suneel Chilukuri, MD, celebrity cosmetic dermatologist and founder of Refresh Dermatology. "Tretinoin (Retin-A) and retinol (the precursor to the active molecule, tretinoin) are unstable molecules and are deactivated by sunlight. As a result, board-certified dermatologists would always recommend you apply a small amount of your retinoid in the evening about 10 to 30 minutes after washing your face."
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"Less is more!" says Hernandez. Your skin is the largest living, breathing organ! The less product the better. Instead of layering on 12 different steps, just do two to four steps with more effective, high-quality skincare. Try using a medical-grade skincare line. They tend to be more potent, using active ingredients, with proven clinical results. I love Ayur Medic, SkinMedica, Environ, and SkinCeuticals. (Psst! You can shop all of Vanessa's go-to skincare products which she uses on her clients, here.)
"The biggest mistake ever!" Hernandez exclaims. "Your skin regenerates best when we are asleep. Making sure the skin is clean before bed will ensure proper product penetration and cell turnover. Otherwise, leaving the skin dirty with layers of SPF, makeup, environmental debris, etc., all of these things can get trapped into your pores creating blackheads, pimples and skin irritation."
"When you exercise, usually your body temperature will rise, warming up the skin and causing you to sweat," Hernandez tells us. "Heat causes expansion and inflammation, and if makeup or sunscreen is left on while you're working out, your skin will heat up, your pores open, and whatever is on your skin will penetrate deep into your pores, causing congestion. Think of when you get a facial and they use warm steam to open up the pores beforehand, now imagine doing that and then caking on SPF and makeup. It's a recipe for a skin disaster."
In other words, see a professional for regular or semi-regular facials and extractions if at all possible. "Unless it is totally white and about to burst, do not pick at your own skin," warns Hernandez. "Leave the picking to a skincare professional. At the bottom of each pimple or congested pore, there is a tiny little seed of sebum (the root of the problem). To properly extract a clogged pore, you need to also extract the seed. Otherwise, the pimple will fester and reinfect."
"Cleansing with an oil-based cleanser or layering oils will only make clogged or congestion-prone pores worse, making it more difficult for acne-causing debris to be released," says Hernandez. "The best thing to do for congested and breakout-prone skin is to exfoliate a lot, gently, once a day, every day."
"Everyone Poops, aka the greatest children's toilet book, is so basic and yet so true," Hernandez shares. "Every living creature poops. As humans, we should be going at least one or two times per day. Otherwise, our body will build up toxins and especially congestion around the chin and lower mouth area."
"If you're using a facial mist while on the airplane, it is probably because you care enough about your skin that you're willing to take an extra step to keep it looking great and hydrated," celebrity aesthetician Renée Rouleau muses. "Well, contrary to what many people think, using a facial mist on an airplane is not the right way to achieve this."
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"Most women know to apply moisturiser daily and nightly to the neck, and many do. But the problem here is that most people treat the neck as an afterthought," Rouleau explains. "Think about your own daily routine. Most likely, you applied your moisturiser to your full face, rubbed it in, and then used the excess that was left on your fingertips to extend the moisturiser down to your neck. Whether this is for moisturiser or sunscreen, using this process isn't enough. The skin on the neck and chest is an extension of the face, so you should care for this area as much as you care for your face!"
"This is one mistake that literally everyone I come in contact with is making. I don't blame them because no one has ever taught them the right way to respond to a blemish the moment it appears!" Rouleau stresses. Immediately dry it out with a spot treatment? No, definitely don't do that. When a blemish appears, your body has incredible repair responses (unless you have an immune deficiency disorder) that immediately recognise when an infection is present and then kicks into high gear to heal it.
"While I will always promote drinking water as being good for your health, this is actually the least efficient way to hydrate the skin," Rouleau tells us. "Water runs through the intestines, is absorbed into your bloodstream, and is then filtered out by the kidneys. At this point, it will hydrate the cells inside the body. Hydration levels within the skin have very little to do with drinking water but rather what you are doing (or not doing) topically. To maintain proper hydration levels in the skin, use well-formulated moisturisers, serums, masks and toners."
"This is such a myth. While oily skin doesn't benefit from a heavy or greasy moisturiser, it does require a water-based moisturiser to keep skin cells healthy and discourage dead skin cell buildup," clarifies Rouleau. "In fact, did you know that skipping moisturiser can make your skin even oilier? When your skin doesn't have the proper water levels, dehydration causes the skin to produce oil, meaning you will end up with even oilier skin. All skin types need moisturiser, you just need to find one that's formulated for you."
Next up: 11 secret beautifying rituals celebrities over 30 swear by—and how to try them.