You work so hard to keep your skin looking young. You wear sunscreen daily and invest in great anti-aging products and get facials on a regular basis. However, is it possible that your anti-aging solutions are too much for our skin? Like almost all things in life, the keyword for taking care of your skin should be “balance.”
Check out a few of the common anti-aging remedies that could actually be doing more harm than good.
- Over-cleansing your skin.
While it’s certainly important to have clean skin, when you over-cleanse you strip your skin of its natural oils and disturb the pH balance. This actually makes your skin more susceptible to environmental stress and leads to skin aging. Not good!
We recommend using a gentle cleanser twice a day and avoiding alcohol-based toners that will dry out your skin.
- The overuse of over-the-counter and harsh topical prescription ingredients.
This is commonly a problem for anyone who suffers from acne. Some of the leading culprits are ingredients like Retinoids, Benzyol Peroxide, Salicylic Acid and Topical Steroids. With overuse (and sometimes even without), you can experience redness, irritation and peeling.
While you may notice some redness, irritation and peeling when you first start a new product, if you’re seeing consistent irritation, then back off so your skin has time to calm down and adjust. Make sure you’re following the doctor’s orders for prescription strength medications or that you’re following the instructions for any over-the-counter products. If you’re still seeing redness and irritation after using a product for some time and following the doctor’s orders, ask your doctor if maybe a different product or using that product less frequently would help.
- Over-peeled face.
While peels are a wonderful way to get rid of dry, old skin, if you’re using acids or harsh topical creams too often, you can wind up with chronic redness and thin, waxy skin. It’s okay to peel in moderation, especially if you’re under the care of an experienced skin care expert, such as one of our staff members. However, if you’re going it on your own, make sure that you’re babying your skin to keep it feeling plump and healthy.
If you would like advice on what products you should be using, feel free to contact us. We have a wide selection of great products designed for all skin types, from Lifeline Skin Care to Colorescience to Obagi.
