You have your baseline routine down pat. You can read a product label and recognize most, if not all, the ingredients. You are proud to call yourself a skincare nerd. But skincare is a journey. Along the way, we all make mistakes. In some cases, we definitely should know better (for example – to introduce one new product at a time). Other mistakes are more trial and error (for example when we over exfoliate our skin). Some skincare mistakes though are simple and obvious, but many of us repeat them time and time again.

Cleanse your face

We said it once, we’ll say it again – makeup wipes do not equal a cleanse. A couple of things are mandatory. You need to change your face cloths on a daily basis because flannels can serve as a source of all sorts of bacteria. Make it a habit to throw the face cloth into the laundry basket once you are done. Also, you need to make sure to remove your cleanser properly. Go below your jawline, all the way to your neck (especially if you wear foundation or if you apply sunscreen to your neck too).

Rinse your hair properly

If you happen to break out along your hairline, down the front and/or the back, you will want to pay attention to how you rinse your hair. Take your time, divide your hair and make sure to rinse out the shampoo and conditioner.

Change your pillowcase

Bed linens need to be changed on a weekly basis. It is extremely important if you are prone to acne and blemishes or if you have allergies. The residue of hair products and dirt accumulate on pillowcases and can cause breakouts. If you have allergies, change and wash pillowcases regularly to remove dust mites.

Don’t ignore your neck

Skin doesn’t stop at your jawline. To keep everything nice, smooth and wrinkle free, apply your skincare products all the way to your décolletage. Or in the words of Caroline Hirons – take it to the t*ts.

Or forget about your hands

You know those hand creams that take forever to sink in? Ugh. If you wash your hand often, you need to keep reapplying the hand cream over and over again. Frequently we can get too heavy-handed with our skincare products and dispense way more than it is necessary to cover all of our faces. Use any leftover product on your hands.

Clean your makeup brushes

Again, it seems like common sense, but many of us aren’t so diligent about keeping our makeup brushes clean.

No sunscreen

Do we need to get into this? Sunscreen is mandatory regardless of the season. It protects the skin against skin cancer and keeps those pesky wrinkles at bay.