The constant influx of advice from just about anyone can lead you to make skincare mistakes without realizing them. While some mistakes may be minor, others may cause irritated skin, breakouts, rosacea, dryness, puffiness, and even wrinkles! In the video below, Dr. Macrene shares the major skincare mistakes she sees in her dermatology practice. Take the advice from the world-class dermatologist and build an efficacious skincare routine that delivers fast and safe results.
Skincare Mistakes to Avoid + Dr. Macrene's Tips
Mistake #1: Inconsistent Skin Routine
One of the biggest skincare mistakes is switching your regimen around and jumping from one product to another. “Topical active ingredients require twice daily application over the course of weeks and months to work, and stopping and starting them will prevent you from ever realizing results,” says Dr. Macrene. “Inconsistency is the worst thing you can do for your skin. Keep a consistent regimen that is like a well-rounded diet for the skin," says Dr. Macrene.
Dr. Macrene's Tips: When something works well for you, stick with it. We recommend using the MACRENE actives cream followed by serum to the face twice daily for four weeks to get visible skin improvements. Objective computer analyses and third-party clinical trials have shown MACRENE actives to be safe and effective for long-term use–the longer you use them, the better the results over time.
Mistake #2: Over-Exfoliation
Exfoliation is an option for people with oily skin, large pores, and in some cases of wrinkles, but watch out: "If one has dry or mature skin, exfoliation may harm you because it can further weaken already thin skin,” says Dr. Macrene. “If one has eczema or allergies, exfoliation can exacerbate those conditions."
Dr. Macrene's Tips: If your skin is red and flaky or lips are chapped and dry, it may mean you have a broken skin barrier or disrupted microbiome. Restore the skin barrier with barrier repair ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, plant-derived fatty acids and healing ceramides, which Dr. Macrene has included in her High Performance Cream and her Lip Filler Treatment. If you have dry or sensitive skin, Dr. Macrene recommends gentle chemical exfoliators such as citric acid, which can be found in the High Performance Cleanser. “Citric acid is a relatively weak alpha hydroxy acid, it does not peel the skin unless used at higher concentrations or long exposure times," says Dr. Macrene.
Mistake #3: Poorly Formulated Skincare
Actives are defined by Dr. Macrene as ingredients that have been proven both in the lab and on human skin to exert scientific and clinical effects. Products abound that are formulated with few active ingredients, pushing you to buy an assortment of 10, 20 or, in some brands, up to 40 products! Such paltry ingredient listings will not cover all your skin's needs, nor is the layering on of preservatives healthy. If you layer products to get enough active ingredients, chances are you are probably layering on toxins above the maximum allowable at the same time.
Dr. Macrene's Tips: Dr. Macrene met the challenge, formulated and patented over 55 healthy, mainly plant-derived actives delivered efficiently into the skin in a single product. Dr. Macrene has sourced the world's best anti-aging actives and put them in her One-Step Skincare Solution® — High Performance Face Cream. Unlike any other product on the market today, the High Performance Face Cream is an all-in-one product that targets all the key areas of skin so that your skin improves with use, becomes more youthful and rejuvenated, effectively reducing or eliminating the need for procedures over time. "It is in a class by itself and no other product on the market today encompasses the 360 rigor of excellence from derivation of organic plant actives to finished product to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, sustainability and effectiveness," says Dr. Macrene.