Are You Committing These Skin Care Faux Pas?

Skin care routines get complex. What are the right skin care elements for you to incorporate, and when are you just irritating your skin with unnecessary or unhelpful products? The right skin care routine can leave you looking youthful and dewy, but many people commit frustrating skin care faux pas without realizing it.

Dr. Karin Harp, MD, FAAD, FASDS, Dr. Aria Vazirnia MD, MAS, FAAD, Kristin Rupert PA-C, Mary Hanna MSN, NP-BC, Sherri Anderson PA-C, Riley McCarthy RN, Lani Keene LE, and the Apex Dermatology team provide skin care advice and support to new and existing patients from our state-of-the-art location in Westlake Village, California.

At Apex Dermatology, we know the ropes when it comes to effective skin care. Here are some of the skin care routine mistakes we see most commonly, as well as essential tips on skin care that really works.

Faux Pas 1: Confusing oily and under-moisturized skin

Many skin care products and approaches depend on what type of skin you have in terms of how much oil it naturally produces. But, did you know that under-moisturized skin may start over-producing oils?

If you’re using products and procedures designed for oily skin, but your skin actually isn’t getting enough hydration, setting off oil overproduction, you may not be seeing the results you want. Moisturizing enough could help to soothe your skin, reducing oiliness over the long term.

Accurately diagnosing your skin type gives you more useful information to work with. The team at Apex Dermatology can help you understand more about the right approach for your unique skin type.

Faux Pas 2: Over- or under-exfoliating

Your skin comes in many layers. And, it’s the outer layers of your skin where visible damage accumulates. Exfoliating to remove the outermost layer of your skin, revealing fresh skin underneath, is a basic part of skin care.

But, exfoliating isn’t necessarily simple, or free from potential problems. Common exfoliation errors include:

• Harming your face with rough scrubs used too often with overly harsh beads
• Putting yourself at risk for acne breakouts and clogged pores by skipping exfoliation
• Missing out on wonderful non-scrubby exfoliators which don’t contain beads

In order to keep your skin looking fresh and radiant, exfoliate gently and regularly. We recommend starting with exfoliating 2-3 times per week, using chemical exfoliator ingredients like AHAs and BHAs. At Apex Dermatology, we also offer in-office treatments like chemical peels , Dermaplaning and Hydrafacial for more intensive exfoliation.

Faux Pas 3: Skipping sunscreen in your skin care

Whether you can see the sun on any given day, sunscreen is always a must when it comes to skin care. Not handling sunscreen correctly is one of the most common skin issues we see at Apex Dermatology. Here are the facts about skin care and sunscreen.

Sunscreen protects your exposed skin from harmful solar radiation that can cause skin cancer, visible skin damage, and accelerated aging in appearance. Wearing sunscreen any time you leave the house helps to keep your skin healthy and youthful-looking.

Choose sunscreens with mineral ingredients, rather than relying on chemical sunscreens with active ingredients like oxybenzone that may actually be harmful to your skin. And, always take time to apply your sunscreen!

Add top of the line antioxidants from our SkinCeuticals and ISDIN lines as well as nutraceuticals such as Heliocare Advanced or SunISDIN to boost environmental protecttion.

Faux Pas 4: Using conflicting active ingredients

So many different active ingredients offer a variety of skin care benefits. What’s right for you – and are any of your active ingredients canceling each other out?

Your provider at Apex Dermatology works with you to determine which active ingredients give your skin the most of what it needs, and makes sure that you aren’t getting into skin care conflicts between products and therapies.  Additionally, we curate our lines and your recommendations to get you the actual delivery of the actives to the skin based on the science of the very best technologies.

For expert skin care support, schedule your appointment online or over the phone today.