In this day and age, Internet usage is through the roof. From news to school closings, everything we need to know is online, and frankly, anyone can post anything and make it look real. This is even true for some of our favorite beauty gurus. Influencers such as Huda Beauty and Golden Barbie are (believe it or not) bad influences on your skincare routine. Here are the top “tips” given to you that are actually detrimental to your skincare routine.
1. Not doing a patch test
Everyone has their own unique skin, and not all products are created equal. Before dowsing yourself in your favorite beauty influencer’s go-to serum, do a patch test of the product. In order to see how your skin reacts to a certain product, just use it on a small area on your face and see how your skin reacts. If it itches, burns, irritates, or becomes inflamed, remove it and return it. Better yet, get a sample of the product if you can and try it out before you buy it. Places like Sephora will make you a sample of pretty much any product whether it is skincare or makeup.
2. Doing a full skin care routine and sheet mask on a flight
First of all, lets make something clear about air planes, they are absolutely DISGUSTING. Studies have shown that an airplane tray table has eight times more bacteria per square inch than the toilet flush button in the bathroom. Now imagine opening up jars of eye cream, moisturizers, makeup or serums on the flight and not only exposing the product to the bacteria but covering your skin in it. For a plane ride, it is best if you do any type of skincare after you land. If it’s a long flight, just put on a heavy moisturizer so your skin doesn’t dry out.
In addition, air planes are extremely dry. There is absolutely no moisture and if you’ve been on a plane you would know how often you really need to put on a lip balm. Many influencers have recommended doing a sheet mask on the plane to “keep your skin moisturized during the flight.” Unfortunately, what they are doing to their skin is the opposite. When removing the sheet mask, your skin is exposed to becoming more dehydrated based on the fact that most skin care products are humectants, meaning they draw moisture from the air to keep your skin hydrated. On airplanes however, since there is ZERO moisture, what ends up happening is since there is no moisture to grab in the air, it reverses and sucks any moisture from your skin, leaving your face dryer than before. So don’t listen to Huda Beauty, and just read a book on your flight like everyone else.
3. Sleeping in a Sheet Mask
Now, although doing a sheet mask on a plane should be an absolute no-no, doing a sheet mask in your bathroom is a great way to add some moisture to your skin (especially after a flight that has dried your skin out). However, there have been some models and influencers who said that they actually SLEEP in their sheet masks. Your first thought may be that it could be more beneficial since your adding more moisture, however if you think about it, the effects are similar to that on the plane. When the sheet mask dries out throughout your nap, the dry sheet will actually draw moisture from your skin, making your skin dehydrated. In addition, many of these sheet masks are made with ingredients such as tea tree oil and plant extracts, which can actually irritate the skin if it is sitting there for too long due to the strength of these ingredients.
4. Using your skincare products out of order
Another influencer trend that is popular among models is using their skincare products out of order. Though many don’t mean to use them out of order, their lack of education (surprisingly) is what makes them use and promote their broken skincare routines. The easiest way to put it is just to use your products from thinnest to thickest. Starting with treatments, and ending with heavy creams and oils. In detail your skincare routine should be as follows: Makeup Remover, Cleanser, Exfoliator (2-3 times a week), Toner, Treatment Products, Serum, Eye Cream, Moisturizer, Face Oil. Now it is important to note that not all these products need to be used. This doesn’t have to be your morning and nighttime routine, however, if you are using any of them, you should try and stick to this order. This way, your skincare has the best chance of soaking in all the product, as well as giving you the best bang for your buck.
5. Misusing your skincare products
Another thing you hear a lot of influencers say is “It tells you to use it like this but actually I like to….” When talking about skin care, you need to use the product the way it is described because it is designed to work in that matter and therefore gives you the best results. The most common misuse of a product is actually eye creams. Many influencers will actually show themselves putting an eye cream on too close to the eye. They will take a huge glob of the cream, look up, and drag or tap it under the eye so close to the bottom of the lash line and take the remainder on the top lid of the eye. This is a huge mistake in the sense that most of the product is going to get in your eye and irritate it. Also, you only need a rice sized amount of product for both eyes. The best way to use eye cream is to take your ring finger (because it is your weakest) and take a small amount of product, then tap both ring fingers together, and TAP (never drag) along the orbital bone and on the eyebrow bone. If you don’t know where it is, gently feel around the hollows of your eye and find the hardest part. If you think that placing the product on your orbital bone is too far and won’t cover the skin, remember that when you blink and move your face, all the product that you placed on and around the orbital bone and eyebrow bone will move and the product will cover the whole surface of your eye without irritating your actual eyeball.