It seems to be an easy matter: open the pot, put your fingers in, scoop out the cream and spread it on your face. But the correct use of cosmetics, vital to enhance its effects, is much more complex.
In fact, some creams cannot even be touched with the hands and for that a special palette comes in their boxes. Along with knowing how to choose the most suitable product for each one, it is important to know, for example, what can be used at the same time without saturating the skin. Those who know speak.
Mistake # 1. Use the same cream all the time.
We have all ever heard that, so that the skin does not get used to the active agents of a cream, serum or gel, it is necessary to change the product from time to time. For experts, this is a half-truth: indeed, it is advisable to exchange what we apply to the skin throughout the year, but not because the skin gets used to them, but for another reason: the needs of the skin do not they are stable. And as the skin changes, the products to be used should also change. According to the cosmetologist Isser Donoso, what the dermis needs varies by factors such as the weather, the season of the year, the type of activity that fills our agendas, the sport we practice, stress levels, the environment and its level of pollution and age. This explains why a cosmetic that we had a good experience with suddenly starts to not work well. Or why, without really knowing why, suddenly the skin begins to feel drier or an increase in spots or furrows appears. Consulting a skin specialist is always a good idea to adapt well to these variables.
Mistake # 2. Mix the solar factor with the creams.
Fortunately, every day it is understood more that the use of sun protection is essential. The problem is that many women apply it in the morning, immediately before putting on makeup, or they mix the factor with their usual treatment cream, when it does not have a built-in filter. These two habits can cause the sunscreen to not work properly, since it takes a few minutes to be efficiently absorbed by the skin. Chemical filters — that is, most of those found on the mass market — work by combining with skin cells, and many daily moisturizers can interfere with this process. Sunscreen should be applied between 20 and 30 minutes before sun exposure, because the molecules that block the passage of sunlight have to align with each other to create a network capable of absorbing ultraviolet energy. Incorporating other creams into this mixture can interfere with the shape of these networks, which interferes with their ability to filter light, explains Dr. Juan Honeyman, professor of Dermatology at the University of Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of that country.
Mistake # 3. Using too many products.
When it comes to caring for your skin, more is not synonymous with better. As explained by the dermatologist Rodolfo Klein, incorporating many different types of cosmetics into the daily skin care routine could cause chemical reactions between them, which could have an adverse effect. "As a consequence, the mixture could lead to decompose the product, make it more reactive to the skin and, ultimately, make it unusable," he warns. The ideal is to establish a pack of products adapted to the specific needs of each person, with the advice of an independent skin expert; that is, not related to trademarks.
Mistake # 4. Do not consider skin type.
Most women think that they have combination or dry skin, when this is not necessarily the case. This leads to many mistakes when choosing cosmetics. If the skin of the face is oily, a cream will cause pimples and can even trigger an acneiform reaction, while a serum, no matter how good it is, on dry skin, will not penetrate sufficiently to achieve its goal, exemplifies the Dr. Klein. But, in addition, the skin is not the same throughout the body. It is useless to apply excess hand cream on the face, for example, since both skins are completely dissimilar in their thickness and distribution of attached glands. Even within the face there are differences that must be considered to optimize the result of the chosen cosmetics. “Different areas of the skin of the face, such as the eyelids and cheeks, have different characteristics, since each one has its own structure, in addition to having a particular exposure to the environment and vascularization. That is why each area requires specific care, although that does not necessarily mean that a person with normal skin cannot use the same cream in different areas of the body ”, explains Klein.
Mistake # 5. fingers: sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Brushes and sponges can be very helpful when applying makeup, but they are not recommended for use with creams, gels, and serums. Although fingers - as long as they are well cleaned - are the most suitable for massaging these products and ensuring a better penetration into the skin, they are not the best option to remove them from their container, since the content of each pot can become contaminated and oxidized. . For this reason, many cosmetics include a scoop, spoon or spatula for these purposes.
“With these tools, an amount equivalent to the size of an almond must be removed, which should not be applied directly on the face, but first on the back of the hand. Only then can the fingers be used, dividing that amount on the forehead, cheekbones, nose and chin. Subsequently, the product must be spread over the face with circular and upward movements, always from the inside out ”, says Isser Donoso.
Mistake # 6. Using acids in the sun.
Creams that contain depigmenting active ingredients to remove spots are totally contraindicated for use under the sun. There is a rebound effect that causes more spots to appear, explains Isser Donoso. For this reason, any treatment that contains glycolic acid, salicylic acid, kojic acid or hydroquinone should be done in winter or at night. The same happens with derivatives of vitamins A, C and E: they should not be exposed to the sun, as their molecule is inactivated, changes and can even cause contact dermatitis, adds Dr. Klein.
Mistake # 7. not considering the expiration date.
Do not consider the expiration date. Many women use expired cosmetics, not knowing that this can cause allergic reactions. It can also happen that the cosmetic is no longer fulfilling its function and we believe, for example, that we are protected from the sun but in reality we use an expired filter. But even when considering the announced expiration date, certain precautions must be taken: cosmetics can spoil sooner than announced if, for example, they are stored in very humid, very dry places or with the lid not properly closed.