The Worst Skincare Mistakes, Shared By Dermatologists

"This is especially important once you hit your 20s."

BuzzFeed Staff

When you're shopping for SPF, it's key to look for a physical-barrier ingredient — like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide — and commit to wearing your SPF daily. And makeup simply containing a bit of SPF doesn't count.

"Many make the mistake of relying on sun protection from a moisturizer or makeup product containing sunscreen. It is incredibly important to use the proper sunscreen amount to ensure adequate protection and prevent UV damage," added Dr. Michele Green, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist.

"Ninety percent of aging comes from sun damage all year, every day. Even being outside for 10 minutes walking the dog counts as sun exposure," added Jamie O'Banion, founder and CEO of BeautyBio. "UV radiation still penetrates through clouds on a winter afternoon."

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) can be gentle and well suited to skincare.

"Chemical exfoliation uses AHAs and BHAs, such as salicylic acid and glycolic acid, that react with dead skin cells and impurities to gently remove them from the skin," Green continued.

"The body sweats as a way to maintain temperature control, and when skin is covered in foundation, highlighter, and blush, this can clog pores," said O'Banion.

She advised avoiding high-intensity workouts while you're wearing makeup — and washing your face after a session. "Most breakouts need the presence of excess oil (lipid), cellular buildup (what happens when you don't exfoliate), and typically the introduction of P. bacterium," she added.

Aesthetician Rachel Bryant said she sees many clients in their early 20s to early 30s coming in for an appointment and asking for "intense treatments" to prevent aging — when their skin doesn't actually need it. "You shouldn’t seek out doing intense lasers and deep peels when you don’t have any deep lines or sun damage to begin with," she said.

Green said when people think of skincare, they tend to focus only on the face and not the neck, which is just as important.

"As we age, our body slows collagen production, a protein responsible for volumizing and tightening the skin. The neck is especially susceptible to this, as it already contains less collagen than other body parts," she said.

"I once had a client come in with a reaction to her face, and she started listing off her products to me, and they all seemed ordinary, but she still had a reaction. I asked her what her lifestyle was like, and she said she was in her 20s and consumed alcohol. She went on to say that she’s allergic to tequila — but she drank it the night before her facial," Bryant said.

"Oil eliminates oil. When you use a pre-cleansing oil, you are actually allowing for desincrustation of dead skin cells, allowing for deeper penetration of products applied to your skin," Bryant told BuzzFeed.

"Constantly changing up your skincare products and not staying the course with a consistent and steady routine meant to target your skin concerns is the biggest mistake I see clients make," said aesthetician and skincare founder Jordan Samuel.

"Switching up your product mix too often can also leave your skin confused and lead to adverse effects. Signs of sensitivity, irritation, breakouts, excess dryness, and excess oiliness are all very real possibilities when you are changing up products every few days," he added.

"Social media is an excellent avenue for finding trending skincare products, but skincare is not a 'one size fits all' type of thing. Every individual will have different needs for their skin based on their skin type, environment, and daily routine," explained Green.