The skincare mistakes you might not know you’re making (according to the experts)

Ahead of our IMAGE Business of Beauty Awards 2020, we asked some of Ireland’s leading aestheticians about the common mistakes people make in relation to their skin

In the age of Google and Instagram, it feels like suddenly everyone’s a skin expert. Social media and WhatsApp groups are full of people claiming to know exactly what each skincare ingredient is for (and how to use them) – but do they really?

With our Business of Beauty Awards 2020 quickly coming down the tracks, we sought the opinions of actual skincare experts to find out where we’re going wrong.

Here they share with us the biggest mistakes Irish women make when it comes to their skin.

They said…

Ciara from Cosmetic Doctor says, “[people] focusing on their make-up and not their skin,” is one of the biggest errors she’s seen over the years. She also says not wearing sunscreen is a no-no, adding that this can make the biggest difference when it comes to a person’s complexion.

Similarly, Maria Redmond from the Institute of Dermatologists says one of the biggest mistakes she sees is women, “not using a daily zinc-based, non-comedogenic sunscreen, like Elta MD Clear or Revision Intellishade Truphysical. We also love cult favourite Biologique Recherche P50,” she adds, “which gently exfoliates the skin, regulates excessive sebum secretion, purifies, moisturises, regenerates and helps maintain the epidermis’ acid pH. Patients report a difference in their skin texture within a week of starting P50!”

Maria adds that applying too many skincare products to the skin at the same time is another common mistake. “[People] think that the effect will be additive, but it often leads to over-congestion and even inflammation of the skin. Keep things simple,” she explains.

Meanwhile, Brendan and Sarah from South William Spa say, “We have many clients who, because of social media and other forums, think they are well-informed when it comes to ingredients and what products they should be using, or they are following latest blogger trends. However, more often than not we have clients presenting who are using all the wrong products and ingredients which are not suited to their skin type and could actually make their skin worse.

“Many Irish skins need a gradual approach when it comes to active skincare and treatments. Step up systems, such as SkinCeuticals and Environ Vitamin A programs, are a great way for clients to slowly increase the amount of vitamin A/retinol and other active ingredients in their routine and sometimes patience is needed to achieve the best results long-term,” they say.

“Another thing we see all the time is that clients feel the UV protection in their make-up is sufficient – which is not the case. We educate them on using broad-spectrum SPF products to ensure adequate protection for their skin each day.”

The biggest lesson here? SPF is everything.

Ciara, Maria, Brendan and Sarah are just some of our very talented nominees in this year’s IMAGE Business of Beauty Awards. Voting ends at midnight, Friday March 6. For voting terms and conditions, click here.

IMAGE BOB 2020 will kick off at 6:30 pm with a cocktail reception on Sunday, March 15, at the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road in Dublin 4.  Early bird tickets are available here at €191 including VAT for a limited time. Tables of 10 and 12 guests are available. 

Feature photo: 13 Going On 30, Columbia Pictures

Read more: The IMAGE Business of Beauty 2020 shortlist – voting now open

Gallery: Business of Beauty Awards 2020 shortlist revealed

Read more: The eyebrow mistakes you might not know you’re making (according to Irish brow artists)