There are the lucky few who seem to be born with naturally flawless, effortless skin. And then there are the rest of us – the ones who have to navigate the daunting world of products, makeup, and skincare regimens to try and bring out that natural glow that we know must be underneath the surface somewhere.
Somewhere along the way in that journey, most of us have adopted some skincare practices or go-to products that don’t actually serve us. Choosing the right products and layering them properly can be confusing. Often we are disappointed with the results but don’t know what to do differently. And sometimes we don’t even know we are making a mistake! So we asked Julie Powers, a licensed esthetician and instructor in our esthetics program, about some of the most common skincare and makeup “mistakes,” plus simple ways to fix them:
A common COLOR mistake when choosing your foundation…
A common color mistake people make is using a darker foundation to create a "tan" look when they have the winter blues and are wanting to reclaim some of that summer glow. The better way to warm up your complexion is to use a foundation that matches your natural skin tone and then add bronzer to the high points of your face - the forehead at the hairline, cheekbones, bridge of the nose, tip of the chin. Choose a matte bronzer in a shade that complements your complexion (fair, medium, deep) and one that has a pink undertone, because every tan has a sunburn underneath, even in the deepest complexions. This will give you a much more realistic sun-kissed glow any time of year AND saves your skin from UV damage from tanning!
A common LAYERING mistake when applying products…
Be aware of the ingredients in your primer and foundation! Remember that water-based foundations will not sit correctly over a silicone-based primer! If you are having issues with your foundation rolling off, looking cakey, or just not working the way it should, make sure that your ingredients for those two products are compatible!
A common PRODUCT SELECTION mistake…
A very common product selection mistake that we see all the time is someone getting a blemish or two but treating it like they have cystic acne. Everyone will get blemishes from time to time, but the idea that "more is better" is WRONG and can ruin your skin. Overtreating normal but congested skin with products intended for a teenager's acneic skin will strip your skin, impair your natural barrier, and cause your skin to overproduce oil, which will exacerbate the problem. Spot treat when needed with an age-appropriate product like Dermalogica's Retinol Clearing Oil before bed, and continue using your esthetician-recommended skin care, including moisturizer and SPF!
Let us know if you put any of these changes into practice and how it goes!
