We got the low-down from the Nerdettes!

We're all fairly obsessed with makeup, right? However, many of us actually neglect the skin underneath, the canvas for all of our makeup products. Looking after your skin isn’t just about the aesthetic side of things, it’s about the health of your skin itself. It is an organ after all. You don’t have to go from doing nothing to having a skincare routine that rivals that of a beauty editor. So, I went to the brilliant experts over at The Skin Nerd, and got the suss! Here are 5 things that you can stop doing to make a world of difference to your skin:

Using Makeup Wipes

Makeup wipes are villainous to the skin. They seduce people with their promise of being easy to use and affordable but they can cause so much damage to the skin. Sorry, wipes users! The majority of facial wipes and baby wipes contain drying alcohols and sensitising fragrances. This means they dehydrate the skin, causing “drinkles” (dehydrated wrinkles) and stripping your skin of its essential barrier – the shield that stops the baddies from getting in and the hydration from getting out. Drying out the skin may sound good to those with oily skin. Newsflash: when you’re oily, it means that your skin has too much oil, not too much hydration. When the skin becomes dehydrated, it creates more oil to compensate for the dryness which in turns means more spots. No thanks. On top of that, wipes don’t really remove makeup and grime, they just smear them around your face so that you’re left with a film of the wipes ingredients and your old makeup. Yuck. Have we convinced you to bin the wipes? Well, the Cleanse Off Mitt (€5.95) was created as a skin-friendly alternative to facial wipes – it is chemical-free, alcohol-free and actually takes your makeup off.

Leaving Makeup On Overnight

You’ve definitely heard this before but it is not an over-exaggeration. When you leave your makeup on overnight, you are essentially keeping a big old pollution mask on your face for 7-8 hours. This means breakout central, as your skin’s natural oils can’t escape and become trapped in the pore, leading to the formation of spots. On top of that, cosmetic makeup often contains incredibly drying ingredients that can strip your skin of its protective barrier. When your skin is dehydrated and your barrier is impaired, it will look dull, flaky and may even become irritated more easily than usual. For us, leaving makeup on overnight is an absolute no-no – never do it, never ever, ever. That’s why we adore the Cleanse Off Mitt for a bit of a skincare cheat night – just add water and it removes makeup whilst respecting the skin. As easy as wipes but so much better for your skin!

Over-Exfoliating

We love exfoliation here at The Skin Nerd, as long as it is not a scrub or a grit – scrubs and grits cause mechanical damage to the skin, meaning that they leave lots of tiny little tears across its surface. Acid and enzyme-based exfoliation is much more respectful to the skin as it doesn’t scrape off dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, it just prompts them to slough themselves off. Lots of folks make the mistake of exfoliating with highly potent products far too often. Over-exfoliation can lead to compromised function of the skin’s barrier, which, as mentioned earlier, means dry skin, more spots, tenderness and irritation.

Not Wearing Sunscreen

Sunscreen isn’t what first comes to mind when you say the word “skincare” to people. However, it is arguably the most important product in anyone’s routine. If you’re doing nothing else, cleanse properly and wear sunscreen every freakin’ day – no exceptions. UVB rays are the ones that cause sunburn, tan and can contribute to the development of skin cancers but UVA rays are around all year. Don’t believe exposure to light makes you look much older? Google “solar elastosis”. The key thing you’re looking for in a sunscreen that is broad spectrum (meaning it protects from UVA and UVB rays).

Cleansing Once Instead Of Twice

Not to be confused with over-cleansing, double cleansing is one of the key components of healthy and clean skin. Double cleansing involves a makeup-removal step, usually an oil, followed by a traditional cleansing foam, cream or wash. Why double cleanse? Well, cleansing a second time means that you are ensuring that every trace of pollution is thoroughly removed from your face. There's no point in having serums, eye creams and night creams if they just sit on the surface of the skin doing nothing! Do you want to get your mitts on the Cleanse Off Mitt (RRP €5.95)? Get it from over 1,200 stockists nationwide or on www.cleanseoffmitt.com. Find your nearest stockist at https://cleanseoffmitt.com/pages/stockists.