Why You Look Older Than You Should: 9 Skincare Mistakes to Avoid

Some of the things you do to take care of your face are quietly making you look older and most of them feel like the right thing to do. I did several of them for years and when I watch my older videos, I can see exactly what it did. These are the everyday habits that age your face with an easy fix for each one plus one that almost nobody talks about. As a medical researcher, I read the labels and the studies so you don't have to. Let's start with the one that you're probably doing Using makeup wipes as your whole cleansing routine. They do remove makeup, and they are very convenient, but they often contain high amounts of preservatives and fragrance, and too much of these can increase the risk of irritation. But the bigger issue is how we use them. We're physically rubbing the skin, especially around the eyes, where the skin is thinner and more delicate. Over time, that repeated friction can lead to irritation and more I used to have pigmentation under my eyes, especially the outer corners, because I was using wipes to really rub off my mascara and eyeliner. But once I stopped using wipes, I noticed that my pigmentation actually got better. If you do use them, choose fragrance-free ones and be as gentle as possible. A gentler and actually more effective way to cleanse is using a cleansing oil. You've probably heard of double cleansing from maybe Korean skincare. So you apply the oil to dry face, add water, it turns milky and removes all your makeup. Then you just follow with a gentle cleanser. But the most important part is you don't have to double cleanse every night. Only on the days you wear makeup. This is to avoid over stripping your skin. Next is giving some protection on regular days. So there are two kinds of UV rays, UVB is one that burns you so you notice it and UVA is the quiet one, it goes deeper and you can't feel it and it contributes to wrinkles and dark spots. UVA goes through glass so sitting next to a window or driving your car still counts. The fix is broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher every day and reapply if you're outside for a long time. If you deal with dark spots or melasma, choose a tinted sunscreen with iron oxides because they help block visible light, which can make those dark spots worse. You know, some people say Asians have good skin because of our genes, and I think that's only half true. We're also really big on sun protection because we tend to get dark spots and melasma. In Asia, it's normal to see people all covered up like this. And you can even find visor masks like this in some Asian grocery stores here in the US. And honestly, this is my pre-driving routine, the first thing I do when I get into my car. So protecting my skin comes first now, especially after turning 40, and it changed how I wear makeup too, which brings me to the next one. Wearing heavy makeup can make you look older. Those full or matte coverage can actually make dry patches and textures stand out. So I used to wear full face of makeup like this to go work in the office. Great coverage, but with the AC blowing, by the end of the day, my face was so dry and patchy. Also, when I watched my older videos with all these highlights and all these contour, I cringe because I feel like I actually I actually look older. So now in this video, I just wear a tinted mineral sunscreen and a cream blush that also doubles as my lip tint. So if you've been wearing heavy makeup, try switching to a light coverage. Skin tints are getting so popular right now because they combine skincare, some coverage and SPF, but most importantly, they let your skin show through naturally. So you look fresher, not all covered up. Okay, the next skincare mistake is the easiest to fix aging skin and it doesn't have to be expensive. Putting all your focus on serums and treating moisturizer like it's optional. As our skin gets thinner and drier in midlife, a lot of us spend on collagen-boosting actives like retinol, peptides, vitamin C, but serums are for targeted concern. A moisturizer is what locks everything in. As we age, our skin naturally loses ceramides, which hold your skin cells together. Tiny gaps begin to form, and moisture can escape. So look for creams that help fill in those gaps with ingredients like ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids Add glycerin or hyaluronic acid, which pulls water in and you have a cream that hydrates and hold it there. And you don't need a $200 cream, a ceramide cream like the CeraVe or the Inkey List gives you the luxury feel without the luxury price tag. The next one is part of your face almost everyone forgets about, your eyebrows. They get thinner in mid-life, and most of us don't see it coming. As estrogen starts to decline, hair growth slows, and that can make brows thinner. Mine started thinning around 40, so now I use minoxidil and castor oil on my brows, and I've seen pretty good results in just a few months. So minoxidil is FDA approved for hair loss on the scalp, and there are small clinical studies showing that it can also improve brow fullness. I apply it with a q-tip and I make sure not to let it drip because it's not safe for the eyes. At night, I coat my brows with castor oil using a spoolie. Castor oil conditions the hairs and is a natural way to keep them soft and moisturized. One more thing, if your brows thin suddenly or mostly at the outer edges, it can be a sign of thyroid problem, so talk to your doctor about that. The next skincare mistake that makes you look older is taking care of your face but forgetting your neck and chest. The easy fix is to bring everything you put on your face down to your neck and chest, sunscreen and moisturizer included. But if you feel like your face products aren't enough, you can use a dedicated neck cream, Like this one by Strike Back Done, it has their patented peptide blend made for the neck. I feel like my neck has been looking better lately from using this neck cream twice a day because it's really moisturizing. And for sun protection, every single morning, even when it's gloomy outside, I put on the CeraVe sunscreen stick. I like stick SPF for my neck because it's just less messy and easier to apply. Now when it comes to skincare products, layering too many actives can irritate your skin and damage your skin barrier and when that keeps happening, your skin can get worse making you look older. And trust me, as a skincare creator, I test a lot of products so I've damaged my skin barrier more than once. My skin gets itchy, stings, and peels when I put on products that never bothered me before. So the fix is to learn how to use each of your actives correctly. For example, you shouldn't use glycolic acid. on the same night as retinoids. I made a skincare ingredients checklist that shows which actives work together and which to keep apart, and you can download it free in the description. But if your barrier is already damaged, the fix is to simplify. Go back to a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer, and sunscreen for three to five days. Look for ceramides, panthenol, and centella to help repair and soothe your skin barrier. Many of these creams are labeled barrier cream. Then you can add your actives back slowly, one at a time. Now, actives aren't the enemy. If there is one skincare active you need to have in your routine, it's gotta be retinoids. I know some of you may have had that experience using retinol or the prescription tretinoin, but retinoids are one of the most studied skincare ingredients we have for anti-aging, which is why they're worth another try. Start with the sandwich method, and this is where our barrier cream comes in handy. So apply this cream first. Then your retinol on top and then another layer of this barrier cream. Or just choose a lower strength one like the La Roche-Posay which is 0.3% retinol. And use it at night because retinoids can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. And sun on irritated skin makes things worse. Sunscreen every morning but skip retinol if you're pregnant or planning to be. The next skincare mistake is one almost nobody talks about, which is treating hormonal skin changes like ordinary aging. And no, you don't have to be in menopause for this to apply to you. You can have regular periods and think you're nowhere near menopause while your hormone levels have already started to change and your skin is quietly changing before you notice anything different with your cycle. That's because our skin has estrogen receptors too. So estrogen Collagen plays a role in collagen, skin thickness, and the skin barrier. When those levels start fluctuating, it's not surprising our skin starts to feel different. It's the same reason our brows thin as we age. So adjust your routine, enrich your moisturizer with ceramides, sunscreen every day, and retinol at night. Everything in this video matters even more now. And if your symptoms bother you, talk to your doctor about options like prescription estrogen cream and hormone therapy If this helped, don't forget to subscribe, and I'll see you in the next one. Bye!