PSA: You Could Be Using Your Products Incorrectly...

beauty
by Shanice Chrisel |
Sun, 3 Apr 2022

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Cassie, honey… Your multi-step beauty routine is great, but don’t do your skin like that! It’s trés essential to pay close attention to how we apply our products, especially since we spend so much coin on them. Be it skincare, haircare, or even makeup, assessing how you scoop-smear-pat your products onto your skin is a make-or-break moment. Skim through and strike these common application mistakes off your AM or PM routines… And then get your bestie to scratch them off too.

1. Don’t Apply Hair Oil on Wet or Damp Hair

Smearing hair oil onto wet or damp hair is an absolute no-no, according to Shai Amiel, the Curl Doctor and one of Hollywood’s hottest hairstylists, because “oil and water don’t mix. This is the most common mistake I see people do,” he continues, so “if your hair is wet or damp, it’ll prevent the oil from penetrating your hair shaft, and it’ll sit on the hair. It’s like applying new nail polish on top of an old one.” Noted.

Instead, get the most out of your hair oils by rubbing a few drops between your hands and gently running your fingers through dry hair. This additional layer helps protect your locks from pollution, dirt, and UV rays while adding shine.

Pro tip: We swear by hair oil’s miracle-working properties; massage it into your scalp and the length of your strands, wrap a warm towel around your hair, leave it overnight and then wash it off in the morning for rejuvenated locks.

2. Pat Serums into Your Skin

While serums are packed with high concentrations of active ingredients that can do wonders for your skin, the way you apply them could reduce their benefits – read: no intense rubbing. Intense rubbing can cause friction and skin tugging that some experts deem unnecessary. Serums tend to absorb quickly, and a simple pat-pat-pat is enough to help them penetrate. And don’t forget to apply your serum before your moisturizer and face oil.

3. Don’t Brush Hair from Scalp to Tip

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Princess Ariel knew what she was doing here – and nope, we’re not saying you should swap hairbrushes for forks! Avoid combing your hair by starting from the scalp to the ends, as this technique pulls at knots, creating tension and damage in the mid-section of your hair, and making split-ends more likely. Instead, start by brushing the ends of your hair first, once detangled, start from the mid-section, and then finish by going all the way from your scalp to the ends.

4. Snip Sheet Masks to Fit

As skincare lovers, it’s safe to say that our Sundays aren’t complete without a sheet mask. Since they’re one-size-fits-all, we like to snip our sheet masks in three specific spots before laying them over our faces – across the bridge of the nose, above the lips, and on the chin. This creates room for little position tweaks, so it sits comfortably and is fully in contact with your skin. Next, gently pat the sheet mask so it delivers hydrating juices to every inch of your complexion.

5. Moisturize Right After Showering   

The best time to rehydrate your skin is within three to five minutes of getting out of the shower. Try to gently pat yourself dry rather than rubbing, then smear lotion all over your body. This seals any excess water on the surface of your skin and locks in the moisture for supple-all-over skin.

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6. Use A Damp Makeup Sponge

Fun fact: your makeup sponge should be used damp! Oh, and you should also clean it before every use.

We find the most effective way to get our sponge clean is by rubbing it against a bar of soap while running it under the tap. Do this until the water runs clear, and keep squeezing to get any excess suds out of the sponge. One clean (it literally takes us 30 seconds), squeeze your blender into a towel or tissue to remove any excess water. Et voilà, your makeup sponge is damp and ready to give you gorgeous, even coverage and a natural skin finish.

7. Apply Enough Sunscreen 

If you’re a regular here, you’ll know we’re all about that sunscreen-in-your-purse life. While it’s important to choose a sunscreen with high SPF and 5-star UVA ratings for pristine protection against UVA and UVB rays, it’s also vital to make sure you’re applying enough. Derms tell us to use two fingers’ worth of SPF all over your face, neck, and décolletage. We love this trick because it tells us *exactly* how much product our skin needs to protect itself against the sun’s rays.

8. Moisturizing Mistakes

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Oh, how we love our moisturizer tubs. Not only do they lock in ALL the goodness from the rest of our routine, but moisturizers are packed with nourishing ingredients that feed and hydrate the skin. It’s also super important to make sure you’re using them right:

Don’t Pull On Your Skin: Instead of rubbing the product into your skin or pulling it in a downward motion, gently apply your moisturizer in circular, upward motions.

Don’t Apply Too Much: Applying too much product can cause the formula to pill (when it forms tiny balls of excess product), which not only is annoying but also makes it less effective. Stick to a blueberry-sized dollop, and you’re good to go.

Let’s chat skincare – check out the dos and don’ts of building a skincare routine.