January 26, 2021
Bye, bye, beauty mistakes – free your skin
by Redaktion
When the skin becomes unbalanced, it is often due to skincare habits that have become routine over the years. Cosmetic products that are not suitable for your skin type can also send your skin into a beauty strike.
Dry patches, redness, spots or oily shine - skin rebels in its own way. For this reason, there is no one-size-fits-all secret recipe for beautiful skin, because every skin is unique. And yet there are do's and don'ts that apply to all skin types.
And there are care mistakes that sneak into your daily skin care routine without you knowing, or that you may have never heard of. With this article, I want to inspire you to take a closer look at your care routines and cosmetic products. This way, you can uncover beauty mistakes that may be the cause of your personal skin problem.
Personally, I used products that were far too harsh for years, didn't give my skin a break and was impatient when a product didn't immediately produce visible results as if by magic. Today I know that proper skin care is much more of a holistic concept that is supported by important pillars such as mild products that suit your skin type, gentle treatment of the skin and a healthy lifestyle.
As with all areas of life, I think the same applies to skin care: it pays to leave your usual ways if they don't lead you to your goal. Sometimes it just takes a while to realise that. But that's completely okay, because a relaxed inner attitude also has a positive effect on the skin and beauty mistakes can be quickly corrected. Are you ready? Let's get started!
- Facial cleansing – thorough but gentle
- The correct order of skin care
- Do you know your skin type?
- Give your skin time
- The biggest beauty no-go's
- The best beauty do's
1 Facial cleansing – thorough but gentle
Facial cleansing is the basis of skin care. This is where beauty mistakes often creep in, disrupting the skin's natural balance and its protective function. Although the skin must be thoroughly freed of sebum, dirt particles and make-up every day, the "more is more" approach is often followed: more drying surfactants for oily skin, rough peelings for acne or alcohol-based and harsh lotions that are supposed to tackle impurities.
This often makes the skin condition worse, because the skin cannot express itself any other way and so it protests in its own way, for example with redness, spots or dryness. When cleansing your face, you can make small but important adjustments:
- Wash your face consistently twice a day with a cleansing product containing mild surfactants that does not strip the skin too much and preserves its natural pH value.
- Avoid products that contain alcohol, such as facial toners that contain alcohol.
- Make sure to clean your face with lukewarm water.
- Avoid mechanical peelings. Coarse peeling grains can lead to a deterioration of the skin's appearance, especially if you have sensitive skin, couperose, rosacea or acne.
pH-neutral cleansing products with mild surfactants clean the skin without drying it out or disturbing the pH value. If the skin is intact, it prevents pathogens and harmful substances from penetrating the body. Harsh agents or cleansing products with aggressive surfactants can disrupt this protective barrier and should therefore be consistently eliminated.
My tip for daily facial cleansing: Junglück cleansing oil and Junglück rose water to refresh and tone the skin. The AHA peeling with mild fruit acids and salicylic acid removes flakes and cleanses the pores gently but effectively. Use it once or twice a week in the evening. If you have very sensitive skin, rosacea, couperose or neurodermatitis, you should consult a dermatologist before using the AHA peeling.
2 The correct order of skin care
The basics of facial care are well known: wash your face, refresh and clarify the skin with a toner such as pure rose water and finally apply facial cream. What is less well known, however, is the order in which skin care should be applied so that it can have the best possible effect.
As a rule of thumb, you should always apply clear products such as serums or aloe vera gel before the cream. The liquid consistency is absorbed particularly quickly and deeply and provides the skin with intensive moisture and active ingredients such as retinal. The face cream contains richer active ingredients, such as nourishing oils. These keep the skin supple and keep the active ingredients from the serum in the skin.
Here is the care process in detail:
- Cleanse your face with a mild cleansing product, such as a cleansing oil
- Once or twice a week, use a peeling to remove flakes and deposits from the skin. The AHA peeling is well suited for this.
- If necessary, a facial mask can be applied once a week after the peeling
- Tone and clarify with alcohol-free toner or pure rose water
- Apply serum
- Gently pat eye cream in with your ring finger
- Apply care cream
- Apply UV protection during the day if necessary
If your skin needs different active ingredients due to climatic or hormonal changes, the cream and serum can be adjusted.
You can find more on this topic in this blog post.
The right order – layering
3 Do you know your skin type?
If the skin rebels, this can be an indication that it is not getting what it actually wants. It is particularly tricky if you have a mixed skin type such as dry skin with blemishes or combination skin with an oily T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) and dry areas of the face.
If you are unsure about your skin type, it is worth having a dermatologist analyze your skin. If you know your skin well, you can give it customized care. Perhaps your forehead needs more moisture, your cheeks need richer care, and your chin needs pore-clearing care like the Junglück AHA peeling? When it comes to your beauty program, it is worth staying flexible and responding to your skin's current and local needs in a very individual way.
Many Junglück products are suitable for several skin types. The cleansing oil, for example, can also be used on oily skin, as the high-quality plant oils do not clog the pores. If you have very sensitive skin or inflammatory conditions, you should first consult your dermatologist before using active cosmetic products - for example with retinal or fruit acids.
4 Give your skin time
Every day, the top layer of skin loses dead cells. Over the course of a month, your epidermis is completely renewed. Although you can't renew your skin overnight with high-quality cosmetic products, a good skin care series can support it wonderfully.
If you want to stimulate skin renewal with active cosmetic products such as a retinal serum, you should give your skin time to get used to the active ingredient. Just as we often need some time to get used to new situations, the skin also needs this adjustment period. Patience is particularly important with products that have a slightly peeling effect such as retinal or fruit acids (AHA) in order not to irritate the skin.
Sometimes there can be an initial worsening. This can lead to an increase in blemishes. This will subside after a short time and – as long as no severe reactions occur – is no reason to stop using the product. After a few days, the skin should have settled down again.
Please also give cosmetic products some time until visible results are visible. As already mentioned, there are no miracle cures that will conjure up a Photoshopped complexion overnight. It is best to imagine our care products as personal assistants to your skin. They work diligently and with commitment and the positive effect can be seen on the first day of work. Little by little, a solid and healthy base is created - and only healthy skin can shine.
5 The biggest beauty no-gos
I've already mentioned it: I used to put my skin through a lot. For example, when I was a teenager with beautiful skin, I secretly used my mother's rich anti-aging cream and was surprised that I suddenly got pimples.
Or when I thought I should mix myself a fruit acid peeling and, out of sheer impatience, mixed a mixture with far too high a concentration instead of slowly getting my skin used to the AHA acid. But as the saying goes, mistakes are there to learn from. Of course, you don't have to make these beauty no-gos:
- When cleansing your face, scrub it and polish it to a high shine. This is enough to gently remove dirt and excess sebum.
- Hot water washes valuable fats out of the skin. Of course, you should treat yourself to the luxury of a full bath every now and then. But please not every day. Your skin will thank you for a few degrees lower.
- Are you surprised that you keep getting pimples in certain places? Could it be that you unconsciously put your hands on your face when you're thinking? Although hand hygiene has probably improved significantly for most people since the start of the corona pandemic, really clean fingers are a rarity in the age of smartphones and computers. Therefore: make sure to keep your hands away from your face and disinfect your smartphone and keyboards regularly. These quickly become breeding grounds for germs.
- Speaking of fingers: Please keep them away from pimples. I know it's not easy. Pressing on a pimple can lead to nasty inflammation of the tissue and acne marks. It takes a really long time for these to go away - if they heal completely at all. Instead, try to make peace with a pimple somehow and dab it several times a day with anti-inflammatory agents such as rose water. The unwanted guest usually goes away on its own after a few days.
- Use a skin care product that really suits your skin type and don’t be fooled by seductive-sounding marketing strategies.
- We change our wardrobe with the seasons. Skin care should also be adapted to the season. While the skin produces less sebum in winter and is further dried out by cold and heated air, it needs more moisture when temperatures rise.
- More than 90 percent of skin aging is caused by UV radiation. Sun protection should therefore be an integral part of your beauty routine and not just a matter of course in your travel luggage.
6 The best beauty do’s
A positive mindset reduces stress levels and a relaxed inner attitude also has a positive effect on the skin. If stress hormones such as cortisol are not broken down through relaxation, they can trigger inflammatory processes in the body. That's why I'm starting the list of the best beauty do's with the tip to consciously relax every day.
- Daily relaxation rituals help you to let go and find your center. Whether you relax on a walk, on the yoga mat or with a cup of tea - slowing down and checking in with yourself is so valuable. Of course, you can also celebrate your daily facial care by consciously carrying out each care step in a pleasant atmosphere.
- Avoid harsh ingredients in creams and the like and treat your skin with velvet paws. Junglück consciously avoids fragrances, parabens, mineral oil, fillers and silicones - pure products for clear skin and a clear conscience.
- Support your skin from the inside by drinking plenty of still water or unsweetened teas and eating a balanced diet with plenty of fresh vegetables, fiber, minerals and high-quality oils.
- Protect your skin from free radicals and provide it with antioxidants. From the inside with vitamin-rich food, from the outside with antioxidant skin care such as the Junglück Vitamin C Serum.
- Make sure to check the expiration date on your cosmetic products regularly. Just like food, cosmetic products also have an expiration date that you can find on the packaging: a small jar with a number. If it says 6M on the jar, the product has a shelf life of six months from opening. Also make sure to protect cosmetics from light and heat.
Let go of the belief that a lot of care helps a lot. It is better to cleanse and care for your skin consistently but gently and to expose it to as few stressors as possible.
I hope that this post inspires you to see your skin as a fantastic miracle that needs to be treated with loving patience and really good care. Take care of yourself and your skin!
Our new editor
My name is Lena and I am happily working as a freelance author and journalist. I love animals more than anything, which is why I eat 99 percent vegan. Speaking of vegan: I love plant-based natural cosmetics and writing about them. And so things have come full circle, because my enthusiasm for the vitamin C serum and Junglück's sustainable approach is how I ended up here. I hope you enjoy reading my posts!
Your Lena
The header image is by the wonderful Josi @jose_phiiine .