Every morning after you wake up, you religiously get into a healthy skin care routine that involves cleaning, toning and moisturising. You also slip in a sunscreen into this skin care regime. As the sun sets, you reach out for your anti-ageing skin care product and slap it on your face. Knowing the these good skin care habits is essential, and so are the things that you need to unlearn for New Year 2023. For instance, if you sleep with your make-up on after getting back from a party or don’t wash your face because you are too tired, your skin will suffer. Let’s find out which all bad skin care habits you need to ditch as you welcome New Year 2023.

There are many common skin care mistakes that women make. To find out more about them, Health Shots connected with cosmetic dermatologist Dr Apratim Goel.

Here’s a list of bad skin care habits that you need to ditch in New Year 2023

1. Over exfoliation

While keeping your skin clean is ideal, don’t overdo it. Using harsh scrubs or rubbing the skin in order to remove  dead skin can lead to dark spots, pigmentation or even scars, everything that you don’t want. Dr Goel suggests to use mild scrubs only once a week. She says you can even exfoliate at a dermatology clinic using microdermabrasion, or mild chemical peels once a month. However, it is important to get your skin assessed by a dermatologist before doing any of these treatments. Your doctor can then prepare your skin to take on exfoliation without leaving any marks or scars.

2. Neglecting neck, chest, hands and feet

Skin care is not only for the face, something that many women forget. Moisturise your body immediately after shower, especially after bathing using hot water. Use skincare products like sunscreen, moisturiser and anti-ageing products on your neck, chest, hands and feet. Use a hand and foot cream to keep the skin of palms and soles soft.

3. Smoking and drinking too much

It’s time to say goodbye to harmful habits like smoking, consuming too much alcohol (side effects of alcohol on skin) and not keeping yourself hydrated. Skin can only shine from the outside if it is well nourished from the inside. Smoking makes your skin dull and grey, with early formation of lines and wrinkles, said the expert.

4. Leaving make-up on face overnight

Applying a bit of lipstick or kohl or eyeliner, instantly helps to boost confidence. But make-up will look best when the skin is smooth and bright. Make sure to prepare your skin with a moisturiser and primer before applying make-up. Never sleep with you colour cosmetics on, and always remove make-up using a mild make-up remover. Then wash your face with a cleanser before going to bed.

5. Not washing make-up brushes or wiping down mobile screen

You should wash your make-up brushes and also clean your mobile screen. This seems obvious, but it is one of the most common mistakes that most women make. Let’s make sure to keep the dirt, bacteria off your face by cleaning everything that touches it.

6. Taking skin care advice from people who aren’t experts

Be it online or in your neighborhood, everyone seems to have an opinion on what to apply and how to use a certain beauty product. Dr Goel warned not to take personal skin care advice from the internet, Instagram, friends or neighbours as everyone has a different skin type, so take personalised beauty tips from an expert.

Healthy skin care habits to follow in New Year 2023

1. Set a skin care routine and follow it regularly

You can start with a facewash, moisturiser and sunscreen for day and a serum and moisturiser for night. Start with one active ingredient at night to treat your main concern like acne or pigmentation or ageing skin. Add layers only when you are ready. Starting with a nine-step routine is setting yourself to failure and overwhelming your skin with too many products, said Dr Goel.

2. Hydrate inside and outside

Only drinking water does not hydrate your skin. You also have to exfoliate the dead skin once a month and moisturise well on a daily basis to keep your skin hydrated.

3. Protect your skin from sun damage

This can be done by avoiding sun exposure or using physical protection like full sleeved clothes and hat or with liberal use of sunscreen. Protecting your skin from sun damage will not only prevent your skin from tanning and pigmentation, but also prevent long-term sun damage of skin.

4. If you have skin problems, take advise from a skin expert

Don’t become an expert yourself and use any product, especially which is unlabelled. Dr Goel noted that there is a growing problem of steroid use in creams that are passed on from salon staff or unqualified people in the name of skin whitening creams. This leads to severe side-effects of skin in the long run. So, ask your dermatologist before using any product on your skin.