11 Beauty Care Products We Use Wrong and Then Wonder Why They Don’t Work at All

Most of us possess a tremendous amount of beauty care products. Various tubes, bottles, and jars for any part of the body just sit on our shelves and bedside tables. While we like some of them and use them regularly, there are also those that disappoint us with their inefficiency. That’s why they continue to just sit there because we don’t want to use them again and feel bad about throwing them away.

However, we at Bright Side found out that sometimes the reason is not in the fact that the product is bad but in the fact that we use it incorrectly. Turns out, there are quite a lot of these cases.

We don’t give beauty products a chance to show what they are capable of.

Sometimes we buy a product and realize after a couple of weeks that it doesn’t work. Then we rush to buy another product hoping to get a more effective result and the story goes on. As a result, we end up with a bunch of bottles that never had a fighting chance.

Experts say that we can and even should change beauty care products if they don’t suit us. However, you should give them some time to see the results. Usually, it requires no less than a month because the average period for cell renewal is 28 days.

We use an insufficient amount of sunscreen.

It’s a well-known fact that sun rays are not nearly as useful as we previously thought. That’s why we learned how to use creams with SPF filters and why we keep buying them in stores regularly. However, we oftentimes notice that they do work but not in the way that was promised — a slight tan gradually appears on the skin.

The reason is that we are applying the product in the wrong way. Most people use only 25-50% of the necessary amount. In order to protect the body of an adult person completely, it’s necessary to apply about 30 g of the cream. Moreover, you should remember that it’s necessary to apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going outside. It’s also recommended to refresh the sunscreen layer every 2 hours if you are exposed to the sun.

We use retinol too frequently or at the wrong time.

Cosmetic products with retinol are very popular among women who are fighting aging. However, one needs to use them carefully to avoid redness and flaking. Moreover, retinol makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight, which can lead to pigmentation. Therefore, it is only recommended to apply retinol products at night. During the daytime, it’s necessary to use products with maximum SPF protection.

In order to avoid possible unpleasant consequences, it’s better to use cosmetics with retinol in the fall-winter period when ultraviolet rays are not as aggressive.

We apply eye cream to our eyelids.

Sometimes we take things too literally. And we should not apply eye cream to eyelids and eyes. In fact, this cream is there for nourishing the skin under the eyes. That’s why it should be applied in the zone of orbital bones around the eyes.

Also, when doing this, it’s best to use the ring finger because it’s the weakest of all the fingers and the chances that you will be pressing the sensitive skin around the eyes too hard will be small.

We apply oil to dry skin.

Many people don’t like to use oils very much, because it leaves a greasy film on the skin. In reality, this is very easy to avoid — all you need to do is to apply the oil to a wet body.

Thanks to water, oils penetrate into the upper layer of the epidermis better. In addition, this way of applying creates a kind of interchange — the oil retains water in the skin, moisturizing its upper layers. Last but not least — it’s much easier to apply oil to wet skin, which makes the process of absorbing it more efficient.

We match cosmetics wrongly.

Sometimes, unknowingly, we mix skincare products, not suspecting that by doing so we neutralize their effect. Cosmetics with retinol and vitamin C are a bright example of this. Skin requires a low pH (0 to 3.5) to absorb vitamin C. In contrast, retinol absorption requires a higher pH (5.5 to 6). When we mix vitamin C and retinol, the pH of vitamin C increases, and the pH of retinol decreases. Thus, these 2 ingredients make each other ineffective.

Using these products at the time when they act the best is the easiest and best decision. Retinol should be used at night, while vitamin C is beneficial during the day.

We apply antiperspirant at any time of the day.

It seems to us that we can use antiperspirant deodorants at any time of the day. That’s why we end up applying it randomly and, as it turns out, inefficiently. In fact, it’s better to do it in the evening, before going to bed. Antiperspirants are most effective when in contact with dry clean skin (like after a shower, for example) at the moment when sweat ducts are less active. Usually, this period starts in the evening and lasts overnight.

We apply skin cleansers and skincare products too fast.

Don’t rush to use skincare cosmetics right after you have washed your face, wiped it with toning water, and applied the necessary products to problematic zones. Wait for 3-5 minutes so that the skin can absorb all the useful elements.

If you don’t give it enough time, then you will eventually simply dilute the cosmetics you have just applied. As a result, they won’t work as well as they are meant to. Yes, it can take a bit more time than we are used to but the results are worth it.

Using sheet masks repeatedly

Sheet face masks are extremely popular today because they are a wonderful way to take care of our skin without spending much money on spas and the services of cosmetologists. Perhaps every woman who has ever used them has had the idea to use this mask again because there is always a lot of nourishing serum left in the pack. After all, why throw it away?

However, try not to do this. Keep in mind that bacteria and impurities from your skin remain on the mask, no matter how thoroughly you clean your face before the procedure. If you use the mask repeatedly, all the necessary and unnecessary substances will appear on the skin again.

We use face brushes too vigorously.

Many people use special soft face brushes when cleaning their faces. They do clean the face well and gently massage the skin, removing dirt and dead skin cells. Still, it’s important to not do it too hard because you will get the opposite effect. Make sure to just slightly touch your face with this brush because excess pressure can harm the skin and even lead to the breakage of capillaries.

We constantly use face wipes.

Commercials continue telling us that this is a must-have product. They are really very convenient because you can simply wipe your face and not spend time cleaning it.

However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the everyday use of cleansing cosmetic wipes can harm the skin because they are soaked in preservatives so they have better cleaning properties and a longer shelf life. Moreover, they are abrasive to the skin which is also not very good. It’s better to use these in cases when normal cleaning is problematic or impossible.

Have you ever noticed that some skin care products don’t work the way they are supposed to?