What I Wish I Knew About Skincare At 16
Oh, to be 16 again.. When my skin was at its worst and my high school attendance was at its best. There are many beauty and skincare tips I wish I could’ve shared with my younger insecure self and since I cannot go back in time, I am sharing them with you!
1. Less is more
The amount of acids and chemicals I would apply to my face at once hoping it would magically clear up my hormonal acne ended up setting me further back. Most of the time less is more and in my case, I didn’t need to apply salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide in one nighttime routine, it would often leave my skin more inflamed and irritated than at the start.
2. Changing your pillowcase daily is essential
I can’t even count how many times my mother would tell me to change my pillowcase when I was going through a breakout in my teens. At the time, I thought it couldn’t possibly be my pillowcase, I just changed it a week ago… wrong! Your pillowcase will hold onto oils, dirt and sweat from daily use. They can even start to harbor bacteria throughout use. That is why I now change my pillowcase routinely and opt for more skin-friendly fabric options like silk and satin.
3. Sunscreen is your friend!
Maybe it’s because I grew up on the Jersey Shore or my olive skin tone, but at 16, I definitely was not wearing nearly as much sunscreen as I should have been. Back then, my only use for sunscreen was when I was at the beach and I wouldn’t reapply the whole day. Looking back, this hurts so much. Sunscreen should be worn DAILY! SPF reduces your risk of skin cancer as well as prevents aging and discoloration. I now apply sunscreen everyday and reapply every 2 hours!
4. Wash your makeup brushes at least once a week
At 16, I was a competitive dancer and was not at all shy to heavy and caked on makeup. I was, however, shy about the fact that washing your makeup brushes is necessary when you use that makeup a day. To think of how many breakouts I could have avoided if I just spent the time to wash my brushes every once in a while. Dirty makeup brushes accumulate sebum, product buildup and dead skin cells which can develop harmful bacteria. So please, do me a favor and wash your brushes every now and then!
