Face washing, acid peels, thick creams: which skincare habits are actually harming your skin?

When skin acts up, it is often not because you were too lazy to take care of it, but because you were trying too hard. Among the cases Dr.Evers Clinic · Busan Seomyeon sees in the clinic, washing your face for too long, using acid exfoliants every day, and layering thicker creams on your face the drier it gets are three routines often mistaken for "careful skincare."

What happens when you wash your face for too long?

Washing for too long strips away the skin barrier, and afterward the skin easily turns red and feels dry and itchy at the slightest thing. When there are a lot of blackheads and whiteheads, scrubbing repeatedly does not mean you are washing more cleanly.

What is the problem with using acid exfoliants every day?

If you keep applying acids when the base is already damaged, your skin gets thinner and thinner, and nothing you apply gets absorbed. Seeing someone else's skin brighten after using acids and then following along is a common cause.

If your skin is dry, should you apply a thicker cream?

When oil and moisture are out of balance, forcing a heavy cream onto your skin only clogs your pores completely. In assessing this, our clinic first distinguishes whether it is a lack of moisture or an inability to hold moisture in — these two need to be handled in different directions. Sometimes there is no need to rush to keep layering things onto your face.

Step back to the most basic moisturizing and sun protection, and simplify a little — that is actually what helps your skin.