Why Your Skincare Routine Might Be Doing More Harm Than Good
Image description: This close-up image captures an eye with long eyelashes. The surrounding skin appears smooth and well-moisturised, showing a healthy complexion. The eye is green or hazel, and the lighting highlights the skin's texture.
Achieving clear and healthy skin is a common goal, but what happens when the very skincare products you're using are causing breakouts and more skin concerns than they’re aiming to solve?
This can be frustrating and confusing, especially if you're investing time and money into a routine you expect to improve your skin.
If you've noticed more pimples, redness, or irritation after starting a new product or routine, you're not alone.
Here’s a few factors you can troubleshoot with, and hopefully get your skin back on track ASAP.
1. Using Products That Aren't Right for Your Skin Type
Although this isn’t the be all end all, and it is possible to use skincare that isn’t targeted for your skin type, it’s a very good indicator that you’re heading in the right skincare direction.
If you have oily skin but are using a thick, rich moisturiser, you could be clogging your pores and causing breakouts.
On the other hand, if you have dry skin and use products formulated for oily skin, they can strip away essential moisture, leading to irritation and a compromised skin moisture barrier.
What to do:
A good rule of thumb?
Do a bit of research first- and although many terms are based in marketing, they can be helpful to us (the skincare consumer) to find something better aligned to our skin.
Once you know, stick to products designed for your skin type. This small adjustment can go a long way in preventing breakouts and worsening skin concerns.
Our brand crush, Boring Without You, has a skin type quiz linked here.
2. Overloading Your Skin with Active Ingredients
More is not more when it comes to active ingredients.
Active ingredients like retinol, salicylic acid, and AHAs when used correctly can work wonders for acne, fine lines, and other skin concerns.
Using too many actives at once or in high concentrations can overwhelm your skin, leading to redness, peeling, and—you guessed it—breakouts.
Active ingredients can also be a bit sneaky, appearing in multiple steps of your routine. This is where understanding what’s in your products is extra important.
What to do:
Introduce active ingredients slowly, one at a time, and use them sparingly.
For instance, start using retinol just once a week and gradually increase frequency.
Pair it with a good moisturiser to protect your skin’s barrier.
New to actives? We got you! Read: How to Use Vitamin A Like a Pro!
Also, don’t miss listening to the gift that is Amy Clark & Dr.Michelle Wong’s “Trouble shooting Vitamin A” podcast episode below.
3. Using Comedogenic Ingredients
Image description: This image shows a detailed close-up of human skin with visible pores and slight texture.
We’ve hit another weird term: Comedogenic.
Literally defined as “tending to cause blackheads by blocking the pores of the skin” by the Oxford dictionary, it’s referring to the comedo (the technical term for a blocked pore or blackhead / whitehead) on the skin.
Before getting too complicated: We’re doing our best to not encourage clogging on the skin, so avoiding potentially pore clogging ingredients is a way we can do this.
Some ingredients, like coconut oil or lanolin, can* be too heavy for certain skin types and clog your pores, especially if you're acne-prone.
Why? Because acne-prone skin is already clog prone, and can have issues shedding the dead skin that can impact the pores on the skin, leading to inflammation or infection (what acne is!)
*Like many skincare terms, it’s imperfect, and is often on a case by case basis.
Read: What are non-comedogenic products in skincare? By: La Roche-Posay
What to do:
Opt for non-comedogenic products when it comes to moisturisers, sunscreens, and foundations.
These are specifically formulated not to clog pores. It’s a fairly good indicator they’ve been formulated with fussy skin in mind, so it’s a good first step!
4. You’re not Cleansing Properly
Even if you’ve got a solid skincare routine, it won’t matter if you’re not cleansing properly.
Skipping your nightly cleanse or using a cleanser that doesn’t effectively remove makeup, sunscreen, and excess oil can leave your pores clogged.
We’re pretty passionate about acing cleansing.
Check out this article which will have everything you ever need to know about cleansing: Morning Cleansing, Double-Cleansing, Second Cleansing & Exfoliating Cleansers?! Here’s AM & PM Cleansing Made Simple
What to do:
A rule of thumb: In the AM, cleanse gently, even if you have sensitive or dry skin.
In the PM, remove the gunk from the day (makeup, SPF, pollution) with either a micellar water or oil based first cleanse, then go in with a water bases cleanser for a full 60 seconds.
Cleanser options will be based on your skin type (mentioned earlier in the article).
5. Using Too Many Products at Once
Image description: Four different hands holding various skincare products. From left to right, there is a hand holding a jar, a hand holding a dropper bottle, a hand holding a small tube, and a hand holding a pump bottle. The background is a light beige or pastel yellow, and the products are in minimalistic packaging.
Are you sensing a theme? Don’t over do it!
It can be tempting to pile on every new skincare product in the hope of seeing faster results, but this can backfire.
Layering too many products, especially those with active ingredients, can overwhelm your skin, causing irritation and breakouts.
What to do:
Simple is typically best with fussy skin. Stick to the essentials: cleanse, treat, moisturise, and protect (with sunscreen).
Introduce new products one at a time to see how your skin reacts. If you do break out, you’ll be able to easily pinpoint the cause.
6. Skipping Moisturiser for Oily or Acne-Prone Skin
If you have oily or acne-prone skin, it might seem like skipping moisturiser is a good idea.
But the truth is, going without it can make your skin produce even more oil, leading to—you guessed it—more breakouts.
What to do:
Look for lightweight, comfortable, non-comedogenic moisturisers that hydrate without clogging your pores.
Gel-based formulas or moisturisers containing hyaluronic acid and niacinamide are great for oily skin.
We really love this one from Thayers, It’s the Soak It up 80 Hour Liquid Facial Moisturiser with Hyaluronic Acid 75ml. $29.95 from Chemist Warehouse.
Thayers Soak It up 80 Hour Liquid Facial Moisturiser with Hyaluronic Acid 75ml
7. Not Wearing Sunscreen Every Day
Skipping sunscreen isn’t just about avoiding sunburn.
Not wearing it regularly, especially when you’re using retinoids or exfoliating acids, can irritate your skin, making it more prone to breakouts and other damage.
What to do:
Incorporate a sunscreen you love into your daily routine.
Look for a non-comedogenic formula that won’t clog your pores.
Not only will it protect you from UV damage, premature aging and some skin cancers (!!!), but it’ll also help prevent irritation.
We are SPF-crazy, as it’s a core component of protecting your skins moisture barrier.
Summing it up
Skincare-induced breakouts can be frustrating, but understanding the causes is half the battle.
Whether it’s choosing the right products, keeping things simple, or learning how to properly layer ingredients, small tweaks can make a big difference.