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Last Updated on September 30, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

5 worst skincare mistakes I made

What are the worst skincare mistakes you’ve ever made? Me, I could write a book about them. Like, all those years I went without sunscreen because no one bothered to tell me the sun gives you wrinkles. Or the times when I went to bed without makeup because I was too lazy to take it off. Ugh.

You don’t know what you don’t know. But some skincare mistakes can lead to breakouts, irritation, dark spots and premature wrinkles… and they’re ridiculously easy to avoid once you know better. Here are the 5 biggest skincare mistakes I made, why they were a problem, and what to do instead.

SKINCARE MISTAKE WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
Skipping sunscreen Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily
Not knowing your skin type. Figure out your skin type before going skincare shopping
Using products wrong for your skin Choose textures and actives based on your skin type and concerns
Sleeping in makeup Remove makeup before bed with a proper cleanser
Ignoring body skin Moisturise dry areas and protect exposed skin from UV
dr dennis gross dark spot sun defense sunscreen spf 50 review

Skincare Mistake #1: Not Using Sunscreen Daily

Not using sunscreen every single day since I was a little girl is the biggest skincare mistake I’ve ever made – by far. I didn’t know it back then, but UV rays are to blame for up to 90% of premature aging. Those wrinkles you blame on genetics? Nah. Playing with your friends outdoors without sunscreen in the summer gave you those.

My mum always warned to wear a hat, but she never mentioned sunscreen once. Back then, it was something you only wore at the beach. For many Italians, it’s still like that. *sighs* FYI, don’t think sunscreen is only a summer thing. Those pesky UV rays can penetrate through clouds and windows and even be reflected on snow. Rain or shine, until the sun comes down, your skin’s not safe.

The fix is simple: wear sunscreen EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. You’ll save yourself a lot of wrinkles and dark spots (and reduce your risk of skin cancer, too).

Best Picks:

  • Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte Physical Daily Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30 ($36.00): A tinted mineral sunscreen that’s gentle enough for sensitive skin. Available at Boots, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, and SpaceNK
  • EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47 ($43.00): One of the best sunscreens for oily skin, it provides broad spectrum protection without the stickiness. Available at Dermstore
  • Paula’s Choice Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 ($39.00): My fave mineral sunscreen, it’s super lightweight and doesn’t leave a greasy residue behind. It’s suitable even for oily skin. Read my full review here. Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore and Paula’s Choice

Related: Are You Applying Sunscreen The Right Way?

Skincare Mistake #2: Not Knowing My Skin Type

Like most teens, my skin used be on oil overdrive and covered in pimples. Ugh. I blamed it on hormones. But it was all my fault. Little did I know back then that slathering a rich cream like Nivea all over my oily face was a sure recipe for pimples. My skin type needed lightweight gels but… I had no idea. Heck, I didn’t even know what my skin type was! Once I’ve figured that out, the breakouts disappeared.

The fix? Figure out what your skin type is and use products that suit it. Lightweight, oil-free moisturisers if you’re oily. Richer creams if you’re dry. Cream cleansers if you have sensitive skin. If you’re struggling to figure out your skin type, take the test here.

Related: How To Figure Out Your Skin Type (+ Free Test!)

Struggling to put together a skincare routine that minimises wrinkles, prevents premature aging, and gives your complexion a youthful glow? Download your FREE “Best Anti-Aging Skincare Routine” to get started (it features product recommendations + right application order):

Skincare Mistake #3: Choosing Skincare Products Based On Price Or Hype, Not Science

This is closely related to mistake #2, obviously. had no idea what my skin type was, so my oily criteria to buy skincare products was the price. The cheaper, the better (hey, I was a broke teenager back then). If something was on sale, even better. Did I stop to ask whether it was actually suitable for oily, acne-prone skin? Of course not.

Then, as I got older and had a little more money to spend, I made the opposite mistake. I started thinking that expensive skincare must somehow be better skincare. And if everyone was raving about the latest miracle cream or serum? Surely there had to be something to it.

Turns out, price and popularity tell you very little about whether a skincare product will actually work for you.

A cheap product can have a brilliant formula. An expensive one can be mostly basic moisturising ingredients in a fancy jar. And a product can go viral because it feels nice, looks pretty on a bathroom shelf, or has an amazing marketing campaign – none of which means it contains what your skin actually needs.

That doesn’t mean you need a chemistry degree before buying a moisturiser. But it does help to know which ingredients have good evidence behind them and which ones make sense for the problem you’re trying to solve. These days, that’s what I look at first.

If I want to fade dark spots, does the formula contain ingredients that can actually help with pigmentation? If I’m looking for something anti-aging, am I getting proven actives or just a lot of fancy claims? And if the formula is technically great but far too rich for my combination skin, I’m still not buying it.

Because the best skincare product isn’t the cheapest one, the most expensive one, or the one everyone on TikTok suddenly loves. It’s the one with the right formula for your skin and what you’re trying to achieve. So how do you avoid this mistake?

Step 1: Figure out what ingredients can fix your skincare woes:

Step 2: Look for skincare products rich in the ingredients your skin type needs.

Step 3: Use them.

the ordinary squalane cleanser

Skincare Mistake #4: Not Removing Makeup Before Going To Bed

I know, I know. I should have known better. But, when you come home at 4am after a night out clubbing with your friends, all you want is your bed. Even the thought of staying up for 5 more minutes to take off my makeup was too much. Of course, I paid the price. Often, a pimple or two would pop on my chin or nose a few days later.

I count myself like. Sleeping with your makeup on can also cause irritations, and, in some rare cases, even infections. Ouch! You know where I’m going with this. Take off your makeup every night. Don’t even think of using wipes. All that rubbing irritates your skin and, in the long run, gives you wrinkles. Instead, opt for oil-based cleansers that melt away even the most stubborn makeup in a minute.

Related: Do You Really Need To Double Cleanse?

Skincare Mistake #5: Not Caring For The Rest Of My Body

You’d think moisturising after a shower is a given but… I didn’t do it back then. I didn’t exfoliate either. It’s like the rest of my body didn’t exist. *sighs* The worst was my hands. I never bothered with hand cream until, in winter, they got so dry and cracked, they started to bleed. Stupid, I know.

These days, I moisturise all over and I encourage you to take care of your body like you take care of your face. If not, your face may look younger, but everything else will give away your real age!

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

Looking back, most of these skincare mistakes happened because I simply didn’t know any better. I didn’t understand my skin type, I believed price and hype more than ingredients, and I definitely didn’t appreciate sunscreen enough. These days, my approach is much simpler: know your skin, use ingredients that actually work, protect it from the sun, and don’t make skincare more complicated than it needs to be.