Whether it’s the latest beauty tool on the market or products we’ve used since we were old enough to care about our skin, we’ve all made some mistakes along the way. Beauty tools are notorious for leaving plenty of room for user error, and skincare products don’t always come with instructions to help you fit them into an existing skincare routine. The fact is, sometimes things aren’t as intuitive as we’d like, and we end up using them incorrectly. Ahead we take a closer look at some of the beauty products you’ve probably been using all wrong, and we share some tips for setting things right.
Makeup Sponges
Makeup sponges like the beauty blender have exploded in popularity in the last few years. Surprisingly though, many people use them incorrectly. And if you’re not wetting your makeup sponge, you are too. Makeup sponges need to be wet to be effective. If you use them when they’re dry, they’ll soak up too much of your liquid foundation (so you’re really just wasting it). Plus, if you look closely, you’ll find that dry makeup sponges don’t spread your makeup evenly.
Eye Cream
The skin around your eyes is the thinnest skin on your body and, therefore, the most delicate. So, if you’re putting your eye cream on with the same amount of pressure your use for the rest of your face, that’s a big no-no. To apply eye cream the right way, gently tap the cream onto your orbital bone and lightly massage it in. Give the cream a minute or two to absorb before putting anything else on top of it. Even better, when applying your eye cream, use your ring finger to do so. It’s the weakest finger out of all your digits and almost incapable of applying too much pressure.
Pumping Your Mascara
In the same vein as the nail polish bottle, it looks like there are plenty of folks out there who are guilty of pumping their mascara wands. Those who do it mistakenly believe that pumping the wand gets more product onto the brush. And again, like the nail polish bottles, pumping the mascara wand introduces air into the tube, which will dry your mascara out faster and lead to clumping and flaking. If you feel like you need more product on your mascara wand, try twisting the wand in a circular motion to add more product to it.
Cleansing Brushes
Generally speaking, cleansing brushes are supposed to float over your skin so that the vibrations of the brush can work to remove dirt and debris from your pores. The brushes themselves are not meant to double down on the scrubbing power for your skin. Most people apply too much pressure when using cleansing brushes, which can lead to skin irritation and broken capillaries. Gentle pressure, folks.
Moisturizers And Serums
Understandably, there could be a little confusion about the order of operations when it comes to using multiple beauty products on your skin. One of those missteps includes moisturizers in serums. The right way to use these two products is to apply serums first and then to layer your moisturizer over them. Serums must be in contact with your skin to be effective.
