Neglecting your neck
“The skin on your neck is delicate, and as a result may show signs of aging sooner than other areas and is often neglected,” said New York City dermatologist Marisa Garshick. “In the current era of people concerned about fine lines and textural change, now being referred to as ‘tech neck,’ it is especially important to care for your neck as you do your face.”
Be sure to apply moisturizer to your neck to keep the skin hydrated. You can also buy neck-specific products.
Popping and picking
“A big skin care no-no I’ve seen is going down the rabbit hole of pimple-popping at night because the skin is clean and soft after showering and there are usually the hours overnight for skin recovery,” Farhang said. “The problem is a lot of people don’t know when to stop.”
She noted that people tend to get overzealous with whiteheads and overuse extractors to remove blackheads as well. Instead, Farhang recommends placing a pimple patch on problem spots.
New York City dermatologist Hadley King similarly advised against picking at your skin.
“Picking behaviors often occur at night before bedtime,” she said. “Picking is one of the worst things you can do to your skin. It increases risk of inflammation, infection, discoloration and scarring and it prolongs healing time.”
Ignoring your lips
“Many people aren’t using the right lip product or [are] not using any lip product,” Garshick said.
For those who suffer from dry or chapped lips, she advised layering on a thick ointment like Vaseline Healing Jelly Ointment or Aquaphor at bedtime.
“Not only will this lock in any moisture to help boost hydration, it will also create a protective barrier to reduce any irritation to lips overnight which may occur with lip-licking or drooling, which some people do in their sleep without even realizing it,” Garshick said.
Lal said he commonly sees cheilitis, or inflammation of the lips, which can be worsened by the way we breathe when we sleep.
“Breathing without hydration at night dries out the lips and can cause dry chapped lips,” he said. “It is for this reason I recommend an ointment-based emollient for the lips before bed for all patients.”
Forgetting to change your pillowcase
Evening skin care isn’t just about what you do at your bathroom sink. Your bed also plays a role.
“You may not have realized that your pillowcase should be part of your skin care routine,” Houshmand said. “Many people make the mistake of not changing their pillowcase often enough, which can lead to acne. Even if you wash your face nightly, it is important to change your pillowcase every few days.”
Nina Antonov, a dermatologist in Westport, Connecticut, advised switching to a silk pillowcase.
“This helps to avoid fine lines and wrinkles as well as hair breakage,” she said. “Silk is less likely to absorb the skin care products you’ve applied, so they stay on your skin and not your pillowcase.”
Not getting enough sleep
“I know this isn’t a strictly skin care routine, but staying up to binge your latest TV show or using your phone at night can interrupt our natural circadian rhythms and disrupt sleep,” Sarkar said. “Studies have shown that chronic poor or low sleep quality is associated with increased signs of skin aging and poor barrier function and makes people feel worse about how they look.”
On the flip side, getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night can greatly benefit your skin.
“While you sleep, blood flow is increased to your skin, which allows collagen to rebuild and repair damage from environmental factors,” Weitz said. “Get your beauty rest!”
Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biggest-skin-care-mistakes-at-night_l_61789c37e4b0931432115715