You have probably read a lot of different things through social media, friends, and family, and you are not sure what is good for your skin and what is not. Having a good skincare routine is not easy and you might make some mistakes, after all - not all skin requires the same treatment. That’s normal, don’t panic!
We’re here to help and we’ll give you the top 5 common mistakes and misconceptions about your skincare routine, so you can get a healthy skin microbiome.
1. Believe all the bacteria on your skin are bad and Cutibacterium acne is your enemy
You may have read that Cutibacterium acne is bad and it is the bacteria causing acne. Skincare brands advise you that killing this bacteria on your skin is the secret to removing your pimples. At Sencyr, we love these cuties and we’ll explain why: thanks to our research, we found that Cutibacterium acne contains strains present on healthy skin. These strains can help to reduce acne and redness while also boosting skin radiance. They have been dermatologically and clinically tested to relieve blemished skin. These two strains form our Living Skin Probiotics. They are good bacteria and work on your skin to rebalance your skin microbiome and make it healthy.
That’s why it’s not a solution to get rid of all your Cutibacterium acne – as they play an important role in your healing. Some brands have not caught up with this science and still try to kill off these little guys, meaning your skin issues could be persistent when using their products.
2. Cleanse your face too many times a day
A cleansing routine that is aggressive or that dries out the skin may feel satisfying, but your skin won’t thank you for it. More frequent washing would be excessive and could lead to a disruption of your skin's natural pH and luminosity.
Your epidermis protects you from allergens and external aggressions. Stripping the skin of its natural protective barrier might be the best way of triggering your skin into over-reacting!
If after cleansing, your skin looks red/flaky, becomes shiny faster, or feels itchy & painful to the touch, it might mean you’re over-cleansing!
Always put the quality of cleansing over the quantity of cleansing. Stick to a gentle, water-based cleanser 1 - 2x per day. Then, see how your skin evolves! You (and your skin microbiome) will thank us in the long run.
3. Using an abrasive exfoliator
Do you exfoliate your skin? If yes, that’s great and we encourage you to continue. Indeed, exfoliating is very effective in removing dead skin cells and making your skin softer.
However, as acne-prone skin is both reactive and fragile, watch out to not use an abrasive exfoliator and not to exfoliate too often (one time a week is enough). A facial scrub that is too abrasive or too harsh could have counter-productive effects, by aggravating inflammation or making blemishes more sensitive.
This is why mechanical scrubs, i.e. those containing exfoliating beads, grains, sugar, crushed seeds, etc., should be avoided for acne-prone skin (as well as sensitive skin).
In order not to damage the skin, it is important to use very gentle movements when exfoliating for acne. An overly "muscular" and vigorous scrub will never make the skin cleaner! On the contrary, it can make it more sensitive, drier, and more fragile.
You can choose an exfoliant specially designed for oily skin with a tendency to acne or opt for a non-abrasive chemical scrub, based not on grains but on salicylic acid, enzymes, or fruit acids.
And as exfoliation is a process that can dry out the skin, it is essential to moisturize it well once exfoliation is complete. Otherwise, to protect itself, the skin will produce large quantities of sebum.
Small tips: Do not use a body scrub for your face, as your skin in these two parts doesn’t have the same sensitivity!
4. Focusing on skincare rather than having a holistic approach
You may think acne is only related to skincare products. You are not 100% false, it’s true that when you find products that are suitable for your skin, you may see good results. However, focusing on just one solution might not give you the results you wish. There is very little scientific evidence to support that ONE factor serves as the universal root cause of Acne.
Just as everyone is different, the set of factors that cause acne is, too.
At Sencyr, we believe integral skin health is the key to sustainable skin beauty. It's all connected.
Unhealthy lifestyle factors can affect your acne too. So you should consider healthy lifestyle factors to maximize the benefits of our skincare products.
It can be caused by a genetic predisposition, hormonal activity, or your lifestyle (smoking, nutrition, sleep, stress, medication, sun).
What we recommend is to check all these factors and not focus only on finding miracle acne treatments. You will multiply your chances to get results if you take several actions at the same time.
5. Listen to brands that claim to clear your acne overnight and believe clear skin equals healthy skin
How many times did you see an ad where brands promise you that your acne can disappear in 2 weeks? Or that you can remove acne forever with simply 1 product? I know, the response is A LOT.
We are sorry to disappoint you but that’s not possible. To respect their promises, many brands sell you products that weaken your skin's natural microbiome, damage your skin barrier, and irritate your skin with abrasive ingredients. So maybe you will have clear skin – but for sure not healthy skin.
With Sencyr, you can have both: clear and healthy skin. But you need to be patient.
First, you need to know that the upper layer of your skin renews itself in about 28 days. So that’s the minimal time to set your microbiome up for a healthy start. That’s why our Sencyr Reset lasts 30 days. You will start to see good results at the end of this program. We recommend you continue with the Sencyr Balance for 30 days to keep your skin healthy in the long term. After these two months, your skin will be clearer and more important – healthier!
