Many of us turn to makeup and skin care to help brighten dull skin, even out skin tone, smooth fine lines and reduce signs of aging. But you may be surprised to know that some beauty products are actually causing the problem. This is especially true if you aren’t using the right products for your skin type. “If you’re using the wrong products, it can lead to dehydrated, dull skin and breakouts, which only make signs of aging more noticeable,” celebrity esthetician Shani Darden says. It's important to find out what products work best for you to ensure skin is smooth, hydrated and even toned, she adds.
Instead of running to Sephora to grab the latest and greatest celebrity-inspired foundation or revolutionary anti-aging serum, make an appointment with a specialist who can tell you what ingredients will best suit the needs of your skin and which ones may aggravate already frustrating conditions like fine lines, oiliness and breakouts. To give you a head start, we asked experts to reveal which products could be making you look and feel older than you’d like.
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Heavy foundation
As you get older, you might lean on makeup more than you did during your younger years, but it can actually make you look less youthful. “Too much foundation can settle into your wrinkles and make them more pronounced,” Darden says. “It can also have a similar effect on your pores and make them more apparent.” Instead, she recommends CC creams, like Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Hydrating Color Corrector SPF 30, $39, or tinted moisturizers, like Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20, $45, which even out your skin tone while providing a much lighter finish.
Aerosol sunscreens
If you’re wearing sunscreen, you’re on the right track toward preventing signs of aging, but it’s important to be smart about the type of sunscreen you use. Many spray or aerosol sunscreens contain a hormone disruptor, which prevents the reproductive system from working properly, warns Dr. Dendy Engelman, MD, a dermatologist at Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery in New York. “It specifically targets the function of the endocrine system, which regulates major glands that work with the nervous system and circulatory system,” she says. “If estrogen or testosterone levels are not optimal, growth, tissue, reproduction, sexual and sleep functions could all be disrupted.” Darden recommends Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen, $10-$48, which is for great coverage and is lightly moisturizing too.
Products that contain alcohol
Many of the beauty products you put on your hair, face and body contain alcohols that are not only bad for your skin but have damaging effects. “Take a look at the ingredients list in many of your go-to beauty products and you might notice chemicals such as SD alcohol, methanol and isopropyl alcohol, all of which are alcohol,” says Hillary Kline, a Minneapolis-based makeup artist. “They are all ingredients that are super drying—plus, they will strip away the skin’s natural oils, which can make you look older.”
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Exfoliators
When it comes to exfoliating, you don’t want too much of a good thing. “When you use a physical bead or grain exfoliator, it can remove too many layers and damage the skin's natural barrier responsible for locking in moisture,” warns David Pollock, independent beauty chemist who has formulated beauty products for brands like Smashbox, Bliss and SkinCeuticals. “Over-exfoliating can cause your skin to become drier, thinner and more sensitive.” That’s why most exfoliating products come with instructions that recommend using no more than one to two times a week at most.
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