What is one skincare tip you wish you knew earlier? Share!
I wish I knew the importance of cleansing every night! I didn’t have a skincare routine at ALL until late teens!
Thanks to Victoria for today’s question!
Got a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Oh gosh, I wish I’d just known how important having a daily routine is! I didn’t understand just how important nightly cleansing, daily sunscreen, and not popping pimples was until permanent damage was already done.
Speaking of which,… Do you have any advice on products to help with resurfacing/repairing/etc skin? My acne scares are discolouration and some pitting, so I’m looking for any advice for fixing my skin before really fixing my makeup since the cake has to be good for the icing to top it off.
For hyperpigmentation–use a product that will lighten,brighten and tighten the skin.If you don’t want to invest a lot, lemon juice will brighten. It has a lot of vitamin C.You will also need to use a sunscreen product with at least SPF 15, or make up foundation or minerals, with SPF 15. You must block the sun during the day, for the scarring to lift, and lighten up. A Clairsonic product could help with gentle exfoliation, and lightening of your scars. The brush heads vibrate on it; it comes with different combinations,on Sephora.com. If you want to invest in products that will brighten, lighten and tighten the skin, there are a lot on Sephora and in stores.Depends if you want clinical, natural, or a combination of both. And if you want it to be something with hydroquinone, or citrus based. Clinique make the Dark Spot Corrector, you can use twice daily. Caudalie is grape based, and uses the viniferines that live in the grapes to brighten the skin. It’s more natural, so no need to worry about hydroquinone effects. In some countries, or people pregnant, and/or with liver problems, you can not use hydroquinone on the skin. You can use it for a maximum of 3 months at a time, with sunscreen applied daily. If you go longer, it could cause hypopigmentation of the skin. Another good natural based line, is Ole Henriksen.He makes products for skin lightening that are more natural. Korres is a another good natural line. Kinerase uses kinetin and has some great products for lightening your skin. Their exfoliation pads that come on a stick, work miracles, right before your eyes. I suggest, calling Sephora, and speaking to a beauty advisor, after you read more about the brands they offer. You can type into their search engine as well. I use to work for Sephora, and I realize I’m only touching a few lines, or the tip of the iceberg. I know that anything with Vitamins A,C,E, will brighten,lighten and tighten. Another good line that offers this, is Peter Thomas Roth. Good results. And he makes a sunscreen in a mineral form, with no color. I use the oil free formula and love it. You can use it alone, or over your make up. =)
Have you tried chemical exfoliants? AHA, BHA, glycolic acid, salisylic acid – they go by those (and more) names. I personally use BHA and AHA products by Paula’s Choice, and they’ve made a big difference in how my skin looks. But many brands do these sorts of products now.
Hope this helps, but maybe you’ve already tried these products :).
I had also the same problem,for me only laser treatment helped resurfacing the pitting. Retin A/Renova/Tretinoin is the best for me to cure acne, acne scars and to prevent from getting acne. Hope this helps you.
I am in the same boat, I just bought a clarisonic and lancomes genifique. They r definitely helping. I LOVE the clarisonic!!!
I have the same problem and I am using the body shop’s tea tree night cream to help with the discoloration and it is helping my skin looks better and feels great.
I’ve used the Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector from Clinique and it works great! My spots from acne have definitely lightened and Even Better is gentle enough for everyday use.
The double wash – wash once, then twice to get rid of all the dirt and oil. Plus toner (alcohol-free of course), and I’ve got a very clean face.
Also, only use benzoyl peroxide at night and only on one’s face. Nowhere else. Clothes will be stained forever.
Finally, all skin types need moisturizer, even if you’re very oily like me.
I agree, every skin tupe needs moisturizer.. now, is there any specific one you’d recommend for a fellow oily skinned gal like yourself.? I’m also acne prone “/ It’s just that there hasn’t been a moisturizer that I’ved tried thay hasn’t broken me out “/ suggestions.? Thanks in advance 🙂
Have you tried Lush’s Imperialis? That worked pretty darn well on my ridiculously oily skin!
I wish I would have known about balancing my skin with cleansers, masks, and sunscreen.Also, about acne prevention. I wish that doctors knew the technology then, that they now. And,I wish that there were more choices and technology in skincare, and cosmetics companies, who formulated products with clinical, vitamins and anti-oxidants; like there are today.
I wish I knew that what I thought were blackheads on my nose are just sebaceous filaments. It stinks that you can’t get rid of them, but at least I won’t be wasting money on products that don’t do anything!
i wish that i’d always known to use skin brightening serums/lotions, maybe wouldn’t have so many dark spots
I wish I knew to avoid parabens, mineral oil, paraffins, petrolatum, SLS and SLES, acrylamide, propylene glycol, and other harmful chemicals very common in skincare products and cosmetics. Thank goodness for Origins!
I lucked out when i was a teenager, I had spotless skin! I mean, no one pimple. But when I tured 22, that went to pot and I started breaking out. So since I never really had a decent skin routine as a teen, I had no idea what to do. I tried everything! Scrubs, masks, different cleansers. Finally after giving in to the hype, I tried proactiv. It worked for a while, then stopped.. But now that they have changed the formula, I tried it again. And I am happy to report that my skin looks so much better! So to sum it up, Having a decent skin routine!!
I wish I had known that washing my face and wearing foundation would cause me to develop mild to moderate acne that lasted until.. now. I didn’t break out in actual acne until I started washing my face, and only washed my face because I got a few breakouts from tweezing when I was 14 and started wearing makeup.
I wished I knew the importance of cleansing my face twice a day. I used to splash water on my face in the morning only, until I was 20 years old. I also wished I knew earlier that I had to remove makeup properly with a makeup remover.
To never pick at acne. I imagine 90% of my acne scarring comes from being handsy with my face
i wish i would’ve worn sunscreen daily from a younger age — perhaps since the beginning of my teenage years!
the oil pre cleanse. Ii makes your skin so much softer and less aggressed by the foam clanser…
The amazingness of the Clarisonic Mia — it has transformed my skin entirely!
The effectiveness of tea tree oil — can zap away a zit overnight.
Not to buy any product with fragrance — I once spent $75 on a cleanser-exfoliator-toner trio that broke me out horribly because of the fragrance it contained (among other parabens). I now only buy fragrance- and paraben-free products!
To rub your face cream upWards… Stops wrinkles
not to squeeze some type of spots because of the scarring i have now.
to not tug on the skin around the eyes when removing makeup 🙁
To be GENTLE and not to use products that are too agressive for the skin, because it only causes more oiliness and blemish problems…
2nd i wish someone told me those drying prouducts for oily skin/acne would just make me more oily!
I wish that I had known what would happen if I kept rubbing my eyes – can you say crepey lids? Also, I wish that I had embraced eye creams sooner.
Don’t forget the neck!!!! This delicate area shows signs of aging since it is often neglected when we do our facial cleansing/moisturizing routine. I know I neglected it. And while I don’t have a neck like a turkey, I wish I took care of it like my face from the get go.
I wish I knew that going to a dermatologist would solve my acne once and for all; I’d have done it years earlier!
I wish would have known before not to sit in the sun and to wear sunscreen every day. I started using sunscreen a little over a year ago on a daily basis.
Luckily I’ve always hated sitting in the sun, so the damage can’t be that bad. Right…? I still feel bad about the tan I used to get every summer.
Wearing sunscreen, I wish I knew it earlier I started to wear it religiously at only 17, should have started since 3 years old!
Use moisturizer, even if your skin is oily! I thought oh if I dry out the oil that’s good. Incorrect, your skin produces excess oil to compensate if you don’t moisturize. Results, more breakouts!
I wish I knew not to pick/pop pimples now I have scars that I wish weren’t there.
That’s an easy one: don’t pop ur pimples, and if you do, take care of it properly and use tea tree oil…..if i had to add another one, it would be have a daily routine of cleaning your face twice a day…i don’t know why but my face always get dirty in the morning and night argggg
I clean my face diligently since my early teenage life, but I wish I do these routine since a long, long time ago: exfoliating & wear sunscreen religiously!
I just know the miracle of Alpha Hydroxy Acid & Beta Hydroxy Acid a year ago and I must say that it changed my life!
That not all products will work well for everyone. That the products that work well for me in summer might not work well for me in winter. Its about playing around with products to find the best routine for me. Sometimes my skin is dry (winter) sometimes it is oily (summer.)
the effectiveness of Kate Somerville’s acne line…would have saved me a lot of years of feeling embarrassed about my skin
Washing my face daily, using toner and a good face lotion, and making sure that I don’t go to bed with makeup on.
i wish i knew how to get rid of my dark circles completely, how to acheive an even skin tone and how to keep my lips soft and supple..
umm.. did u figure it out? do tell!
I wish I had known the importance of wearing sunscreen every time you leave the house!
not to pick at zits to avoid scarring 🙁
Sunscreen on hands.
Overall beauty tip, don’t gain a lot of weight. I gained weight in one spurt, during a depression, and have had a hell of a time trying to lose it.
The importance of sunscreen.
I wish I’d started birth control when I was 15! For the incredible skin benefits! I’m in my mid-20s now and for years I’ve continued taking it even when I don’t “need” it because it makes my skin so clear. No break-outs. Ever. It’s the single most effective clear-skin solution for me.
Other than that, I wish I would’ve washed my face diligently every night all the way back to when I first started wearing makeup. As a teenager and into my early 20s, I never had really bad skin, but I would be good about my nightly regimen only in spurts. Like I’d do my regimen without fail for several months, then stop. Then start, then stop. Now I’m in a good routine, though. I never skip.
In my teens, I wish I’d known better than to just pick the cheapest moisturizer on the shelf. I thought the only purpose moisturizer could serve was to keep my skin from feeling dry. Obviously it can do so much more than that!
I wish I knew about makeup remover, washing face at least one a day and SPF everyday! I started with my skincare routine about 3 years ago (at 22) I’m regretting know, thanks God I don’t have huge damages! Haha!
that moisturizer is really importart!
PROACTIVE
To apply sunscreen! It is soooo important.
I wish I took suncare more seriously earlier! sunspots are not fun
I wish I would have listened to the advice of my grammy and drank more water…I still don’t drink enough…and when i’m particularly dehydrated my skin looks awful…so make sure to stay out of the sun, wear SPF at all times, good cleansing routine, moisturize and hydrate!!!
i wish i knew my cleanser will not always take off all my makeup! i wish i knew about jojoba oil and makeup remover wipes in my teens! would have prevented alot of acne!
First of all, I wish someone would have told me that harsh cleansing isn’t the solution for acné… I almost ruined my skin by using harsh products that didn’t work at all. It left my skin red, raw and flaky. I now take care of my skin with softer and less irritating skincare and my skin looks far better 🙂 And I wish someone would have told me earlier about Embryolisse Crème-Lait Concentré. I’ve only been using it for a short while now but my skin looks and feels so much better!
For me it would be to do a face scrub and mask every other day or so. I’ve only just discovered how beneficial these are for my oily complexion!
One word: Exfoliate
the importance of NOT stripping the hell out of my skin with astringents, etc.!
Sunscreen!
I only really started a daily skincare routine a little less than a year ago…I went through all of my teens with horrible acne, if only I had taken better care of my skin! Now I use a lot of all natural products and my skin is looking better than ever. One thing I swear by is a skin toner. You don’t know clean skin until you’ve used a toner!
Dont forget to take your make up at night, even after a night on the tiles, not only did i end up with a black smudged pillow i got a big fat greasy zit, gross but i learnt
I had heard it but not really heard it.. Sunscreen!
using sunscreen everyday
I wish I knew that all the money I have used on exfoliators I could get back for the best exfoliator I have used is brown sugar/olive oil/lemon juice scrub and my skin has never looked better the last 6 years that I have been using this homemade beauty product.
I wish I’d known that Biore pore packs are not appropriate to use on young skin. When I used them in my early teens on a couple of blackheads I developed blackheads all over my nose and I’ve not completely recovered since.
I also wish I’d realised earlier that products that make your skin hurt, sting, burn, or dry out aren’t good for it even if your skin is oily or acne prone.
I wish I’d started using the Clarisonic earlier.