Recently, the well-known fashion and lifestyle blogger Emily from cupcakesandcashmere.com  shared with her readers advice from her own facialist, Francesca Paige (whom she credits for making her skin glow again) about common skincare mistakes she sees in her clients and how to fix them. We’d like to share them with you, as much of these tips resonate with the ones we’ve given here on our blog before.

MISTAKE #1:  You are a stomach or side sleeper.

Turns out that sleeping on your side or stomach can cause wrinkles on the nasal and labial area, as well as on the eyes and forehead. Think about it, sleep is the only thing we really do consistently for hours a day. Smashing your face into a pillow for years is going to show sooner or later.
Solution: It’s tough to do, but try and sleep on your back. If that seems to tough to do, try starting your night on your back before inevitably ending up on your side or stomach. If you can’t master that, at the very least invest in satin pillowcases, which are kinder to your skin.
MISTAKE #2: Not Exfoliating because you think it will ruin your tan.
The melanocytes that make melanin (the pigment that gives color to the skin) live deep under the epidermal layer of the skin, which means that a tan is impossible to scrub off.  In fact, it may take 2-3 weeks for a teen to naturally shed their color and as they get older, this process takes takes longer…upwards of 12 weeks!  Exfoliating increases circulation, supports lymph drainage AND keeps the outer, more superficial layer of skin smooth, silky and glowy. Exfoliating your body regularly also allows your moisturizers to be readily absorbed and increases their efficacy. So if you’re a spray tanner, exfoliate well between tans.
Solution:  Exfoliate daily at home-use any scrub with a clean wash cloth and get silky smooth skin! Or, if you want a shortcut, use Image’s Skincare Ageless Total Resurfacing Masque two to three times per week!
Ageless Total Resurfacing Mask, $28.00

Ageless Total Resurfacing Mask, $28.00

MISTAKE #3: You use a stimulating cleanser in the morning to wake up your skin.
It’s weird, but though our skin is the largest organ in our body, it has no idea what time it is, although it does know when you’re at rest and when you’re not. When you sleep, the blood is flowing high in the skin and in turn, your skin repairs and renews itself so ingredient absorption and penetration is increased.  For a morning cleanse, we suggest using a gentle cleanser with nothing too stimulating or drying.  Be gentle, but with purpose. Follow with your usual daily beauty routine.
Solution: Before bed, wash thoroughly with your facial cleanser (not to be mistaken for aggressive washing).  Follow with toner, serum, anti-aging or acne fighting product, and top it all off with a moisturizer.  While sleeping, your skin will recover and as a result, you’ll have more sebum and dead skin cells to remove in the morning. Wash those dead skin cells off gently, without stripping your skin of all its healthy oils.
MISTAKE #4: You think: “The more products, the better.” 
There are many products out there, some effective, some not so much. If the products you are using are effective, then great! But there is no need to layer products that are essentially doing the same thing.
Solution: Layer on your skin care products from thinnest to thickest. And educate yourself about the effectiveness of the products you are using! Our blog series “Buy This, Not That” is a great place to start educating yourself on what products and ingredients to avoid and which ones to go bananas for!
MISTAKE #5: You think that layering SPF means extra protection.
Let’s get one thing clear: layering SPF products do not equal total SPF! For example, if your moisturizer has an SPF 20 and your makeup has an SPF 16, your total coverage doesn’t equal 36. In actuality, it’s the average of the two, which in this case, would be SPF 18.
Solution: If you are layering SPF, let the first SPF fully absorb into your skin prior to adding the second one on.