5 Things Your Esthétician Wishes You'd Stop Doing at Home

We see the evidence on every client's skin. The breakouts from over-cleansing, the sensitization from daily exfoliation, the premature aging from skipping SPF. These habits are incredibly common, and they undo professional treatments faster than almost anything else. Here are the five we see most often.

1. Over-exfoliating

More is not better. Exfoliating more than 2–3 times per week disrupts the skin barrier, leading to chronic redness, dehydration, and paradoxically, more breakouts as the skin overproduces oil to compensate. If your skin feels tight or looks shiny after exfoliating, that's barrier damage, not cleanliness.

2. Skipping SPF in winter

UV radiation doesn't take a season off. UVA rays — the ones responsible for aging and pigmentation — penetrate clouds and glass year-round. If you're driving, sitting near a window, or spending any time outdoors between October and March, you need SPF. Full stop.

3. Using too many active ingredients at once

Retinol, vitamin C, AHAs, BHAs, niacinamide — these are all effective, but they don't all play nicely together. Layering multiple actives is one of the most common causes of sensitization we see in new clients. Start with one, let your skin adjust over 4–6 weeks, then consider adding a second if needed.

4. Picking

We know. It's almost impossible not to. But picking at blemishes pushes bacteria deeper, causes post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and can result in scarring that takes months to fade. If you have a blemish that needs to be addressed, book an appointment. We have the right tools to extract safely.

5. Changing your routine too often

Skin takes 28–42 days to complete one full cell cycle. If you're switching products every two weeks because you haven't seen results, you're not giving anything time to work. Commit to a routine for at least six weeks before evaluating. Keep a simple log of what you're using and how your skin responds.

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