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Skin Care Experts Share the Worst Beauty Mistakes They’ve Ever Made

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They may have perfect skin (and the prescription for it), but even the best skin care experts have made some blunders when it comes to beauty. Here are the worst beauty-related mistakes these experts have made.

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1 / 11

“I’ve been obsessed with skin care and beauty from a young age, even taking it as far as concocting homemade oatmeal masques for my entire family. My worst mistake was probably sitting in front of the mirror for hours on end, poking and prodding at every blemish and spot I could find. After getting into the industry though, I realized it was more important to select the right skincare regimen and rely on professional skin treatments—dirty fingers and at-home extractions do not mix well!” – Annet King, senior director of global education, Dermalogica and the International Dermal Institute


2 / 11

“Overexfoliating and overcleansing skin! Frequent use of chemical peels and mechanical scrubs destroy the the hydrolipidic film of the skin (our protective barrier). Once removed, skin becomes dry, sensitive and unable to defend itself against external aggressions and bacteria—and that is where most problems with the skin usually start!” –Barbara Aquino, Biologique Recherche’s leading U.S. educator and trainer and owner of BA Skin Lab


3 / 11

“Almost 20 years ago, young and inexperienced in beauty and appropriate recommendations, I did not tell a bride to avoid getting a facial just before her wedding. She had an unfortunate reaction to one or more of the products and she ended up with a bad rash all over her face! The wedding was two days away and while she was able to cover it up well enough with extra make up and calming cooling creams we all felt terrible for this bride, especially me. I just cried with her and for her!” – Mayflower Grace spa director Victoria Boscarino


4 / 11

“Having my hair blown out at a blow-dry bar twice a week with use of a hot curling iron damaged my fine fragile hair that years later is still a work-in-progress. I am now taking hair vitamins to thicken and strengthen my hair and I have regular hair-conditioning treatments to nourish it.” – Celebrity aesthetician Nerida Joy


5 / 11

“My worst beauty mistake happened when I was a young aesthetician at my first job. They did a lot of glycolic peels there and the veteran girls were training me on them. They did a peel on me and I wound up covered in what looked like cystic acne. They all told me the same thing: It had been trapped under my skin and it was better that it was all coming out. I let them do it again, with the same reaction. I realized that it wasn’t ‘all coming out’—I was allergic! Moral of the story is no treatment is one-size-fits-all and no one knows your skin better than you do. It taught me to always pay attention to what my clients tell me and to learn about ALL the different ways to exfoliate the skin, even when it’s supersensitive.” – Joanna Vargas, celebrity facialist and founder of Joanna Vargas Salon and Skincare Collection


6 / 11

“I battled acne from a young age, and when I was 14, I was told by a facialist that I could treat my blemishes with my own saliva. She directed me to use it as a spot-treatment. Needless to say, I did not do it, because it was just too gross! And I’m so glad I didn’t, as this practice would have just added more bacteria and irritation. Clearly it is not an approach I recommend when treating acne.”  – Cecilia Wong, celebrity aesthetician and founder of Cecilia Wong Skincare



7 / 11

“I used tanning towels since I was 13, but the first time I used a body self-tanner, I was 18 years old. I used my hands to apply the tan and did not wash them; I also had a drink before bed and it ran down my chin. The next morning when I woke up, I realized my palms were so dark with tan and that my face was so patchy. I had to call in sick for work for two days until it faded!” – James Read, Tanning Expert & Founder of James Read Tan


8 / 11

“My worst skin care mistake ever was trying a new ‘peel pad’ that said to start with 15 to 30 minute use at first, and then work up to overnight as tolerated…but I used it overnight right away. Big mistake! I was irritated for a week.” – Washington, D.C., dermatologist Elizabeth Tanzi, MD


9 / 11

“One of my worst beauty mistakes happened when first opened my skin care practice. I received a sample from a lab of pure glycolic acid, which was just rising on the market for use by professionals. I applied it to my face and it burned like crazy. Per the instructions, I rinsed it off after 10 minutes and wiped my skin with a wet washcloth. I noticed that my skin was peeling off so I got all excited and said, “Wow, this stuff really exfoliates the skin!” I continued to use the washcloth to wipe my skin aggressively—what I was wiping off was new cells. When my skin dried, it was oozing badly. For a week, I had scabs all over my face. Luckily, glycolic acid formulas are much more stable and safe now, plus I learned what NOT to do.” – Celebrity Esthetician Renée Rouleau


10 / 11

“Forgetting to put sunscreen on the lips. I once had a patient who was out on a boat all day and meticulously put sunscreen on every two hours, but she forgot about her lips. By that evening, they were swollen and blistered. People often forget about their lips, ears and the bottoms of their feet.” – Dr. Howard Sobel, Founder of DDF Skincare

11 / 11

“I remember doing a huge fashion campaign in the Caribbean and I applied sunscreen to the models. The photographer decided he wanted them in the ocean which was a little on the chilly side. Little did I know that the sunscreen would turn completely white from the temperature, as well as leaving water marks down the skin from the salt. You have never seen someone frantically trying to remove that stuff as fast as I did. Lesson learned: Know your sunscreen.” – Rose-Marie Swift, Founder of RMS Beauty


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