The eight most common skincare mistakes

Mistake 1: Too many products at once

Why it is a mistake: Every extra product brings extra ingredients onto your skin. The Verbraucherzentrale describes a cycle: foaming, washing-active substances remove the skin's oils, the tight feeling is then fought with cream, and the cycle continues.

Better: Start with what is needed: cleansing, moisturising and sun protection. The skincare routine in three steps explains how those three steps look. Add another product only when you have a concrete reason.

Mistake 2: Cleansing too hard or too often

Why it is a mistake: Foaming, washing-active substances (surfactants) remove oils from the skin. For skin with acne, the health information service Gesundheitsinformation.de, run by the independent institute IQWiG, notes that washing too much, for example several times a day, can dry the skin out and increase irritation. It also says that soap-free cleansers matched to the skin's pH value of 5.5 are the better choice there. Working on the skin too roughly promotes inflammation, according to IQWiG's section on shaving.

Better: Cleanse gently. As a practical suggestion: use your fingertips instead of a rough cloth or a brush, and choose a mild cleanser. If your skin feels tight after washing, that is a reason to rethink the cleansing step, not to apply even more cream.

Mistake 3: Leaving out sun protection

Why it is a mistake: According to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), UV radiation has short-term effects such as sunburn and long-term effects that include premature skin ageing and skin cancer. When you are outdoors, your face is usually uncovered.

Better: Make sun protection a fixed part of your routine whenever you spend time outside; that is a practical recommendation. The Verbraucherzentrale points out that shade and light clothing that covers the skin protect better than cream alone, and advises avoiding the intense midday sun between 11 am and 3 pm.

Mistake 4: Applying sunscreen too thinly

Why it is a mistake: The Verbraucherzentrale explains that the printed sun protection factor is measured with a thick layer of cream, namely 2 milligrams of cream per square centimetre of skin. If you apply a very thin layer, you do not reach the value on the bottle.

Better: Apply generously and evenly. The Verbraucherzentrale gives a guideline of about 3 to 4 tablespoons for the whole body; it names no amount for the face alone, so err on the side of more rather than less. The Verbraucherzentrale also advises against using up the theoretically calculated protection time (your own time in the sun without protection multiplied by the sun protection factor) to the last minute: reduce it by about a third. How the UV index changes the picture is explained in Understanding the UV index.

Mistake 5: Squeezing spots

Why it is a mistake: According to IQWiG, squeezing can push the pus deeper into the skin and make the inflammation stronger. Squeezing now and then does not lead to scars straight away, but if you overdo it, especially with spots that lie deeper, scars become more likely.

Better: Keep your hands off your face. If a skin condition bothers you or keeps coming back, talk to a dermatology practice. IQWiG also mentions that trained professionals can open spots under hygienic conditions.

Mistake 6: Starting several new products together

Why it is a mistake: If your skin reacts with redness, burning or itching, you want to know what caused it. IQWiG explains that a contact allergy is usually not felt immediately but only after one to three days, and that fragrances are among the common triggers. If you start several new products on the same day, it is hard to narrow down the cause.

Better: Introduce new products one after another, a few days apart. This is a practical conclusion from that delay, not a test. If a reaction appears, the Verbraucherzentrale advises seeing a doctor and taking the suspected product along.

Mistake 7: Using products for too long

Why it is a mistake: Cosmetics have a limited shelf life. The Verbraucherzentrale explains the labelling: for products that keep for less than 30 months, the label shows "best before the end of" or an hourglass symbol, together with a date. For products with a longer shelf life, the symbol of an open cream jar shows how long the product stays usable after opening; "12 M" means twelve months.

Better: Write the date of first opening on the packaging, as the Verbraucherzentrale suggests, and follow the information on the label.

Mistake 8: Expecting too much from advertising

Why it is a mistake: The Verbraucherzentrale states that cosmetics advertising often promises more than the product delivers. Visible wrinkles cannot simply be "creamed away". If you expect that, you easily keep trying new products.

Better: Read the ingredient list (INCI) on the packaging. According to the Verbraucherzentrale, manufacturers list the ingredients by weight in descending order, so the main components come first. Ask yourself what function a product has in your routine. Skincare can keep skin well cared for and feeling comfortable; this guide promises nothing more.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if your skin breaks out, itches strongly, hurts, weeps or forms blisters after using a product, if spots lie deep, are inflamed or keep coming back, or if a mark on your skin changes. These are not cases for a new cream. For help finding a dermatology practice, the German Dermatological Society (DDG) has a page called "Facharztsuche Dermatologie" (in German).

Keep reading

• Skincare and cosmetics: guide
• Skincare routine in three steps: guide
• Understanding the UV index: when to protect
• Hautpflege für Einsteiger: Routine-Baukasten (in German)
• Hautbarriere: Was ist das? (in German)