‘Breaking Beauty’: The Skincare Mistakes You Didn’t Know You’re Making

The number one skincare mistake most people make has nothing to do with the wrong products or expensive treatments—it’s crawling into bed with a dirty face. On Breaking Beauty, celebrity facialist Gina Mari breaks this down and other common missteps that could be sabotaging your skin goals, no matter how much you’re spending on serums. 

Named one of Los Angeles’ top celebrity facialists by Allure and Violet Grey, Gina has spent more than 25 years helping clients achieve healthy, glowing skin while navigating red carpets and high-definition cameras. In her conversation with hosts Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins, she covers everything from the truth about acne care to why patience is key with melasma, and plus emerging treatments like exosome therapy that could revolutionize skin care. 

‘Breaking Beauty’: Skincare Mistakes & Tips for Clear, Glowing Skin

Don’t skip the nighttime cleanse

For Gina, the foundation of good skin health starts with one deceptively simple habit: cleansing before bed. “Not washing your face before you go to bed…is the number one thing,” she tells the hosts. We’ve all been there. You’re comfy and bed and the last thing you want to do is go wash your face. While many people assume skipping a wash is fine on makeup-free days, Gina explains that skin is still exposed to pollution, UV rays, and environmental stressors that can linger on the surface.

What makes nighttime cleansing so critical is the way the body repairs itself during sleep. “When you’re sleeping, your cells are repairing and restoring, and that’s when your body is super busy,” Gina says. By leaving dirt, sunscreen, or daily buildup on the skin, you’re essentially working against that natural renewal process—and no one wants a glow down. Even if you’re not up for a full double cleanse, Gina suggests reaching for something as simple as micellar water to remove the day. It doesn’t have to be complicated, your skin just needs a clean surface to do its job.

When it comes to breakouts, Gina challenges conventional wisdom about “drying out” pimples. “Over-drying the skin is not going to be helpful at all,” Gina explains. Instead, her approach is to keep acne “slightly wet”—or more accurately, hydrated. This allows the skin barrier to function properly and helps clogged pores clear naturally. 

Surrender the magnifying glass and stop picking

She also calls out two major culprits that worsen acne: picking at breakouts and examining your face too closely. “Picking at home is the worst thing on the planet,” she says, noting that most scarring doesn’t come from the blemish itself but from prolonged irritation. Her other piece of tough love? Put down the magnifying mirror.

“I always tell everyone, if you’re insecure about your skin at all, don’t look at it like this,” she says, holding her hand close to her face. “Look at it like this,” she adds, extending her arm. From that distance—the way most people see you—imperfections look far less noticeable. Leave extractions to the professionals and stop fixating on what others aren’t seeing.

Patience is key with pigmentation

For those struggling with melasma and hyperpigmentation, Gina had a clear message: patience is key. “Melasma and hyperpigmentation are by far one of the hardest things to fix,” she admits. Her first priority with clients is to even out texture before tackling discoloration. “We’re not going to worry about color yet. We just want your texture to be flat,” she explains.

Sun protection plays a huge role in preventing pigmentation from worsening, and she cautions against applying sunscreen only to the face and forgetting the rest of the body. “It’s not like you can pick one area to activate a melanocyte cell—they’re all going to get active and want to come out and play,” she warns. While she favors vitamin C during the day and retinoids at night for gradual improvement, she strongly advised against rushing into lasers or IPL treatments, which she says can sometimes make pigmentation worse.

Sensitive skin? No problem

Gina says that a sensitive-skin diagnosis doesn’t mean avoiding all active ingredients. “Sensitive skin doesn’t mean you can’t use everything,” she explains. “It just means you’re going to use less.” Instead of skipping ingredients like retinol altogether, she recommends gentler formulas or lower doses. The key is patience and consistency. “Live with it for a minute. Don’t judge products so quickly,” she advises. If irritation shows up immediately, it’s worth stopping. But if results seem underwhelming, give the product more time to work before dismissing it. For those with rosacea or highly reactive skin, she suggests powder-based actives like those from Exponent, which can be customized to gentler strengths by mixing with hyaluronic acid.

Exosome therapy is the future

While classic treatments like LED light therapy and standalone radiofrequency remain staples in Gina’s toolkit, she’s most intrigued by what’s next—exosome therapy. “The results are so beautiful,” she says, describing the process as similar to PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatments but with even more potential for rejuvenation.

Exosomes are tiny cellular messengers thought to aid in skin regeneration when delivered through treatments like microneedling. Though still new, the buzz around exosome therapy has grown quickly in Los Angeles. Gina admits the science can be complex—“I’ve sat in on so many Zooms and it’s still hard to explain”—but she believes it could become a game-changer for anti-aging. For now, she remains cautious about combining too many modalities in one session, preferring to let each treatment shine on its own.

If you found these skincare tips helpful and want to learn even more, check out the recent episode of Breaking Beauty, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Read More

• The Skincare Industry is Full of Facts and Fictions—Here’s How To Tell The Difference
• Dr. Sara Szal Breaks Down the Most Misdiagnosed Hormone Problems on ‘Treated’
• Keep Your Culture on the Plate: ‘All on the Table’ Tackles Healthy Eating Without the Food Guilt
• Celebrity Hair Hacks with Dimitris Giannetos on ‘Breaking Beauty