Unfortunately, many people have bad skincare habits. Whether it is just a few bad habits or many, all are damaging your skin in the short or long term. If you want to make a brand new start with your skincare, you must change your skincare habits for the better.
Bad Habit #1 You Pick at Your Skin
It is difficult to keep your hands clear of blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples. What is the solution? Squeezing them seems like a quick fix, except that the damage you’re doing to your skin is probably worse than having the blemish itself. Picking at your skin and the damage that it causes can remain on your skin exceedingly longer than if you decided to leave the blemish there. Acne scars can form and those can take weeks or even months to correct. Additionally, if you have not washed your hands, your fingers could be pushing germs and grease onto your skin, making your breakouts worse. The simple solution is to keep your hands free of your face.
Bad Habit #2 You Don’t Cleanse Your Skin in the Evening
After a long, difficult day, sometimes it is easy to neglect your evening skincare routine. However, you should always take off your make up. If you don’t, you’re almost assured to go to sleep with clogged pores, oil, and dead skin cells on your face. These common facial substances can make way for blemishes and prevent surface cell turnover. This almost guarantees that you won’t wake up with glowing skin.
Find simpler ways to cleanse you face. Use micellar water or cleansing wipes designed for your skin type. With micellar water, a few swipes across your face with a cotton pad will remove all traces of makeup, dirt, and oil that might have formed on your face. If your skin is very oily, you can clean your face with a wipe specially formulated for oily skin. It will refresh your skin and you won’t go to sleep with a grimy face.
Bad Habit # 3 You don’t exercise regularly
Most people think of exercise as something that only benefits their body or physique, but it can be beneficial for your skin. Exercising rigorously means you will sweat and your pores will open up and expel dirt and oil. Be sure to cleanse after you sweat because your perspiration and dead skin cells can be a breeding ground for blemishes.
Bad Habit #4 You Smoke
You already know that smoking is bad and can cause major health issues. It can also wreak havoc on your skin because it deprives your skin of nutrients, can give you uneven skin tone, and can cause your skin to sag. Quit smoking now! Unless you are smoke-free, you are compromising your skin’s health and subjecting it to damage.
Bad Habit #5 You Drink Too Much
Alcohol is ubiquitous in many social situations. While an infrequent glass of wine is probably not going to do any harm, drinking excessively can make skin look less than stellar. Excessive alcohol can dehydrate your skin of necessary nutrients and electrolytes. It’s best to stay hydrated with water and if you are having a night out with lots of drinking.
Bad Habit # 6 You don’t use SPF every day
SPF is so important that you need to make it a part of you everyday routine. Even when it’s snowing outside you should be wearing at least SPF 15 or higher because sun exposure is by far the biggest factor in prematurely aging skin. The sun causes damage to you skin in the form of sun spots, fine lines, and sagging skin. The easiest way to always wear SPF is to use a daily moisturizer or BB cream that includes sun protection within it. Make it a daily habit to apply SPF after cleansing in the morning!
Bad Habit # 7 You’re exfoliating too much/too little
Exfoliation helps get rid of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. It allows products to penetrate the skin and work effectively. Make sure to exfoliate at least once a week. Avoid exfoliating too often as this can irritate your skin and make it break out more often, especially with very hard granular products that use sand or similar substances.
Bad Habit # 8 You haven’t made antioxidants a part of your life
Antioxidants are a good way to help keep your body and skin healthy. Consuming them in foods and appling them topically on your skin can be beneficial. Look for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, green tea and retinol (Vitamin A) to use in the form of serums, cleansers and moisturizers. When it comes to food, leafy greens, citrus fruits and berries are full of antioxidants.
