Expert Tips for a Flawless Complexion - 8 Bad Habits to Avoid for Skin, First

We all aspire to achieve a glowing complexion, diligently following our skincare routines of cleansing, moisturizing, and toning. However, despite our efforts, our skin often falls short of perfection. Surprisingly, certain daily habits may be sabotaging our quest for flawless skin. In this blog post, we've compiled a list of the top eight detrimental habits to steer clear of if you're aiming for radiant skin.

Do not wash your face before bed

It is easy to understand why you want to skip washing your face, especially after a long and hard-working day. But just because you cannot see dirt on your face does not mean it is not there, and over time your complexion will pay the price. It is okay to use a gentle cleanser with a moisturizer like botanical oil or glycerin to keep your skin hydrated. Or you can use facial wipes in case you are exhausted to move to the sink and wash your face. On the contrary, if you do more than twice per day, you might get rid of natural oils and leave your skin more unprotected from pollutants and aggressors.

Do not wear sunscreen

Sunshine is good on your skin because it helps create vitamin D; however, it also has ultraviolet rays that can lead to premature aging of the skin with dark spots, wrinkles, and even skin cancers. That’s why wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen is a must to keep healthy skin. Search for a minimum of SPF 30 or higher and apply it everywhere on your body that might be exposed to the sun before going outside for about 30 minutes. If you are in a hurry in the morning, you can use a foundation that has an SPF within it to keep your skin protected during the day.

Overload your skin with many products

The basic skincare routine includes cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. But we sometimes come up with more products that promise to give good-looking and youthful skin. And this might result in unexpected outcomes. Some active ingredients in some skincare products might not go well together. For instance, glycolic acid and salicylic acid should not be used together because both have powerful active ingredients that might irritate and dehydrate your skin.

So, before investing in skincare products, you need to research what your skin type is and choose products accordingly.

  • For dry skin, you need to select a product that includes hydrating oils to lock moisture.

  • For oily skin, use water-based products, not oil-based ones because they might make pimples worse.

  • For sensitive skin, choose products having paraben-free formulas and soothing frangipani, hyaluronic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Or you can consult your dermatologist to help you find the right products.

Smoke a lot

Smoking is, of course, not a good habit for the overall health of your skin and body. It is known to make a dry, swallow, and dull complexion. Besides, smoking hurts your skin’s natural elastin and collagen, leading to sagging and loose skin and increased signs of skin aging. But it doesn’t stop there. The nicotine in cigarettes makes the blood vessels narrow in the outermost layers of the skin, which damages the blood flow to those areas and also results in skin aging [1].

Plus, years of holding a cigarette or glancing your eyes to keep out smoke might make lines deeper and result in more wrinkles in those areas.

Use dirty makeup brushes

If you often forget to remove your makeup at night, you’ll likely have no time cleaning your makeup brushes, right? If you have enough time to apply makeup, you should spend time cleaning and sanitizing your tools. It is because makeup brushes, sponges, and other tools are a magnet to bacteria.

Let’s imagine that you leave your makeup on overnight, then wake up and use dirty brushes. What happens? The ingredients from makeup products might clog your pores and create pimples when not removed. So, if you want a healthy-looking appearance, you should cleanse your face and your makeup tools.

Do not drink plenty of water

We all know this. If we do not drink plenty of water, our body will get water from tissues and skin to maintain the concentration in our blood. And when it does that, our skin is going to feel dry while our eyes are going to look hollow. Badly, dehydration might cause allergy, migraine, asthma, and other common health problems.

How much water should you drink a day?

  • Men should consume about 13 cups (about 3 liters) of fluid every day.

  • Women should consume about 9 cups (about over 2 liters) of fluid every day.

  • If you are doing something that makes you sweat a lot or outside on a hot day, you need to drink more fluids to stay hydrated.

Lack of sleep

Our skin regenerates itself during the night. So, if you don’t sleep properly for a couple of days, your skin will act up instantly. For instance, dark circles become more visible. Then under-eye bags appear out of nowhere, and you even discover pimples. Badly, sleep deficiency might lead to stress, one of the common factors to make your skin look older and older.

That’s why you need to get enough sleep. Remember that sleep is a must, not a privilege. You might not feel it when you are young, but when hitting the age of 30, you might see how sleep deficiency affects your skin. Try getting at least 7 hours of relaxing sleep every night.

Also, cleaning your sheets and pillowcases regularly is necessary because these things absorb dirt and body oils over time. And when you press your face and body against them all night, it might contribute wrinkles, breakouts, and more. Investing in a silk pillowcase and quality sheets with a higher thread will be beneficial to the skin.

Eat too much sugar and fewer fruits

You are what you eat.

If you tend to eat more sugary and starchy foods like potato chips, white bread, or ice cream, they might increase your blood sugar levels, which stimulates inflammation and urges acne breakouts. And when you deal with pimple after pimple, it results in permanent scarrings, either in the form of a raised or depressed bump in the skin. Badly, you might face up with red and brown marks like sunspots, thereby making you look older. 

What is more, consuming too much sweet stuff can result in glycation. This is a process that sugar molecules attach to the main building blocks of your skin, making your collagen less flexible, hard and enhancing premature wrinkles.

Plus, almost 90% of Americans do not eat the suggested amount of veggies a day while 76% fail to consume enough fruit [2]. We all know fruits and veggies are loaded with nutrients like vitamins and antioxidants that keep your skin cells healthy. So, if lacking them, it might cause your skin to age too early.

In sum, bad habits are often the root that prevents you from getting a flawless complexion and youthful appearance. But since you are here and know which habits to change, we believe you can treat your skin right from now on. Even if you know how to add our best supplements for skin, you soon attain the desired results.

Sources

RELATED ARTICLES

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *