You’ve seen the error of your ways when it comes to sleeping in makeup.
You’ve quit smoking, you’ve stopped tanning, you drink plenty of water,
and you even make homemade avocado masks. You cleanse, tone, and
exfoliate every day—but not too much, and only with the right products.
We do everything we can to keep the skin on our faces and bodies looking
soft, supple, and young, but even if you think you’re doing everything
right, there are some common habits that undermine even the most valiant
skincare efforts. Before you spend more money on fancy facials, and
before you rush out and buy another expensive eye cream or anti-aging
potion, check to make sure you’re not committing one of these six
skincare sins.
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Taking Hot Showers
Pleasurable though they may be, long and steamy showers are terrible
for your skin. The hot water washes away skin’s protective oils,
leaving it dry, tight, and itchy. Using a harsh, soap-based cleanser in a
hot shower is double trouble: the two conspire to liquefy and wash away
the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of skin cells and sebum. To
take it easier on your body’s largest organ, switch to a lukewarm
shower. The lower temperature helps keep the stratum corneum from
rinsing away, as well as ensuring that you won’t linger in the shower
long enough to do any other damage.
Skimping on Sunscreen
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has been chiding us for years
to wear a 30 SPF sunscreen every single day. Of course, we all know to
wear it on our faces, and definitely on our bodies while at the beach
(right?), but sunscreen should really be worn everywhere, every day.
That means you can’t skip it on cloudy days or overlook places like the
tops of the ears, the scalp, the hands, the neck and chest, the lips,
and the tops of the feet. According to the AAD, most melanomas and
malignant skin lesions develop on areas of the body that are more
exposed to the sun, including the head and neck, so don’t forget to
cover every single inch. Also, if you’re using only a couple of squirts
of sunscreen to cover your whole body, you’re not using nearly enough.
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Not Handling with Care
Many of us rub too
vigorously when drying off with a towel. The constant friction and
abrasion on our body can strip away essential oils, leading to
irritation and dryness; on the face, the constant tugging and pulling
can lead to sagging. When drying skin, use a towel to blot or pat dry
instead of rubbing. On the face, be sure not to tug on the skin,
especially on the delicate areas underneath the eyes. Gently pat wet
skin dry, and use the same delicate motion for applying eye cream.
Pulling too hard for too many years could cause damage to the connective
tissue underneath the skin’s surface.
Using Dirty Implements
Makeup brushes and sponges, tweezers, razors, and other personal-care
gadgets spend most of their time in a humid bathroom—a bacterial bonanza
where they become magnets for dust, dirt, and oil. At best, they don’t
perform well when they’re dirty; at worst, they can spread germs and
distribute dirt that could clog pores and cause breakouts. Make sure to
wash cosmetic brushes regularly with soap and water, replace razor
blades, loofahs, and pumice stones regularly, and clean everything else
with rubbing alcohol to kill germs.
[post_ads_2]Too Much Touching
After you’ve been at the grocery store or the gas station or on public
transportation, you’d never be willing to stick your fingers in your
mouth, right? Yet few people give the same consideration to touching
their face when their hands are dirty. Transferring dirt to the face is a
surefire way to cause breakouts and clog pores, so try to avoid
touching your face more than necessary, especially when your hands are
less than clean.
When you’re washing your hands, don’t forget
your phone—cell phones can accumulate grime and bacteria that can easily
transfer to the face. A recent study in the Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials reported that
95 percent of mobile phones were contaminated with at least one type of
bacteria. Some even carried MRSA, a type of staph germ that can be hard
to treat. Keep your phone clean by gently wiping it down with rubbing
alcohol once a week to remove traces of makeup, sweat, and other
contaminants.
Scratching and Picking
Taking a
pass at a momentary itch is one thing, but scratching repeatedly at one
spot can literally scrape away the top layers of skin, leaving it dry,
irritated, and exposed to infection. Picking at ingrown hairs, pimples,
scabs, moles, or other spots can cause bleeding, create an open wound
that’s susceptible to bacteria, and leave you with scars. If you
experience constant itching, a dermatologist can help diagnose any skin
allergies or eczema, but most chronically itchy skin is caused by other
bad habits (like hot showers or product overload) and should decrease
with improved care.
Having healthy skin doesn’t call for
spending thousands of dollars on products and making frequent visits to
the dermatologist—it simply requires the right care. Be good to your
skin, and it’ll return the favor.
