There are so many things we do on a day to day basis that can damage our skin. Some of these are habits we do without thinking, and others are ones that might surprise you!
If you want to take care of your skin, first you need to identify the bad habits. The stuff that stops your skin from looking and feeling the best that it can be. Remember, your skin is one of your biggest physical protectors, and deserves to be treated with the utmost love and care.
Below is a list of things people do that can have a damaging effect on the skin. Check them out and see if you’re doing any of these bad skin habits.
Do not pick spots
Spots can be itchy and uncomfortable, so it’s very easy to pick them. But doing this can lead to scars, pock marks or dark spots/areas. Popping them can lead to more spots and delayed healing so it’s best to just leave them alone and let your skin do the healing. You don’t want to end up with red and inflamed skin
Licking your lips
When you lick your lips, you end up coating them in saliva. Saliva has a drying effect on your lips and during the winter months you could end up with chapped and cracked lips. Keep some lip balm in your bag to keep your lips healthy and smiling without the dryness.
Rubbing your eyes
The skin around your eyes is very thin and easily damaged by tugging, rubbing, and pulling on the skin. These motions stretch and sag the skin, weaken the collagen and elasticity fibres that lead to wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes. Gently remove eye makeup with soft cotton wool soaked with eye makeup remover. You can also use eye drops to hydrate and soothe your eyes, keeping them healthy along with your skin.
Smoking
Inhaling smoke prevents enough nutrients and oxygen from reaching the skin and can cause your skin’s elasticity to weaken. Your skin won’t perform as well as it used to, having a delayed healing response, ageing quicker, and developing infections more often.
Smoking cigarettes also causes lines and wrinkles around the mouth often referred to as smoker’s lines.
Reach out to some support groups, a general practitioner, or make a post in our forum for help trying to reduce the amount you smoke each day. Talking to others who have gone through the same thing can bring comfort knowing that you aren’t alone. It might even help you kick start your journey to health!
Sleeping on Your face
This might be an unexpected habit that most don’t realise can affect your skin. This habit can cause wrinkles and fine lines because the contact between the skin and pillow causes friction. It also stops our skin from breathing whilst we sleep because the follicles are blocked, causing acne and clogged pores. It can be a lot for the skin to feel this pressure against the pillow for 8 long hours so, to avoid this, try sleeping on your back rather than your stomach.
Not removing your makeup before bedtime
This is a habit you can get away with every so often. But doing this frequently can be unhealthy for your skin. Leaving makeup on at night means that your skin doesn’t get a chance to breathe. This can lead to a build of bacteria and dirt, clogging your pores and causing acne.
Before bed, it’s important to gently and delicately clean your face to remove excess oil, makeup, dirt and pollutants.
Exfoliating too much
You should not exfoliate more than 2-3 times a week. Too much exfoliation can dry out your skin, stripping out the moisture and causing irritation. This can leave the skin rough and flaky. You may also become more prone to breakouts.
Limit the amount of exfoliating you do to 2-3 times per week. Increase the amount of times you exfoliate based on your skin’s reaction to it. You can exfoliate more frequently if your skin is able to tolerate it.
Keep the blow dryer away
Try and keep your blow dryer away from your face and neck. The intense, close-up heat can dry your skin and cause oxidative stress damaging your skin.
Keep the blow dryer on a lower setting or start air drying your hair. Air drying can be beneficial for your skin because less moisture is drawn out from your scalp and less damage is caused to your hair.
Don’t forget your neck
When you apply moisturiser, spf, and creams to your face, you must also apply them to your neck. Many forget about this part of your body, but the skin on your neck is just as delicate as the skin on your face. Be gentle when you’re applying these products – massage in upward and downward delicate strokes. Do not pull, tug or rub the skin at any time. This will keep the skin on your neck fresh, supple and feeling healthy.
Chin rest
Resting your chin on your hands can cause the skin on your face to sag, wrinkles and lines to form. This is a habit that must stop.
Share your thoughts and experiences on how to have good skin on our forum and social media!
DISCLAIMER
Before you start any new diet, health programme, exercise routine, and ingest or topically use any oil, vitamin, mineral, product or compound, it is very important to consult your doctor, therapist or do a patch test to make sure you do not have any adverse reactions.
We do not offer any form of medical or psychological advice. The information in our wellbeing articles are offered for educational purposes only. Our wellbeing articles are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. Thank you.
