Everyday Habits That Are Damaging Your Skin

Everybody has those unfortunate bad habits we wish we could change to improve our health and well being. The skin, the body’s largest organ, is effected by many different factors and is effective by many elements you may not be thinking of. For your convenience, we’ve put together a (long!) list of everyday things you might be doing that could damage your skin’s overall health.

Air Conditioning

Exposure to too much air conditioning stris the air of humidity and moisture your skin needs.

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol dehydrates the skin leaving it in need of moisture. This makes you more prone to wrinkles and dryness. Of course, you should always drink responsibly. Also, avoid skin care products that contain alcohol (ethanol or SD Alcohol types found in skin care products) as they can dry, irritate, and damage your skin. Fatty alcohol such as cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl alcohol are effective ingredients for treating dry skin and act as a stabilizer in other products.

Too Much Coffee

Caffeine can cause dry skin and the magnification of wrinkles. Remember to drink lots of water.

Eating Dairy

Eating dairy can have quite the impact on your skin. Inflammation caused by eating too much dairy can have dire results for those who suffer from cystic acne.

Dehydration

Properly hydrating will ensure a proper and natural healthy glow. Not hydrating enough prevents the body from flushing out the skin’s impurities (an essential process).

Constant Dieting

Don’t get us wrong. Eating better and healthier is great, but inconsistent yo-yo dieting will definitely negatively effect your skin. Frequent weight loss and gain can also loosen your skin and creative stretch marks or sagging.

Over-Exfoliating

While more regular and gentle exfoliation is generally better, exfoliating too much or doing so aggressively or harshly can strip your skin of its necessary oils needed to maintain your natural glow.

Makeup

Falling asleep with your makeup on at the end of the day can cause a lot of problems including clogged pores, bacterial infections, and acne. If possible, try to also skip makeup altogether when you can to allow your skin to breathe. Also, make sure to clean your brushes and application tools regularly.

Phone Calls

Too much talking on your cell phone can lead to breakouts and rashes on the jawline or cheeks thanks to the rise of touchscreen devices.

Hot Showers

Long or very hot showers can strip away the outermost layer of the epidermis. The longer the shower and the hotter the water, the drier your skin gets. Long baths don’t help either so skip any prolonged soak to avoid pruning.

Lip Biting

Licking or chewing on those lips will dehydrate them lead to dry, cracked, or chapped lips.

Perfume

Highly fragranced products can cause negative reactions to sensitive skin.

Popping Pimples

This only pushes dirt and bacteria deeper into the pores causing more breakouts or scarring. It can also spread bacteria to other areas on the face and lead to even more pimples.

Sodium

Eating too much sodium sucks the moisture out of the skin leaving it dry and dull. Cut back on those salty treats.

Lack of Sleep

Not sleeping enough or staying up late can aggravate any skin condition. Sleep is when your body naturally repairs the damage done during the day. Interrupting that natural process slows down the process and disrupt blood flow to the skin.

Rubbing Your Eyes

This can lead to fine lines around your eyes. The skin surrounding your eyes is the thinnest and the first to show signs of aging.

Smoking

Cigarettes cause premature aging and wrinkling alongside its other many health concerns.

Stress

Elevated levels of stress out can cause blemishes, dullness, rashes, and stress lines from facial movements ingrained over time.

Too Much Sugar

Consuming too much sugar hurts the collagen and elastin nestled in the skin needed for fullness and elasticity. It can also speed up the aging process through glycation. Those with higher blood sugar levels are often rated as looking older.

Tanning

You may love that bronze glow, but tanning accelerates the skin’s aging process leading to prematurely older-looking skin. It can, of course, lead to skin cancer. Maybe try a natural bronzer or sunless tanner as an alternative and always wear sunscreen in the sun.

Over-Washing

Don’t overdo it with the soap and scrubbing your face. Your skin can become tight or dry from over-washing. Bar soaps aren’t great for the skin either because of the residue they leave behind.

Waxing

Waxing too often at the presence of new hairs can result in raw skin and increased bumps. Leave at least three weeks in between waxing sessions to allow the skin to regenerate, especially in sensitive areas.

If you truly want healthy skin every day, cut out as many bad habits as possible. Anything else you do to take care of your skin, including a regular skin care routine, can do plenty to counter any bad habits on a daily basis if you are guilty of more than a few of them.

If you sense a theme, it’s about balance. Too much of anything, especially things that are already not good for you, can do even more harm to essential functions like your skin’s health. So please, do your best.