Skin care has become so much more popular in recent years, and for good reason! Skin care is about so much more than looking beautiful — although it can certainly do that too. Caring for your skin is about caring for the inside of your body as well as the outside, just like any other health and wellness routine.
There are so many ways that you can take care of your skin, and just the same, there are plenty of bad habits that might be impacting your skin. While of course everybody is different, there are a few universal skin care tips that are worth trying out no matter who you are. If you’re curious about the kinds of habits that can affect your skin, here are just a few of them.
Not Drinking Enough Water
Staying hydrated is one of the most important ways to keep your skin healthy, and therefore not drinking enough water can have its consequences on your skin. Whether it comes as a result of dehydration or drinking sugary sodas and coffees, lacking water can contribute to dryness and breakouts.
Eating Processed Food
Similar to sugary drinks, processed foods filled with artificial sweeteners, processed sugar, white flours and complex fats can cause breakouts, excess sebum and oil that you’re likely in the market to avoid. Of course, everything is okay in moderation, but it’s best to keep processed food to a minimum.
Using Physical Exfoliators
This is a bad habit that can often be in good faith — while using scrubs, brushes and loofahs can sometimes feel good in the moment, it can actually cause abrasion and break down the moisture barrier that your skin needs protection.
Extra Hot Showers
Super hot showers, much like physical exfoliators, can feel good in the moment, but they are often much too harsh, especially if you have sensitive skin. Instead, try to take warm showers so you can relax and take care of your face.
Going to Sleep In Your Makeup
It can be tempting to crash at the end of the day without doing your evening skin care routine — especially if you’re extra tired. But going to sleep in your makeup is actually a bad habit that can cause breakouts, irritation and excess sebum and oil. Try to at least cleanse with micellar water before you hit the hay.
Drinking Alcohol
Alcohol is another habit that can affect your skin. Specifically, if you struggle with rosacea, hyperpigmentation, redness or dryness, drinking regularly can often trigger those skin issues. Try cutting back on alcohol or even going completely sober to see how your skin reacts.
Changing Products too Frequently
It can be fun to change up your skin care routine whenever you catch wind of a fun new product you’re itching to try — but let’s not forget that skin care routines are important for a reason. When you find products that work for your skin, you should keep them in your rotation.
Smoking Cigarettes
Smoking cigarettes is bad for your health, but it’s also bad for your complexion. If you smoke cigarettes, try to cut back or quit, as they can cause premature aging, spots, hyperpigmentation and breakouts.
Skipping the SPF
Speaking of premature aging and spots, skipping out on sunscreen is one of the most common bad skin habits. Make sure that even during the colder months you keep applying an SPF of at least 30 before you leave the house in the morning — you’ll thank yourself in a few years.
Popping and Picking
Although pimple popping videos can sometimes be satisfying to watch and even satisfying to reenact, it can actually be a very bad idea to pop and pick when you have breakouts. Not only can it get bacteria underneath the surface of your skin, but it can also lead to scarring and spots.
Bad Skin Habits to Kick
Taking care of your skin is truly about going from the inside out. From the food that you eat to the way that you hydrate yourself, and even the temperature of your showers, there are so many places that you can improve your habits in order to take better care of your skin. Do you have a tendency towards any of these habits?
Cover photo by Shiny Diamond from Pexels
Interior photo by Maria Orlova from Pexels
