Unconsciously touching your face
Everyone is guilty of doing this. Whether it’s the urge to scratch your nose or touch that annoying zit, we just love touching our faces. The thing is, bacteria from your hands gets transported easily through your fingers and then finding its way to your skin or any open wounds. Stopping this habit is crucial, especially for those with acne-prone skin. If you find the urge to touch your face, stop or go wash your hands with soap before you do.
Skipping sunscreen
Vitamin D is great for keeping your body healthy, too much, however, can have bad effects on your skin. UVA and UVB rays from the sun cause premature aging, age spots, and can cause dryness. Choose a facial sunblock with at least SPF30 with broad-spectrum formulas for additional protection.
Not moisturizing your acne-prone or oily skin
One misconception about oily and acne-prone skin is that you don’t need to apply moisturizer because your skin is already extra oily. WRONG! Having acne-prone and oily skin gives you all the more reason to moisturize. These products help hydrate your skin and soothes redness. If you do have acne or oily skin, make sure to use a non-comedogenic moisturizer that won’t clog pores and avoid heavy creams.
Using the wrong products
With the number of skin care products available in the market today, it’s no surprise one can get confused. Of course, a whitening cream can’t possibly do anything to halt your breakout. When you’re out shopping for a new skin care product to try, do read the fine print or at least know what skin problem it can solve before putting it in your shopping cart.
Not cleaning your makeup brushes
Always ? clean ?your ?makeup ?brushes ?. With all the bacteria collected from your face and storage, along with dirt and oil; it’s not a good combination. There have been many cases of people acquiring life-threatening diseases from makeup brushes, you don’t want to be another statistic. Every three weeks, lather your makeup brushes with shampoo and let them dry overnight. It’s a simple habit that your skin would thank you for.
You exfoliate too much
Yes, skin can suffer from over-exfoliating. Through having extremely clean pores feels amazing, exfoliating too much can strip your skin of natural oils which can leave it dry and prone to breakouts. If you do have the need to exfoliate, leave at least a day or two in between exfoliation.
Not getting enough sleep
Either as a result of binge-watching your favorite Korean Drama or studying for a test, staying up late is a habit that we should all get rid of. Not getting a decent amount of sleep can cause stress and, in turn, can result in breakouts, psoriasis, and eczema. Sleep is when your body heals itself. Breaking that cycle could mess with your skin’s blood flow.
Popping pimples
Popping pimples feel more like an impulse rather than a habit. As tempting as it might be, DO NOT POP YOUR PIMPLES! Squeezing out a zit can help transfer bacteria to your skin and can cause infection and inflammation. Instead of trying to calm them down, you are actually inflaming them up by popping them out. Not only that, you are also doubling its lifespan from a week to two weeks and encourage scarring! Use a spot treatment like Salicylic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide to kill bacteria and reduce inflammation.
Eating tons of junk food
From chips down to take out pizza, junk food is part of everyday life. However, if you want to have better skin, it’s a good idea to at least minimize your junk food intake. Processed carbs and high-glycemic foods cause the insulin in your bloodstream to rise. Insulin, on the other hand, stimulates oil-producing hormones which, with blocked pores, can cause acne. Make healthier choices by replacing junk food with a high-fiber and high-protein diet. Although, you can enjoy eating a slice of pizza every once in a while.
Smoking
You’ve got one more reason to quit! According to a published research from the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, smoking makes you look older – 2 and a half years to be exact. Not only does this habit kill, but it can also encourage more wrinkles! Yikes!
Credit by MJ Mendoza iPrice