32 Things We Do That Damage Our Skin
Your face is your calling card, it's your first impression on others and the first thing you notice in the mirror. Your face can radiate your emotions or be as opaque as a mask. It's often important to our self esteem and general good feeling to keep it young and healthy. However, you should know that there are many things you do that damage the delicate skin on your face – some of them may surprise you!
1. Hairspray – You might use hair spray to keep your hair in place, because a good hairdo makes you look ten times better, but did you know that chemicals in the spray are terrible for your skin? Next time you use it, cover your face, and if you're going to the gym – use a sweatband to prevent it dripping onto your face when you sweat.
2. Chlorine – It keeps the pool clean of bacteria, but it's also very bad for your skin! It dries it out and bleaches it, damaging the melanin in the process. Next time you wash after a swim, make sure to get extra sudsy and soap yourself thoroughly, as chlorine clings to your skin.
3. Coffee – I can hear you saying "On no, not coffee!", and yes, I also thought the same thing, but coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine is the active chemical that keeps you up and perky, but it's also dries out the skin and causes wrinkles. What you can do, however, is to drink plenty of water with your coffee to keep the skin hydrated and consider adding some fruit on the side.
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4. Leaving your makeup on when you go to bed – Other than getting your pillows and sheets all smudgy with leftover mascara, makeup also clogs your pores and traps bacteria on your face – which leads to acne. If you're a Forgetful Franny like me, just keep some makeup wipes by your bed.
5. Popping zits – I hate zits! They're unsightly and sometimes downright painful, but popping them is a really choice when it comes to your skin. When you pop a zit, you actually push more dirt and bacteria into your pores, which leads to more outbreaks. If you really feel the need to pop a zit, wash your face and hands thoroughly, use fresh tissue paper to cover your finger each time, and finish with a disinfectant like rubbing alcohol.
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6. Talking on the phone – Phones are usually covered in bacteria, which leads to bad breakouts along the jawline. Keep your phone clean by wiping it with antibacterial wipes once a day and keep your skin safe!
7. Dehydration – Not necessarily a severe case, but generally not drinking enough water throughout the day. Your skin needs to stay hydrated to maintain its elasticity and softness, so without enough water in your system – your skin suffers. Keep a bottle or a Sippy-cup with you during the day and make sure you drink enough water (9 cups every day).
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8. Skipping a meal – Similar to #7, your skin also needs nutrients and fats to stay healthy. A skipped meal is equal to starving your skin, leaving it without the vitamins and minerals it needs so much. Make sure you eat food rich in vitamin C, E, D and B3, they're what your skin needs the most.
9. Testing too many products – You may want to avoid makeup disasters, so you test products before buying them. It's a great idea, but here's the kicker – what if you get an allergic reaction to a product? The solution: try a small amount on your hand, so if there's a reaction, at least it's not on your face…
10. A long, hot shower – As pleasant as this sounds, frequent long & hot showers are terrible for your skin. They strip away the outer layer of skin, leaving it dry and scaly. If your skin turns red and itchy in the shower, it's your queue to get out.
11. Dirty sunglasses – Like your smartphone, your glasses also gather bacteria throughout the day, and can lead to breakouts where the bridge is, as well as where the arms touch your face and ears. Keep antibacterial wipes and give your glasses a wipe once every day or so.
12. Too much sodium – Sodium absorbs moisture, and when it comes to your skin, that means too much of it can lead to dry, flaky skin. Avoid foods that are rich in salt and keep hydrated.
13. Not getting enough sleep – Getting 8 hours of sleep is not a joke! During your sleep, your skin refreshes itself, clears out pores and replaces the upper layer with fresh skin-cells. If you don't get enough sleep, your skin can get dull and clogged pores can become zits…
Skin14. Unstable weight – If you're dieting infrequently and your weight fluctuates, the effects on your skin can be stretch-marks, reduced elasticity and sagginess.
15. Squinting – Yeah, that's right, squinting is bad for your skin, as it leads to wrinkles around your eyes. If you think your glasses or contacts are not up-to-date, get your eyes checked.
16. Waxing too often – While it's a great way to remove excess hair, it also leaves your skin raw and bumpy. Allow at least 3 weeks between each waxing session, in particular in sensitive areas.
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17. Chemicals in the water – In most places in the world, public water is treated with various chemicals to remove bacteria, fungi and algae from the water. While this makes sure our water is drinkable, these same chemicals also build up on our skin and slowly damage it. Investing in a water filter for your shower is a simple and effective solution.
18. Pillowcases – That's right, pillowcases. They collect dead skin that falls off during our sleep, leading to buildup of bacteria and toxins from the secretion of skin-mites that eat that dead skin. Change your pillowcases regularly and wash them with bleach if possible.
19. Dry lips – If you take care of your face but neglect your lips, you'll regret it. Lips that are constantly dry and chapped age quickly, earning wrinkles much faster. Keep your lips hydrated and nourished by investing in a lip-balm with glycerin, petrolatum & dimethicone.
20. Stress – It's bad for you overall, but when it comes to your face, stress is really bad! It causes to stress-lines that end up as wrinkles, as well as blemishes, dullness, and rashes. Find ways to reduce the stress in your life, like yoga or reading.
21. Exfoliating too much – Exfoliating once in a while is very good for your skin. It clears out dead, dry cells and adds a healthy shine to your face. Too much exfoliation, however, is bad for your skin. It removes the natural oils the skin needs, taking away from its shine.
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22. Frowning – Like stress and squinting, frowning causes wrinkles. Give your face a rest and prevent (or at least – delay) the appearance of these unwanted wrinkles.
23. Too much sugar – Large quantities of sugar damage the collagen in your skin. Collagen is what gives your skin its elasticity, and when it's damaged, your skin will end up sagging. Consider substituting candy and chocolate with fruits.
24. Dry Cleaning – The chemicals in dry-cleaning are bad for your skin, so if you get your clothes dry-cleaned often, remove the plastic from them as soon as you can to ensure they don't soak up those harmful chemicals.
25. Not enough exercise – A good exercise cleans the body of toxins by perspiring them out, and the increased blood flow gives your skin a healthy glow. Not exercising enough can increase the likeliness of age-spots.
26. Too much air-conditioning – Air conditioners strip the humidity from the air, leaving it dry. This also happens to your skin in such dry conditions, so consider turning down the AC and moisturizing your skin.
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27. Alcohol – Sorry, but consuming too much alcohol will dehydrate your skin. Dry skin will get wrinkles faster and will look dull and flaky.
28. Forgetting sunscreen – You might think that it's not terrible if you forget to apply sunscreen from time to time, but the effects, while not immediately apparent, are devastating for your skin.
29. Too much time in the sauna – While the increased sweating is good for cleansing your body from toxins, the excess heat also breaks down collagen, leading to sagging skin, so consider minimizing your trips to the Sauna.
30. Secondhand smoking – We all know that smoking is bad for your skin (amongst other things), and secondhand smoking is just as bad. The chemicals in tobacco cause the skin to sag and increase the formation of wrinkles.
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31. Constant tweezing – Keeping your face neat is a good habit, tweezing can lead to serious skin damage. If you don't wash your face before and make sure to disinfect the tweezers, you can cause skin infections and zits. Furthermore, to make the process easier, soften your skin with a hot towel and once you're done, sooth the skin with aloe and keep it clean.
32. Too much makeup – Makeup blocks your pores, leading to premature aging and facial breakouts. Reduce the amount of makeup you apply and try to find makeup that "breaths".
Sources: Dry Cleaning, Exfoliation, Waxing, Pillows
