Scary truth: You can wreak a lot of havoc on your own face.
Scarier truth? You can even do it in the process of trying to improve the quality of your skin.
What are some of the most common bad habits that keep you from achieving complexion perfection? We’ve got some insights and some answers, so read on…
- Tanning and/or Not Wearing Sunscreen – It’s no secret that tanning (whether it’s laying out at the pool or using a tanning bed) is just about the worst thing you can do to your skin, bar none! Even the slightest darkening of the skin is a sign of skin damage. Repeated exposure to UV radiation from the sun can cause melanoma and skin cancers. That’s bad enough! Tanning also causes premature aging of the skin in the form of wrinkles, sagging, and uneven skin tone. As far as protection goes, you should be taking precaution daily if you want to prevent wrinkles and skin cancer. Every day of the year, rain or shine, harmful UV rays come through windows in your office, home, car and even through the clouds. The BEST anti-aging product in the universe is sunscreen.
- Smoking – As if you needed another incentive to quit, just know this: Your skin will be so grateful. In addition to causing premature aging and wrinkling, it’s endangering your health. Smoking cigarettes increases your risk of skin cancer. It’s also harsh on the small blood vessels that should be bringing nutrients to the skin. As the blood vessels are damaged, so too is the delicate cells that are relying on those vessels for nourishment and oxygen.
- Over-Exfoliating – Don’t get me wrong, exfoliating is a good thing! We shed ourselves of dead skin cells to reveal a radiant glow but too much of a good thing can be bad for our skin. Use a good facial scrub or exfoliating acid peel sparingly. A little bit goes a long way. Try exfoliating 7 days on and then 7 days off. During the days you are not exfoliating, nourish the new healthy cells with a great moisturizer designed for your skin type!
- Picking – Reminder: You’re not an esthetician and should not be picking at your pimples, ingrown hairs, or anything else on your face. It’s one of the biggest assaults against your skin and can have permanent effects like hyperpigmentation and scarring. We know it’s tempting, but leave this to the professionals.
- Tugging at the Skin Around Your Eyes – This is where your skin is the thinnest, which makes it the most delicate. And since it’s the first to show signs of aging, be gentle with it! Stop pulling the skin when applying eye liner, or putting in contact lenses. Aggressively rubbing your eyes to take off makeup can create wear and tear. Apply eye cream by patting it on gently with your ring finger.
- Sleep – Getting ample sleep is key to healthy skin! Your body undergoes a lot of healing and repairing while you sleep. This is also the time skin is repairing itself. Make sure to use good quality night time skincare to assist in the rejuvenation process.
- Water – Staying hydrated not only keeps your skin looking plump and therefore diminish the appearance of wrinkles but it also flushes out the toxins in your bodies thus improving your complexion. Spoiler alert – wine dehydrates you! So if you’re enjoying some vino from time to time, just be sure to increase your water intake to offset the diuretic properties of the alcohol.
- Using the Same Products Year-Round – Your skins needs different things from season to season. Each change of season should be a reminder to re-evaluate your skin care regimen:
- Winter: Focus should be on moisturizing and hydrating the skin.
- Spring: Think spring cleaning with deep pore cleansing and exfoliating products to revive the skin from the dryness caused by the cold temperatures of winter.
- Summer: Protecting skin from the sun with sunscreen and nourishing the skin with antioxidants, which have powerful protective qualities. Use lighter weight products as well as there tends to be more humidity in the Spring and Summer.
- Fall: Focus on repairing the skin from the summer sun damage.
- Neglect – You wouldn’t fail to look after your teeth or hair, but many of us fail to look after our skin adequately. But cleansing alone just won’t cut it. Proper skin care requires exfoliation, moisturizing, sun-protection, antioxidant protection and of course a regular visit to your professional esthetician!