As the largest organ of the body, your skin is incredibly important. Good skincare helps you to look younger and radiant but even more significant is the skin’s health-related roles, including keeping germs out and moisture in. Unfortunately, not everyone understands that, and, as such, they do little to look after their skin. In fact, many people unintentionally harm their skin with common habits. Here are 6 bad habits and what to do instead.
1. Common Habits: Exfoliating Flaky Skin Away
Flakes are one of the first signs of dry skin. Although exfoliating will remove loose patches of skin right away, this rough treatment can actually make the problem worse. That’s because it disrupts the barrier that balances moisture.
Instead of doing common habits like exfoliating when your skin’s flaky, soothe any dryness with a hydrating ointment or cream. Those formations are typically gentler on the skin than creams. As for cleaners, find a gentle, fragrance-free one. Go with an eco-friendly beauty product to be kind to the environment in addition to being good to your skin.
2. Ditching Sunscreen throughout the Winter
Sunscreen offers protection from harmful UV rays, lessening damage to your skin and reducing your risk of developing skin cancer. The word “sun” may be in the name, but that doesn’t mean you should only wear sunscreen on hot summer days.
In fact, dermatologists often suggest that you wear sunscreen every day you leave the house, even during the cold winter months. The sun can poke through those clouds in the sky! So make it one of your common habits instead to wear suncare lotion every time you step out of the house. I do!
3. Smoking Cigarettes Every Day
We all know that smoking is bad for us, but the effects it has on the skin are rarely mentioned. It’s the combination of tobacco, nicotine, and other factors that result in skin that grows dull, thin, and wrinkled over time.
Switching to a cheap vapor juice can help you to quit smoking by slowly reducing the level of nicotine over time in your juice. As you’re weaning yourself off, think of how your skin color can improve after stopping smoking.
4. Common Habits Like Picking at Your Pimples
As tempting as it can be at times, keep yourself from picking at your skin, especially when you have a pimple. Every time you pick or pull at your face, it causes damage. That’s why it’s one of the common habits I’m pointing out here!
Over time, more serious problems can happen, such as wrinkles and even scars. Your hands and figures are also likely covered in germs, all of which you transfer to your face every time you touch it.
5. Sleeping In Your Makeup
After a long and difficult day, it’s only natural to want to jump straight into bed and go to sleep. However, you can’t do that until you wash your face, especially if you’re wearing makeup.
While skipping the sink now and then isn’t going to cause too many disasters, allowing this to become one of your common habits can block your pores. That can lead to breakouts and other skin issues.
Did you also know that makeup can also trap environmental pollutants below the skin’s surface, which can speed up the aging process over time? So, take a few minutes at the end of the day to gently remove the makeup and any residue from the day.
6. Washing in Hot Water
Although cleaning your face is a must, make sure that you’re kind when you do so. Using hot water on your skin, especially on your face, can strip away the oils that are needed for protection.
This hot water can dry out your skin. It can be more susceptible to irritation and breakouts. Lukewarm water is always the best option instead. Also, remember to moisturize your skin after you clean it.
Your Common Habits
Skincare is incredibly important, so avoid the common habits above to keep your skin healthy. Do you do any of the things mentioned here? Did any of them shock you?
I’m a guy but these tips are so useful!! I’ve always had trouble with pimples. Something I’ve found really useful is aloe Vera. I grow them and use the real thing. It’s very good. I recently wrote a post on how I deal with pimples mentally.
That’s so cool that you use real aloe – well done and I imagine it would really soothe the skin. PS Guys and gals are always welcome here :)
Yep Aloe Vera is the real deal. Got it. 😊
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Wow this was sooo helpful!! Great post
Your point about hot water is new to me, Christy. Of course, water always dries out your skin but I didn’t realise hot water was worse in this regard.
Yes use it sparingly. Hot water also dries out the hair (although feels great in the shower!)
Hot water is a tricky one, especially during winter season when it is well needed. Will have it in mind though. Thank you for the great post!
Ella ♡
Yes hot water can really strip away moisture from the skin. Take care!
out of those 6 i’ve been doing everything except smoking and i’m always complaining about my skin :( thanks christy for such knowledge i’ll try to avoid these things.
The most important things about mistakes is what we learn from them :) Take care, Mary.
nodding my head in agreement with your post Most excellent tips Christy! :) I used to be so incredibly guilty of a few of these and wow, what a difference it made.
Know what I found that made the most difference, outside of ditching as much junk from the diet as possible? Kicking the commercial cleansers, toners and lotions to the curb! I could not believe the difference!
Someone had made a good point one time. What benefit would it be for the commercial products found in the stores to solve your skin woes? They wouldn’t be able to keep selling you their products! I had one of those massive light bulb moments! They were right!
I began purchasing all natural lavender soap with coconut oil and other natural earth-based ingredients with nothing artificial added (intended for hands actually) and began washing with that. The redness in my face vanished (except for where it should be) and all of the blemishes were gone within a week, never to return, even during hormonal shifts.
I also added an all natural moisturizer with rose oil and pomegranate, amazing! It isn’t greasy but it is soothing. The combination of these 2 radically changed my skin. I think people would be amazed what happens when they ditch the commercial junk intended for sales. I was!
Another great post, my friend. ♥
Oh Holly, I loveeeee your comment here! Going natural with skincare is totally worth the effort of the original transition. It’s not only kinder to your skin but reduces your carbon footprint. Here here! Mother Earth and I are smiling :) And YES to companies only being in existance if their products don’t work 100% on everyone – they’d be out of business if that happened. I’m so happy you had that light bulb moment! Keep being awesome okay xo
I also read one time, “Marketing companies for beauty products only choose the images to put out there that they do because if they can succeed in getting you to feel insecure, they can succeed in getting you to buy their product to feel better.” That saddens me on a level I can’t explain!
I am in total agreement with what you’ve said. It’s worth it for many reasons, all the way around. :) Here here indeed! ♥ You keep being awesome too, my friend. Hope your day is incredibly blessed & bright!
It’s going well today, thank you :) I even took time for myself at the gym. It really helped me, mentally and physically. And that’s a sad “wow” from me about what you read about marketing companies – BOO to those companies that try to bring us down to earn money ~ Well none of that today! Enjoy your evening, dear Holly :)
Hey Christy! I love to read your posts and I almost always have something to take back from your blog. Can you inspire me to start writing again. I have so many food pics waiting to be posted in my gallery. But somehow I have lost my inspiration to write. Especially after too many relatives who have started following and reading my blog. I feel like I might be judged. You write on so many topics. I thought maybe one on this 😔😊
Oh sweet friend. I saw your name here and thought wow we haven’t chatted in a while. No inspiration… that happens even to me! Yes ;) If it does happen then I try to get out for a walk or some fresh air. Nature has a way of lessening problems and anxieties in my mind (like being judged by others, as you mention). Then when it comes to the post, I WILL think about what I want to share with readers but NOT what they might not like about it. If they criticize me personally then it’s a reflection on them not on my writing. If they don’t like what I post specifically and that happens (!) then I accept it and move on. Not everyone will like what you or I post, that’s a reality. But focus on those who DO like your posts and keep moving forward. You have many great posts already and I look forward to new ones, when you’re ready :) I hope this helps xo
Thank you so much dear Christy. I really like your tips and words of inspiration. I am sure they will be helpful to me. Lots of virtual hugs and regards💖
Ana
Ana, you’re a sweetheart xo I was happy to read your latest post the other day. Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Thank you for all the inspiration. I have thought over your words. Wish you a wonderful weekend too💖
Thanks Ana :) It’s a nice spring day so we’ll go for a walk soon!
Great tips Christy.
Hi Inese! Wonderful to see you ~ Happy Easter, if you celebrate :)
I do celebrate. Happy Easter, Christy! Hope your weekend is fabulous :)
Aw, it was a fun Easter here, thanks Inese :D Have a nice week!
Thank you! You too! :)
:D
i think hot water and smoking are the most common habit’s
Probably. Hot water feels good but dries out the skin. Nice to see you!
thanx for your reply
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Very helpful information! I sometimes sleep in my makeup when I’m too tired to take it off. I know this is so bad for my skin, but I let the tiredness take over.
I’ve done it too, Michelle. Removing makeup can be a pain :(
If, like me, you’re a woman who wears foundation as part of her makeup routine, then using foundation with built in SPF protection will help in the winter to reduce any damage from the sun.
If you suffer periodically from pimples, then I recommend the roll-on pimple relief product from Garnier, it works very well for me in a couple of days.
I would still put on suncscreen under the foundation if it doesn’t have a strong SPF, Andrea. But that’s a great tip if there’s a strong enough sunscreen in the foundation. Ohhh good to know about the Garnier product!
Your blog posts are really great
So sweet!
I’m thankful for good skin as concerns my face. At Sixty no wrinkles. I stopped using soap or face cleanser on my face because it dries out my skin. Just essential oils then rinse off.
When I was younger my skin was very oily. Now it has gotten drier.
Wintertime tears up my skin. My arms legs and chest get dry scaly patches. Peeling and cracking. Itchy. During the freezing cold, snow and Sleet plus ice the only thing that brings me relief is Benadryl Gel and pills.
I wish that I could live in Florida during the winter and return to New York in April.
Living half the year in Florida with its warmer climate would be a great way to escape NY’s cold days. As for essential oils, I have a homemade blend that I use as a moisturizer some days. You know your skin well and aren’t neglecting it, which is wonderful. Self-care xo
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:D :)
Oh yes, living in Florida could be great, not only for skin care. ;-) My bad habit is smoking cigarillos. I began throwing out a cleaning nun at seminary from my room. I wanted to clean the room by myself, so I asked her what she dont like at all. She answered cold cigar/ cigarillo smoke. Lol So it happend, but i try to end smoking asap. :-) Michael
Stopping smoking isn’t easy, Michael, as you likely already know. You can do it, I have faith in you! :)
Thank you Christy! I will try to do. ;-) More and more! :-) Michael
Yay :D
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