Everyone wants their skin to stay young, healthy, and smooth. And so you should!
The cost of skincare products is rising, so you’d expect the products you spend your hard-earned money on to work, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not always down to how careful we are with our skincare.
There are plenty of things we do every day that could be doing serious damage, including some of those skincare products that promise youthful glowy skin.
So, what could you do to prolong the beauty of your skin, and what should you avoid?
Bad everyday habits
Our skin is a canvas of what’s going on on the inside of our bodies. So, if you’re not putting good things into your body, you’ll soon see it on the outside. What kind of things should you avoid or cut out?
- Too much salt. Sodium leads to your face bloating and dehydrates your skin, meaning you might experience dry and cracked skin.
- Alcohol. Also a dehydrating substance that might taste great at the time but can have detrimental effects on the skin.
- Too much sugar. Did you know that sugar can speed up the signs of ageing and aggravate skin conditions like acne? Not only that, but sugar goes to the hips as well, so cutting it out as much as possible will do you and your skin a world of favours.
- Smoking. Aside from the obvious reasons to quit smoking, it also causes cells to break down all over your body, and this shows on your body as wrinkles. Try quitting smoking or switching to a vape to lessen the effects of smoking on the body. If you’re struggling to quit smoking, seek help from your Doctor for advice.
Not getting enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is easier said than done, but did you know that a lack of sleep is bad for your skin?
When we’re tired, our skin looks darker and puffy, which can leave you looking and feeling like a zombie all day.
Not only that, but the reason sleep is so important is that it’s when our bodies heal and replenish anything that’s been lost.
Not sleeping could be contributing to your skin problems. If you struggle to sleep, try sticking to a routine each night. It might take some time, but eventually, your body will know when it’s close to bedtime, and you’ll fall asleep faster.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and too much screen time before bed to help your chances.
Skipping the gym
As mentioned earlier, the way we treat our bodies will show on the outside, so if you’re regularly skipping the gym, your skin will suffer.
When it comes to improving your skin, you should be thinking about being healthier in general. When you exercise, you sweat. The sweat helps push any dirt and oils from under your skin.
Not only that, exercise is great for our hormones. It releases endorphins which make you feel good, and also play a big role in skin health.
One thing to note is that once you’ve worked up a sweat, it’s important to make sure you’re hopping in the shower afterwards to prevent your pores from becoming clogged from the sweat.
Thinking it’s all your fault
One mistake that many people make is thinking that their troublesome skin is all their fault.
If you’re noticing patches that are itchy and don’t go away, it might be because you’ve got a skin condition like eczema or psoriasis.
If this is the case and you have it diagnosed by a doctor, you could eat healthily and exercise regularly, but unfortunately it’s caused by defects in the immune system.
There are medications and creams for these that can help relieve any discomfort and improve the way it looks. Bodewell is an award winning cream that may also help relieve your skin quickly and effectively.
Unfortunately, with skin conditions, some creams stop working, so it might be a case of trial and error until you find something sustainable, but your Doctor will be able to advise on this.
Not drinking enough water
Not drinking enough water is a common cause of skin irritation. When our skin is hydrated it holds its elasticity, pushes out toxins from the body, and helps prevent wrinkles.
While you might moisturise your skin, you should make sure you’re drinking enough water to stay hydrated. It’s worth noting that plain water is the best route to take.
Flavored water or caffeinated drinks often contain other ingredients which work against hydration. If you struggle to drink water, consider investing in an Air Up, which is a water bottle designed to help people drink more water.
It uses your sense of smell to trick your brain into thinking you’re drinking flavoured water when in fact, it’s just water in the bottle! The product has had raving reviews, so it’s definitely worth a try.
Over cleansing your skin
Nobody wants to feel like they haven’t washed, but some products available on the shelves these days contain ingredients that strip the skin from natural oils.
Try to switch to gentle cleansers, and be sure to moisturize after you bathe or shower.
If you have sensitive skin, ditch any products that aren’t meant for sensitive skin and you’ll notice a big difference almost immediately.
Picking spots
While it’s so tempting and so satisfying, picking or popping your spots is not good for the skin.
When you pop or pick your spots, any pus that leaks out is spread over your skin which could lead to further spots or inflammation. Not only that, but picking at spots on our skin leads to scarring, which is permanent.
If your spots are on your face, it’s likely you’d rather not walk around with a face full of scars. Instead, refrain from picking and use tea tree oil to help treat your spots.
You may want to invest in an acne-prone face wash to help keep breakouts at bay.
Clogging up your pores
If your skin isn’t looking its best, it’s understandable that you might want to put on some makeup to make you look and feel better.
However, clogging up your pores isn’t good for the skin, as mentioned earlier. If you want to wear makeup, make sure you’re using a skin-friendly brand and that you take it off properly at the end of the day.
Also, don’t forget to moisturize to replenish your skin and allow it to repair.
Not using sunscreen!
You don’t need lecturing about why it’s important to wear sunscreen, but are you wearing enough?
When it comes to choosing a sunscreen, your best bet is to go for a high sun factor. It’s better off having too much rather than too little.
You also need to ensure that you’re being fully protected from both types of harmful rays, UVA and UVB. When you’re choosing a lotion, make sure that you’re choosing one that covers both varieties.
Failure to do this could lead to sunburn, wrinkles, dehydration, and even skin cancer.
Even if it means spending a little more on the sunscreen you buy, your skin will thank you for it.
Not cleansing enough
When you wake up in the morning, you wash your face, right? Did you know that you should be washing your neck, chest and shoulders too?
This is especially important if these areas are regularly exposed to the world. You should be putting just as much effort into the skincare of these areas as you would your face, and that includes exfoliating and moisturising.
If you have particularly sensitive skin, opt for more gentle cleansers and moisturisers to ensure you’re not inadvertently irritating your skin.
Using harmful chemicals around your home
You wear gloves when using bleach or other harsh chemicals, but often we fail to think about how these chemicals could be damaging the rest of our skin.
Exposure to cleaning products can cause serious irritation to the skin when we’re cleaning our homes.
Not only that, these chemicals can make other conditions worse like asthma and can be very dangerous for children and pets. Even the chemicals we use to wash our clothes and bedding contain bleaches and perfumes that could be doing damage to the skin.
Your best bet is to switch to all natural cleaning products and ditch the harmful chemicals. Don’t risk the health of your skin and those around you!
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many factors in everyday life that might be contributing to damaged or irritated skin, including underlying illnesses that affect the skin.
So, take the advice above into consideration, and make as many changes to your life as you can – you’ll soon see the difference!
Remember that if you’re experiencing patches of sore and irritated skin that won’t go away that it’s important to seek medical advice.
Finally, keep in mind that how you treat your body on the inside is reflected on the outside, so stay healthy, treat your skin well, and enjoy healthier, younger looking skin.