7 Habits That Hurt Your Skin: On the Road to Skin Recovery

It’s even more important to take good care of your skin during the winter—but what’s the right way to do so? Are you supposed to wash your face every morning and night? Exfoliate, too? And what exactly is it that’s making your skin break out, dry out, and wrinkle? We all want to treat our skin right so it looks great, but some of our daily activities encourage skin breakouts. Below, you’ll learn more about the different habits that hurt your skin.

Picking at Pimples

One of the worst things you can do for your skin is constantly pick at it. This even goes outside of the realm of pimples and deals with scratches, scabs, bug bites, and more. Not allowing your skin time to heal can lead to scars, spotting, and other skin abnormalities. That pimple on your face? Don’t pop it! Leave your skin alone, and if things don’t get better, make sure to contact a doctor.

Ignoring Skin Fluctuations

In the same sense, while you don’t want to pick at your face, you don’t want to completely ignore it either. If you notice that things are getting a bit out of control, make sure to consult a doctor. If you notice that your skin is super oily one day and very dry the next, you need to take the time to figure out what’s going on. When the seasons change, so will your face’s needs, so make sure you take care of those needs.

Drinking and Smoking

Drinking, smoking, and other bad and unhealthy habits can do significant damage to your skin. Drinking affects all parts of your body—not just your liver and brain, but your skin as well. The dehydration that comes along with drinking causes more than hangovers. In fact, it also causes dry skin, inflammation, and fine lines. Smoking, on the other hand, reduces blood flow which means thinner, duller, and more wrinkly skin. If you want a better complexion, cut down on these habits or avoid them altogether.

Sleeping with Makeup On

As tired as the day may have left you, don’t skimp on washing your face before bed. If you choose not to remove your makeup before bed, you’re going to sleep with blocked pores. This can lead to pimples, bacterial infections, and more. Combat this by washing your face before you sleep or at least keeping makeup remover towelettes by your bed.

Not Drinking Enough Water

Your skin also appears dehydrated if you don’t drink plenty of water. Your skin is moisturized from the inside out, so even if you moisturize every day, your skin won’t look its best if you’re not drinking enough water.

Skimping or Skipping Sunscreen

Sunscreen is also something you need to apply regularly. Especially in warmer weather, sunscreen will protect your skin, so make sure your makeup and lotion contain SPF. In that same realm, if you only apply sun protection once in the morning, you run the risk of hurting your skin as well. Reapply sunscreen on a regular basis to effectively protect your skin.

Exfoliating Too Often (Or Not At All)

And finally, another big mistake people make when it comes to their skin is by exfoliating too often. Your skin is fragile, and when you strip it too often, you dry it out and irritate it. Overdoing your exfoliation routine breaks down your skin barrier function, so new skin never has a chance to build. Exfoliate once or twice a week if you have oily or acne-prone skin, and only once for normal skin.

Keep your skin safe and do your best to follow the right habits!