Items bad for your skin

5 Bad Skin Habits Wrecking Your Skin

If you have a strict face cleansing routine, but still fight frequent breakouts, then you may be guilty of one or more of these common bad skin habits.

You’re not getting enough water. This is an obvious one. You should drink about eight glasses of water a day. It’s not only great for your overall health, but it keeps your skin hydrated and fresh. However, drinking a ton of water alone may not do the trick since you’re flushing a lot out during bathroom breaks. We recommend eating your water. Yes, that’s right! Get some of your daily water intake with fruits and veggies. Some fruits and veggies with high quantities of H2O include watermelon, zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and cantaloupe. Plus, your skin reflects what’s going on inside your body. The healthier your diet is, the better your skin will look too. This leads into the next big point…

You’re consuming too much sugar, caffeine and alcohol! The evening sugary cocktail sounds tempting, but it’s better for your skin if you skip that. Alcohol and caffeine are notorious for dehydrating your skin, and sugar attacks collagen and elastin in your skin, resulting in more wrinkles. Too much alcohol can also make your skin appear dull and blotchy.

I know what you’re thinking. How can I live without my morning coffee or afternoon happy hour? A popular substitute for coffee is green tea, which will give the boost you need along with health benefits like antioxidants. Another substitute for your afternoon lull is an apple! Apples contain natural sugars that provide you with energy minus the crash. As for alcohol, a glass of red wine is the healthiest option, and if you need that margarita, then limit yourself to special occasions.

You’re not sleeping enough. When you’re asleep, your skin repairs itself. If you’re not getting enough sleep or if you’re not sleeping well, then it will show on your face. Less sleep means duller skin, fine lines and less elasticity over time.

Your sleep position also makes a difference. Sleeping on your side pushes the skin together resulting in lines. You can fix that by sleeping on your back, which is also better for you! Another factor is dirty pillowcases. They can collect oil, bacteria and dead skin cells. Be sure to clean your sheets weekly and change out your pillowcases twice a week.

You’re over-cleansing. This may contradict popular belief, but washing your face too often strips it of its natural oils. This is especially true if you have dry skin. Try using a gentle face wash at night, then rinsing with only water in the morning.  You can still do weekly exfoliations and masks, but give your a skin a break if you think it’s drying out from over-cleansing.

Put it out for good. One of the worst things for your skin is smoking. Smoking breaks down elastin fibers and collagen in the skin, causing premature wrinkles. It’s also known to make skin appear sallow and slows down wound healing, which means more scars. Smoking literally hurts you inside and out.

There are a lot of factors that go into good vs. bad skin. Overall, keeping a healthy diet, living in a clean environment and getting regular facials will do wonders for your skin. If you’re still having issues, then see a dermatologist to make sure it isn’t hormonal or a serious health problem.