Love popping pimples, taking long, hot showers and sipping on a cup of joe? Well, I hate to be a wet blanket, but the truth is, these little luxuries could actually be doing your skin more harm than good!
But never fear, you don’t need to sacrifice glowing, healthy skin for your naughty little habits. We have the smart solutions…
DRINKING COFFEE
Unfortunately your daily caffeine hit acts as a diuretic for your body, sucking vital moisture out of your skin in the process. The result? Parched, sallow skin and more prominent fine lines and wrinkles. Drink a glass of water before or after your coffee to replace lost fluids for more plump, hydrated skin.
POPPING PIMPLES
We’ve all caved to the temptation of attacking a zit or blackhead with our fingertips. But not only does squeezing pimples leave you with red, angry spots, it also pushes dirt and bacteria deeper into your pores, resulting in more zits. Try your hardest to leave the pimple alone and heal in its own, but if you can’t resist as squeeze session, make sure you pop them the right way using a clean needle – not your fingers!
HOT SHOWERS
There’s nothing more relaxing that hopping into a hot shower at the end of a long day, but did you know that steaming water can actually dehydrate your skin? Avoid redness, itchiness and dry flaky skin by having a lukewarm shower instead, and finish off with a bout of cool water before drying off. Also, avoid letting the water hit your face directly from the showerhead as the impact can cause broken capillaries under the skin, leading to long-term redness.
TRYING TOO MANY PRODUCTS
Now, here at bh we know a thing or two about wanting to play around with the latest products. But applying your eight new beauty buys at once can actually have a negative effect on your skin, causing irritation, redness and nasty breakouts. Make sure you patch test every new product on a small section of skin before using it to avoid a skin disaster.
TALKING ON THE PHONE
How often do you clean your phone? And no, wiping it with your fingers doesn’t count! Your phone is covered in dirt and bacteria, which make contact with your temples, cheeks and chin each time you put it up to your ear, leading to acne, pimples and nasty infections. The solution? Give your phone the once-over with a disinfecting wipe as often as possible. (Bonus points if you do it on the daily.)
NOT CATCHING ENOUGH ZZZ’S
When you sleep, your skin goes into ‘repair and reboot’ mode, and gets busy renewing skin cells, replenishing tired skin, and restoring lost hydration. There’s a reason why it’s called ‘beauty’ sleep… Dark circles, dull skin and clogged pores are not your friend, so aim for a minimum of eight hours per night and your skin will reward you with a lovely glow.
SQUINTING YOUR EYES
This is a tough one to combat, as you may not even realise you have a bad habit of squinting your eyes! Squinting can cause premature ageing in the form of fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes and forehead, so if you catch yourself in the act, make an appointment with your optometrist to check if you need to update your contacts or glasses prescription.
OVER-EXFOLIATING
As an avid exfoliator, I know that there’s nothing more satisfying than a good ol’ scrub session, but doing it too often can dry out and irritate your skin. To avoid stripping your skin of moisture and keep it looking and feeling silky smooth, gently scrub your skin using circular motions once or twice a week.
Are you unknowingly damaging your skin?
