7 Bad Skin Habits and How to Break Them!

Everyone is guilty of at least a few minor skin faux pas in their pursuit of beauty from time to time.  Even those that seem to have the most perfect skin confess to occasionally picking at a blemish or falling asleep with makeup on.  Most of the time this is pretty harmless, but over the years these little transgressions start to take a toll.  If you don't treat your skin carefully it can cause serious problems.  Change your bad skin habits and you'll have gorgeous skin in no time!

Skin Sin #1
You don't wash your face before going to bed.
Letting skin marinate in makeup (not to mention a day's worth or oil and dirt) can lead to clogged pores and break outs.

When makeup stays on too long, it also blocks the natural exfoliative process of shedding skin, which can leave your skin looking dull.
It is really beneficial to take a couple minutes at night and cleanse your skin properly before going to bed.  Also your body temperature increases slightly when you sleep which can enhance absorption of whatever is on the surface.  You really want to make sure that only beneficial products are on your skin, not the days dirt and oil.


Skin Sin #2
You Exfoliate every day--sometimes twice a day.

Yes exfoliating is important for helping skin shed dead cells that can make it look dull, but it is easy to go overboard.  Many women use a body scrub in the shower, a lotion with chemical exfoliants like alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) during the day, and at night a cream with exfoliators like retinoids.  That's three different exfoliators in one day!  That is just too much for the skin.  This type of regimen strips the skin's natural protective lipid oil barrier.  It can lead to easily irritated skin and broken capillaries on the face.  
Try to use just one exfoliating product at a time.  For instance don't use a cleanser that contains AHAs if your moisturizer also contains retinoids.  Or use a moisturizer that contains retinoids or AHAs only at night time.  For an extra boost use an exfoliating scrub once a week, otherwise you should be using a gentle creamy or milky cleanser to wash your face daily. 


Skin Sin #3
You rarely clean your makeup brushes.

I know what you are thinking....why bother if I am the only one using them?  Well brushes can become a breeding ground for bacteria, which gets picked up from the surface of your skin each time you swipe it across your face.  If you don't clean your brush that accumulation of bacteria gets transferred right back onto your skin each time you apply your make up.  That bacteria can get into pores which causes break outs.  Not to mention dirty makeup brushes don't pick up product as easily as they should since the bristles tend to clump together.  That means your makeup won't go on smoothly making the color, and your skin look splotchy.
To correct this dilemma it is suggested that you wash your brushes weekly with a clarifying shampoo.  For those that just don't have the time to wash their brushes they can also use a spray brush cleaner.  You just spritz it onto the brushes and tissue off the makeup and bacteria.

Skin Sin #4
You visit a tanning bed.

Even if you only go a few times to get a base tan before you go in vacation, the harm you're doing to your skin is equivalent to (and possibly worse than) any burn you'll get at the beach.  Tanning bed sunlamps can emit doses of UVA radiation 15 times greater than the sun's.  UVA rays penetrate deep into skin, injuring cells and tissue and raising the risk of skin cancer.  Studies have shown that regular tanning bed use was associated with increased risk of developing melanoma.  Not to mention that the number one cause of wrinkles is prolonged sun exposure and tanning!
Nowadays there are many options for getting a bronze glow other than baking in a tanning bed. 

Skin Sin #5
You pick at your blemishes.
We have all done it, squeezed a pimple in hopes it will go away sooner.  When you use your hands to squeeze some of what is clogging the pore (dirt, oil, bacteria) gets ejected but most stays put or just pushed further into the pore.  This can actually extend the life of the blemish longer than if you had just left it alone.  Your best bet to take care of a pimple is to dab on a spot treatment that contains no more than 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide at night, and if it's really major maybe a little more in the morning.  This method will get you better results that picking at breakouts and causing scarring and staining on your skin.

Skin Sin #6
You or your friends smoke.
Even if it's from someone else's cigarette, smoke can cause havoc to your skin.  When the toxins from smoke come in contact with your body's cells, they create free radicals, which break down the collagen and elastin and make your skin supple and resilient, triggering premature aging.   The best thing you can do for your skin (and of course your health) is to quit smoking.  Try to stay in smoke free environments.  If you do come in contact with a cloud of second hand smoke, when you get home hit the shower and wash off smoke residue from your skin and hair.  Once you're clean slather on a moisturizer rich in antioxidants like vitamins C and E, these will help neutralize free radical damage.

Skin Sin #7
You don't wear sunscreen everyday. 

Most of us remember to apply sunscreen if we are going to the beach.  But what most people don't realize is that we should be using sunscreen everyday all year round.  The best way to keep your skin from getting wrinkled, saggy, and speckled is sunscreen, SPF 30 at the minimum.  There are many moisturizers and makeups that contain sunscreen, which makes it easier for you to keep your skin protected.  It may be a pain but if you apply your sunscreen everyday you'll be getting the last laugh instead of the first laugh lines!