Nix these bad skin habits once and for all to welcome great complexion
With cream or liquid formulas, the moisture that is embedded within used makeup brushes offers the perfect environment for bacteria to fester. Combine this with clogged pores or broken skin, and you have the perfect recipe for pimples and inflammation to occur.
Try this instead:
Use a daily cleansing spray to give used makeup brushes a cursory clean after each use. Deep clean your makeup tools once every week with a brush shampoo or baby shampoo to keep them clean and bacteria free.
The first signs or ageing and the effects of late nights usually surface around the eye area. This is because the thinner skin around the eye area is more susceptible to fine lines and discolouration, in the form of dark eye circles, show up a lot easily.
Try this instead:
Gently tap on lightweight eye cream or gel using your ring finger to moisturise the delicate eye area and boost circulation. Use an eye mask once or twice a week to soothe tired eyes and reduce puffiness.
Every day, skin is attacked by free radicals from city smog, pollution and cigarette smoke. They destabilise cell membranes and make them weaker, leading to problems like fine lines.
Try this instead:
Antioxidants give up electrons readily to stabilise free radicals and prevent damage to cells. Include an antioxidant-rich product into your anti-ageing skincare routine to fend off signs of ageing.
The squeaky, tight feeling you get after cleansing your face is an indication that you may not be using the right cleanser. Stripping skin of its natural oils might cause sebaceous glands to go into overdrive, producing more sebum in a bid to replace lost moisture.
Try this instead:
Those with dehydrated skin should stick to milk cleansers that hydrate skin while cleaning it. Gel-based cleansers are gentle and suitable for those with sensitive skin, while foaming cleansers work well to remove grime from oily skin.
The feeling after using a good face scrub can be intoxicating – your face feels smoother, moisturisers seem to seep into skin easily and makeup goes on like a dream. However, exfoliating too often or using a scrub that’s too harsh can end up damaging the top layer of healthy skin cells instead
Try this instead:
Exfoliate a maximum of twice a week with a gentle scrub to keep dullness at bay. If you’ve used a physical scrub, avoid using products containing chemical exfoliators like salicylic acid and glycolic acid on the same day.
We can give ourselves excuses not to clean off our makeup before sleeping, but consider this – all the grime and dirt that’s been accumulating during the day are still stuck on your skin. Do you really want to have all that rubbed off onto your pillowcase and then have them transferred back onto your face over the next few days?
Try this instead:
Use a makeup remover to break down makeup before washing face with a cleanser. These are also no-rinse formulas, which are convenient for lazier days.
The pigmentation that’s been showing up on your skin, the fine lines and lack of firmness – all these could have been delayed if you had applied sunscreen religiously. Studies by the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia on 900 test subjects have shown that daily application of a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 15 can stop (yes, stop!) skin ageing for up to four and a half years.
Try this instead:
Apply sunscreen religiously – that means every day, even if it’s cloudy outside. Sunscreens do photo-degenerate after two hours so reapplication is necessary. Choose a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 as it will offer you about 97 per cent protection against UV damage.
Hot showers soften the oils in our skin, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as they trap dirt and sweat. However, adding soap into the mix ill strip your skin of these natural oils, leaving it feeling dry and itchy. The hotter the water and the longer you spend in the shower, the more moisture you’re likely to lose.
Try this instead:
Bathe in lukewarm water instead and limit the amount of time spent showering to prevent moisture loss. After towelling dry, apply moisturiser to restore hydration to the skin while skin is still slightly damp.
Whether it’s pimples or dry flakes around your nose area when you have a cold, it can be tempting (and not to mention satisfying) to pick at them. However, there are bacteria and fungi residing underneath your nails that could transfer onto your skin when you touch your face. Even worse, you might accidentally scratch or break skin and aggravate the acne situation.
Try this instead:
Stop picking at dry flakes and pimples. If you have the habit of touching yout face when you have breakouts, apply pimple patches to shield skin from bacteria and aid in its healing. Exfoliate dry flakes away with a gentle scrub and moisturise skin to keep dryness at bay.
Unless you’re getting your nails done professionally, most people tend to skip out on the base coat. Not only does nail polish chip more easily without a base coat to prime the surface, your nails are also more prone to staining and yellowing.
Try this instead:
Apply a strengthening base coat to prevent brittle nails from breakage. If time or cost is an issue, a great all-in-one nail treatment like the Sally Hansen Complete Care 7-in-1 Nail Treatment not only strengthens and protects, it works as a base coat and top coat as well.
READ MORE:
4 Simple Lifestyle Habits You Should Adopt To Achieve Beautiful Skin
Bad Skin Habits You Need To Break Before 2017
Habits That Make Your Dark Eye Circles Worse