The Everyday Habits that are Damaging Your Skin

We all know that extreme conditions, like sun exposure or very cold weather, can damage our skin — but did you know that some of our everyday habits can be just as harmful?

From a lack of sleep to a poor skincare routine, we can block our pores, dehydrate our skin, and accelerate the ageing process all without even realising. We’ve put together a guide to the most common everyday skin mistakes to avoid so that you can make sure your complexion stays youthful and glowing.

After all, your skin does a great job of protecting you — isn’t it time you returned the favour?

Habits to Avoid

• Using hairspray as a setting spray – Once hailed as a thrifty girl’s makeup hack, setting your makeup with hairspray is actually really detrimental for your skin. Hairspray isn’t meant for the delicate skin on your face and contains alcohols and irritants that can leave your complexion dry, red, and bumpy. Use a setting spray that’s designed for your face instead.
• Leaving your makeup on overnight and not cleaning your brushes – While makeup can make us feel great, it isn’t always the best for our skin. From bacteria lingering in dirty brushes to pollutants that get trapped in makeup and work their way into our pores overnight, using makeup improperly can have some very negative results. Always make sure to clean your brushes regularly and always take your makeup off at night to give your skin time to heal and recover.
• Not drinking enough water – Different from naturally dry skin, dehydrated skin occurs as a result of a lack of water in your diet. Symptoms can include faster ageing, dark circles, wrinkles, dullness, and itchy skin — so make sure you drink your recommended eight glasses a day!
• Long, hot showers – Talking of dehydrated skin, a daily hot shower is one guaranteed way to dry out your complexion. At high temperatures, water can damage the external layer of your skin, leaving you prone to dryness and itchiness. Try a reinvigorating cold or lukewarm shower instead.
• Not getting enough sleep – As we mentioned before, sleep is a vital time for our bodies to heal and recover. A lack of sleep affects our skin’s nutrients, hydration, pH levels, and ageing, causing faces to look crepey, tired, and dull. Try to get around seven to nine hours of good, restful sleep a night to maintain your natural glow.
• Exfoliating too often – Exfoliating can be great when it comes to unblocking pores and smoothing our complexions. However, as with everything in life, it’s all about balance. Too much exfoliation can cause microtears in the skin, leaving you vulnerable to blemishes. It can also overstimulate sebaceous glands, resulting in oily skin, or lead to painful irritation and peeling. Try to limit exfoliating products to once or twice a week, and use a gentle exfoliator if you have sensitive skin.
• Smoking – From constricting blood vessels and limiting blood flow to the skin, to premature ageing, the damage smoking does to the skin seems limitless. Smoking degrades the natural collagen and elastin in the skin, leading to sagging and wrinkles. Kick the habit ASAP to limit any damage.
• Eating too much salt – Most people know a high sodium diet is bad for our bodies but it can also have a negative impact on skin, too. Salt dehydrates you and causes water retention, so people with a high salt diet often experience puffiness or dry skin.

Putting an end to, or limiting, these habits can work wonders for your complexion. However, if you’re worried the damage is already done or just feel like your skin needs some TLC, get in touch with L’Abu today to see how we can help you create a glowing, fresh complexion without the salon price tags.