When it comes to our skin, we all make a few bad choices, with bad choices, come bad habits, and with bad habits come skin issues. Commit to breaking some habits for good to achieve impeccable skin:
Skipping Sunscreen
One of the best things you can do for your skin is apply sunscreen. A study from 2013 showed that sunscreen does actually prevent signs of aging, such as, wrinkling, spotting and loss of elasticity in the face, and this is due to the protection against the exposure from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Even when it doesn’t look sunny, or even if it’s raining, you should still apply sunscreen daily as the sun is still out! All you need to do is apply a tablespoon size of product onto your face, and the equivalent of a shot glass on your body. It is recommended that you should reapply sunscreen every 2 hours when you are outside as the sun can dry it off your skin.
Fun fact: Did you know what the ‘factor number’ on a sun cream actually means? No? Me either until recently!
So, the number on your bottle of sun cream relates to the number of minutes it would take for your skin to burn. If you wear a factor 50, for example, it will take 50 minutes longer for the sun to burn your skin than if you weren’t wearing any sun cream at all. Interesting huh?!
Popping Spots
I’d probably say this habit is the main one that people can’t seem to break, and it’s probably because of how satisfying it is! The majority of us will be guilty of popping a spot however the reality of squeezing your new friend is that it just pushes bacteria deeper into your pores, causing infection, inflammation and scarring – which can double the spots life span, going from a week on your face to two!
If you have persistent acne, it might be best to talk to your doctor about different products or prescriptions that may work best for your skin, rather than guessing and causing more inflammation.
Overloading Products
Before I worked at Sweet Cecily’s I had no idea how the names of ingredients on my skincare products were pronounced, never mind what they were in the product for. I never really considered it, however, knowing what your skincare products contain and their uses are, is super important to know as you don’t want to be layering the same product with a different label on your face. Doubling up on ingredients can sometimes leave your face irritated or damaged. As well as duplicating ingredients, some ingredients just don’t work well together. Sometimes, one ingredient can cancel another one out, meaning, the products won’t work and/or irritate your skin. Make sure to use ingredients that are compatible with your skin type, and that the products you are using not only work well for you but work well with each other.
Not Washing Your Face at Night
This is an important one for those who wear makeup on a regular basis. Regardless of if you’re too tired, remember to always wash your face on a night – I’ve definitely been guilty of this when I’ve been too lazy to get myself out of bed. I’ve personally found that for me, instead of using makeup wipes, micellar water removes my makeup so much quicker, and weirdly my face feels so much cleaner using a cotton pad and a few drops of the water, compared to a wipe. I use it twice a day, on a morning, and on a night, and it just leaves my skin feeling so much more fresh.
It's Possible the Product Is Not the Right One For Your Skin Type
When I was younger, I remember being so overwhelmed and infatuated by all the aisles of skincare products that I would pick a product up and have no idea what it was for. Which looking back, was probably the worst thing I could have ever done for my skin, especially when I would come up in rashes because my sensitive skin couldn’t handle an acidic product – obv! Knowing your skin type – which you can find out here! – is the only knowledge you need to know when it comes to choosing your skincare products. Like I mentioned earlier on, make sure to educate yourself on ingredients and which ones are compatible for your skin type.
Let us know in the comments which bad habit you have when it comes to skincare!
