You must be comfortable in the skin you live in. It’s not just a figurative statement. Materially speaking, your skin is the base of your appearance. It would be there whatever you’re wearing, whatever makeup you apply.
Unfortunately, not all of us had been born with naturally amazing skin. Many of us are suffering from rashes, blemishes, impurities that never leave us be. But other than feeling miserable because of these skin problems, have we reflected on our habits that might have affected our skin? We might have found a good toner for our acne problems. We might have found the perfect concealer that could even out our skin tone.
But have we been taking care of our skin in the first place?
Here are some common skin-damaging habits that should be avoided while you are still young.
Unprotected exposure to the sun
Tan lines have become objects of envy, especially during the cold months. They indicate a fun vacation or an expensive tanning treatment. However, you should always remember to put on some protection as the sun could dry out your skin. Over a long time, it could result in the premature aging of your skin. Always have sunblock on, the one with at least SPF 30. Some products are light and don’t feel sticky when you sweat. Remember to wash it all off before going to bed.
Exposure to pollution
Pollution could result in skin aging. Other than that, it could trigger allergies that result in rashes, acne, and other kinds of blemishes. It is not easy to avoid pollution in our daily commute, but covering yourself when going through a bad area could help. Right now, in a way, wearing face masks keep our facial skin protected. In some Asian countries, face masks are used to protect the skin and not just against viruses.
Staying up late
Staying up late dries up the skin, enlarges your pores, and inhibits collagen growth. Collagen growth is what’s responsible for making your skin supple and looking young. You have probably noticed that after a night of cramming for a deadline, you look like you aged some years the following morning. Try to keep to a bedtime schedule.
Don’t stay up late for unnecessary preoccupations like bingeing on a show or scanning through social media. If you have to cram because of a work deadline, keep yourself hydrated. Leave on an overnight moisturizer so that at least you have some buffer.
Drinking mixed beverages instead of water
Water has to be the most boring drink. It tastes like nothing. And so, we prefer juice, soda, wine to go with our meals. In between, we drink coffee, tea, or energy drinks. Although these are all liquids, their effect on our body is different from how pure, unadulterated water goes through our system. Don’t forget that your skin contains 64% water. Water also aids in the absorption of minerals and gets rid of the body’s toxins.
Having a sweet tooth
That few minutes of bliss for your taste buds could mean long-lasting problems for your skin. Acne is among the skin problems exacerbated by sugar. It also worsens inflammations, which in turn, break down the collagen in your skin. As we age, we don’t produce as much collagen anymore.
When in your youth you didn’t see your sweet tooth immediately affecting the appearance of your skin, it could have drastic effects when you’re older. Lesser collagen and elastin in your skin means it would be prone to sagging and wrinkling. It’s ok to satiate your sugar cravings occasionally, but don’t make the dessert and sweetened drinks a regular part of your daily meals.
Layering on several skin products every day
We are so tempted to try the 10-step or 12-step skincare routine we see on vlogs. At the same time, we’re also drooling over the makeup magic of online influencers who put on at least three coatings of products to even their skin tone before applying more layers of makeup. Add all of these products together and you have thousands of chemicals interacting with your skin daily. The most basic care your skin needs is properly cleaning it from dirt that accumulated the day and protecting it from toxins when you go out of your house.
The skin is our largest and most visible organ. It shows how healthy we are, and is a good indicator of how we take care of ourselves. Although our genes have a big part in how our skin looks, we should also take responsibility for things we could control and act on.
