5 Bad Skin Care Habits you don’t Realize you Have

Are you one of those people who spend a big part of their paycheck on beauty products, moisturizers, facials, face masks, and wrinkle creams? We’re all guilty of it. Developing a specific beauty routine and wearing the same products every day for years, sometimes we fail to recognize that the product or routine may not be doing what it promised and might be actually harming our skin.

If you think you are doing good to your skin by using natural skin care or eating an organic diet then keep up the good work, but remember to look for ways you might be committing skin sabotage. Your little habits can be the reason your skin looks dull or full of acne in spite of taking care of it so much. You’re either overdoing something or not concentrating on your diet and hydration. Always remember that beauty product is secondary when it comes to beautiful skin. You fix these little bad habits and you set yourself up for healthy, glowing skin for several years to come!

Here are 5 habits that need to stop right now:

You Skip Shower after a Workout!

Keeping an active lifestyle is not just good for your bodily health but also works wonders for your skin. But a little thing like skipping the shower after a sweaty workout can lead to skin problems that may confuse you.

After an exercise session, sweat can easily get trapped inside tight-knit clothing. It could be the reason behind acne, irritation, and other skin problems. Cleansing your skin clears your pores and removes any bacteria that could irritate your skin.

Many experts suggest that showering after a workout is necessary because the fewer time bacteria have to sit on your skin, the better. They recommend washing your body with an antibacterial product. Make sure you don’t forget to focus on areas where your skin touched the exercise equipment and all those places where you’re more likely to breakout (like your chest and back).

If someday you can’t shower immediately, the second-best thing would be to change your gym clothes as soon as possible and clean yourself especially the acne-prone parts with cleansing antibacterial wipes. Always keep a pack of those wipes in your gym bag to use whenever you may need them.

You Don’t Clean your Makeup Brushes often!

Cleaning your makeup brushes has to be one of the most important things to do in your beauty routine. Experts recommend cleaning makeup applicators at least once a month, but if you use liquid products, or if you store your brushes uncovered in your bathroom, then once a month is not enough. Clean them more frequently!

Your makeup brushes are picking up everything that is on your faces such as oils, dead skin cells, dust, and anything else clinging to your skin. All this combined and you have a very good recipe for disaster (or acne). Because every time you apply makeup with that brush, you are also applying that dirt all over your face and clogging your pores.

Dirty makeup brushes are the most suitable growth place for bacteria. Not only could this turn out to be horrible for your face, but it could also contaminate your makeup products. With all these bacteria transferred to your products, you’ll have to throw away what could have lasted a year.

Not cleaning your makeup applicators regularly not only destroys your skin but it can also ruin your brushes as well. Never share your makeup brushes and always use a high-quality makeup brush cleaner to clean them.

You Sleep with Makeup on

Who doesn’t like looking pretty every day? It’s ok to wear makeup every day if you are committed to washing your face at the end of the day. No matter how tired you get, remove all makeup before going to bed. Drowning your pores into layers and layers of makeup can turn out to be pure devastation for your skin.

The urge to skip it is just too much to bear, but this apparently harmless habit can leave you with a load of regrets. All that invisible grime buildup on your face from dirt, oil, and pollution can clog your pores in a matter of hours and lead to acne.

Having a habit of skipping makeup removal every day means your pillow is also holding all the dirt and oils from your face. So even if you do wash your face someday, your pillow is there to contaminate your face.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your face twice a day, especially after a workout. Ironically, a survey showed that more than 50 percent of people usually don’t wash their face before going to bed.

Commit to removing makeup every day and grab those cleansing wipes before washing for efficient removal. Use a gentle cleanser and moisturize after it to keep your skin hydrated. Don’t forget to wash your pillowcases every other day.

You Don’t Moisturize Acne-prone Skin

People with oily skin should not use a moisturizer is a common myth. Skin experts say that drying skin ultimately causes inflammation and increases oil production, that can lead to more acne. So if you’re prone to breakouts, use a non-comedogenic product that won’t clog your pores.

Hydration is key. Well, hydrated skin keeps oil production in control, in turn giving you a fresh, radiant complexion.  Do not use harsh cleansers and face washes in order to remove oils because this creates an abnormal pH balance, stripping the skin from protective barriers.

Drink enough water so that your body can flush out impurities that could otherwise wreak havoc on your skin.

You Pop those Zits!

Blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples can get unsightly and you might be tempted to squeeze them out for a quick fix. You may not realize that the damage you will do to your skin is probably worse than having the blemish. It’s much better to just leave it there to regress on its own.

Picking on zits can lead to acne scars which can take weeks, if not months, to correct. Also if you pop those zits with fingers that are not clean, you could be pushing bacteria deeper into your skin, only making it worse. Popping a pimple means simply pushing inflammatory cells deeper into the inner layers of skin, giving way to dark spots and scars.

You can use Benzoyl peroxide and Salicylic acid to treat acne. Use a cream or ointment with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide instead of the commonly available 5% or 10% strengths as they may be harsh. A 2% salicylic acid or lower also does the trick.

Byline/About the Author: Lisa Brown has been helping her readers with successful business and entrepreneurial strategies for the past 3 years. She currently works with uae.ekuep.com, which is the answer to UAE’s growing restaurant industry. Ekuep is the brand that restaurants, bakeries, cafes, juice bars, and more turn to when they want to stock their kitchens with only the best restaurant equipment.

Updated on 12-08-2020