Radiant skin has the ability to transform us, to take us from drab to stunning. And yet we find ways to abuse it. Here are 10 things we can all stop doing in an effort to make our skin glow.
- Going unprotected. We’re all bright enough to know that sunscreen is a must. It protects us from burning, wrinkling, and other signs of premature aging, but many people still make all kinds of excuses not to wear an SPF. STOP IT! There are a ton of SPF options. Whether it’s a weightless, grease-free cream, or a feels like nothing, won’t sweat into your eyes powder, there’s an SPF for everyone.
- Soaping it up. Using bar soap instead of facial cleanser on the face is a sure way to strip the skin of healthy oils, leaving it with fine premature aging, irritation, excess oil, and breakouts. If you don’t have a skin professional to help you make the right cleanser decision, try something sulfate free and gentle.
- Squeezing when we shouldn’t. As tempting as it may be to pop those zits leave them alone! When a blemish is improperly extracted (aka picked) then it can spread to other pores making the damage far, far worse. Use a spot treatment or mask plus a warm wash cloth to reduce it faster.
- Getting all touchy-feely. My favorite part of the movie Contagion is when Kate Winslet talks about face touching. Not only will not touching your face save you from the zombie apocalypse, but it will stop a lot of your breakout.
- Aggressive DIYing. There are a ton of at-home products that promise you a “spa-like” chemical peel or microdermabrasion. My client know that I HATE these things. They’re just too darn rough, and these types of kits can be damaging in the wrong hands. A professional is always the best choice if you want to affect bigger change in your skin without damage.
- Lighting up. Smoking impairs blood flow, meaning less oxygen and nutrients can get to the skin. Plus, there are at least 4,000 different chemicals in
tobacco and many of them are known to damage collagen and elastin. - Making poor food choices. Just because we’re adults and can choose our own meals doesn’t mean we should eat a bunch of crap. Plenty of colorful fruits and veggies will make our skin glow from within. They are the original antioxidant!
- You are what you drink. Okay, this is admittedly a drag, but caffeine and alcohol sap our skin of hydration, leaving us prone to wrinkles. Try and drink half your body weight in H2O a day and you’ll look like a million bucks.
- Skipping your ZZZ’s. I’m the first to admit I’m not the best sleeper, but our body repairs from 10pm-6am so catch as many night time sleeping hours as possible.
- Passing on the serum. Serums really do the heavy moisture lifting in the skin care world so find one the feels great and keeps you hydrated. It might even be able to sneak a little something else like anti-aging, blemish repair, or pigmentation lightening into the mix.