7 Common Habits That Hurt Your Skin

1. Sleeping with your makeup on

Going to bed with your makeup only spells out bad news for your skin — namely, clogged pores congested with dirt, sebum and old makeup. This almost always leads to angry red pimples and bacterial infections, so keep some makeup remover wipes handy for those late nights out.

Just because you’re not feeling the heat doesn’t mean you should skip out on your sunscreen routine. Up to 80% of the sun’s rays still manages to penetrate through dark clouds, and, even if you stay indoors, UV rays from windows and fluorescent bulbs can still damage your skin.

Hours on the phone with your BFF can lead to rashes and breakouts along your cheek and jaw. This is because our phone screens collect dirt and bacteria from prolonged physical contact as well as the environment. A good alternative is to use earpieces during phone calls instead. The rule of thumb is to keep all things away from your face, be it your phone or fingers!

Ever wondered why smokers have yellowish skin and shrunken, hollow eyes? Smoking doesn’t just cause medical conditions like lung cancer or heart disease, it also ages your skin prematurely and blocks off the amount of oxygen delivered to your cells, which results in dull, saggy skin. 

Caffeine is a major culprit when it comes to dry skin, and it can even make you look years older by magnifying wrinkles. If you have a caffeine habit, make the switch to organic green tea to keep you energized throughout the day, and remember to drink plenty of water!

You can only get the most out of your skin care routine by applying your products in the right order, that is, from thin to thick consistency. This is because our skin absorb products with thin consistencies faster than ‘heavier’ products. It varies with each routine, but an example would be: Cleanser > toner > serum > heavy cream/gels.

Our towels provide the perfect moist and damp environment for all sorts of germs and bacteria, and rest assured that they will multiply in large numbers. Think of it as drying your freshly-washed face with a soiled towel filled with old dirt and bacteria. Yikes! Make sure to toss all towels in the laundry once a week, minimum. Same goes for your pillow cases — you don’t want your cheek resting on a dirty pillow while you sleep!