Skincare mistakes that are damaging your face, 7 common habits to avoid

What exactly is it that causes your skin to go from healthy to monstrous? Unless you’re one of those select individuals who were blessed with beautiful skin from birth, we’ve all experienced it: A dreaded time in our lives where our skin wasn’t the most flattering.

Here are some helpful skin care don’ts to abide by to help keep your skin looking healthy and flawless day in and day out:

Don’t touch your face
This is easier said than done especially if you have a blemish that you can’t help but pester. The more that you touch your face the more problems that will arise. When you touch your face with unclean hands you are pulling bacteria from your dirty hands to your face and causing more fuel for the blemishes. Keep your hands off your face at all costs and do not pick or pop any blemishes.

Don’t overlook sunscreen in certain areas
Slathering SPF over your entire face (even in the winter) is a good start, but you can’t ignore the rest of your body — and certain areas (neck, chest ears) are missed too often. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher all over your face and exposed skin from the neck down.

Read more: You have not been applying sunscreen right, here’s how to apply it for maximum sun protection

Don’t drink too much coffee
One cup of coffee a day can be beneficial but too many coffees in one week (or one day for some of us) can be dehydrating on the skin. Your skin needs all the water and hydration it can get, so try to limit your coffee intake as much as physically possible for your lifestyle.

Don’t over exfoliate
Doing a once or twice a week exfoliation to remove dead skin cells is a great way to keep your skin healthy. Over doing this can give you reverse effects. Avoid using harsh scrubs that will make the skin irritated and vulnerable. If you have oily skin you can handle more exfoliation per week but if you tend to have dry/normal skin stick to once or twice a week max.

Don’t smoke or drink too much
Like you need another reason to quit? Seriously — it’s time. Because if you keep smoking, you’ll not only damage your health, but you’ll develop more and more deep wrinkles and blotchier skin tone. Now, we’re not taking away all your fun — you can still have a glass of something. But drink more than one cocktail a day, and your skin suffers. Alcohol increases the level inflammatory agents in the bloodstream — which can hasten skin sagging over time.

Read more: Beware, smoking can affect your skin and worsen psoriasis

Don’t over do it
Don’t go overboard with your skin care routine. Keeping it as simple as possible will ensure a healthy complexion. Constantly changing your skin care routine will irritate your skin. Find one routine that works best for your skin type and stick to that for as long as possible. This will help to keep your skin balanced and happy. You really only need to wash your face once a day – washing twice a day can also be over doing it.

Don’t constantly chatter on the phone
Resting your chin or cheek against a phone can lead to breakouts, whether or not the phone is clean and bacteria-free. If your chatting habit is too ingrained to shake, consider a headset.

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