It’s rough enough that winter is swiftly approaching; that’s when skin really takes it on the chin. But correcting bad behavior now will help you reap skin benefits no matter the season. Are you guilty of any of these seven skin wreckers?
You don’t feed your body enough healthy foods. If your lifestyle includes an excess of junk food, alcohol, or fats, your skin is in for trouble. Your skin is your body’s biggest organ. When you neglect feeding it a proper diet, you risk damage on a deeper, cellular level.
As a rule, incorporate a variety of fresh foods into your diet. Fruits like tomatoes and mangos have been clinically shown to benefit the skin. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which offers protection from damaging UV rays. Mangos provide antioxidants—protectors of your skin’s collagen. Kale is an excellent source of lutein and zeaxanthin, other UV defenders. Actually, a salad a day containing these basic ingredients and a dressing with an olive oil base can improve the look of your skin from the inside out. Olive oil lowers your risk of severe facial photoaging.
And when you consider your beverages, swap out some of the alcohol you drink, which increases your risk of developing basil cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, with white or green tea. Green tea is known for its polyphenols which revive dying skin cells and have been shown to fight inflammation. Inflammation occurs when there is an overproduction of skin cells and this condition manifests itself in the form of dry, flaky skin. White tea has been found to have anti-aging and anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown this tea may help protect the skin from immune cell damage and oxidative stress.
You smoke. Smoking ages the skin by narrowing the blood vessels found in its outer layer. This, in turn, reduces blood flow and depletes the skin of the nutrients and oxygen it requires to maintain peak health. Not to mention, all that puckering and squinting from puffing causes a significant increase in crow’s feet and wrinkles around the mouth.
You often find yourself stressed out. This may be the toughest item to work around on our list. Stressed skin can lead to itchy and scaly skin, flaky, oily, or waxy patches on your scalp, and even hair loss. Stress also can lead to severe acne. However, stress can be managed. Yoga, tai chi, and exercise are effective stress-reducing methods.
You don’t moisturize regularly. Is this really a biggie? Well, yes! When the skin gets dry, it can increase your chance of developing skin issues like blemishes, early on-set wrinkles, and even skin cancer—dry skin is very vulnerable. During the winter months especially, swap hot showers for warm and keep it to 10 minutes max. Apply moisturizer immediately after showering.
You forget to wear sunscreen. So, this is what you’re looking at every time you forget to put on sunscreen for your day at the beach: wrinkles, blotchiness, broken capillaries, and cell trauma that could lead to skin cancer. Enough said? Put it on! Use a minimum of SPF 30 and reapply liberally throughout the day as you sweat and swim.
You often burn the midnight oil. Not getting enough sleep does not give your skin the time it needs to repair the day’s damage from free radicals, environmental stressors, and sun exposure. The amount of collagen you produce is also directly related to adequate sleep, and collagen plays a large role in strengthening skin. So, don’t skimp on sleep! Seven hours is optimal.
You go to bed with makeup on. Say it isn’t so! This is bad in SO many ways, but primarily because it can trap dirt and the day’s environmental pollutants underneath your skin. It also inhibits healthy cell regeneration. Take five minutes to remove mascara, liner, and eyeshadow with a non-oil-based makeup remover, and then gently wash off the rest with your go-to cleanser. Then hit the sheets and get that beauty sleep!
