I’ve been a bad bad girl......my skin is punishing me with red blotches, enlarged pores, blemishes, and general rotten behavior. Why?
It’s an ugly downward slope and completely unforgivable for someone who calls themselves a ‘Beauty Editor’. Shameful.....I wish I had a valid excuse but the truth is....Lazy....Bad Diet....Too Much Excess!
As I write this I am sitting at my desk drinking 2 litres of plain iced green tea with lots of fresh lemon squeezed and a sprig of rosemary (anti-bacterial) in it. That is my favorite quick fix for re-hydrating my body and thus my skin as well as detoxing.
I thought I would put together a list of bad habits we should all avoid to keep our skin looking it’s absolute best!
1. Do Not Over-Cleanse Your Skin!
If you have dry skin, you should only be cleansing your face with cleanser or complexion soap at night. You’ll be making your problem much worse than you realize!
Rinse with just water in the morning instead, and wash your face with cleanser at night.
2. Change Your Bedlinens
If acne's a problem, your pillowcases may be part of the cause. Pillowcases collect skin oil, dead skin cells, bacteria, and excess night creams; As you toss and turn, all of that is deposited right into your pores. Change your pillowcases at least once a week, but twice is better.
3. Get Plenty of Sleep
Chronic lack of sleep triggers a chain reaction of events that reduces collagen production, cell turnover, and barrier repair.
If you get too little sleep, your skin looks duller and drier, and wrinkles will form more easily.
4. Stop Touching!
Whenever you touch your face, you are transferring whatever is on your hands, such as oil and everyday grime, onto your skin, causing blemishes and aggravating existing blemishes. If you are one of those girls that is always playing with your hair, this goes double for you...your hands are covered in filth you can’t see!
5. Don’t Fall Asleep With Makeup On
This is probably the number one bad beauty habit on every woman’s list. If you don’t remove your makeup before bed, products can build up in your pores and cause blemishes.
6. You Do Not NEED A Tan!
I know that glowing golden skin can be quite enchanting; however, there is absolutely no excuse for continuing to expose yourself to harmful UV rays that can cause melanoma. There have been wonderful advances in the field of self-tanning in recent years. If you MUST be tan to be happy; go for a tasteful (No Essex Oompa Loompa Orange!) wash of faux colour.
7. No Dirty Brushes
You clean your hairbrush and change your toothbrush regularly, right? So why do you let your makeup brushes, which you use almost daily and put near your eyes, fall by the wayside? Try to clean your brushes once a week. Use a mild shampoo and let them air dry. If it’s good enough for your hair, it’s good enough for your brushes!
8. Stop Smoking!
Smoking will not only kill you, it makes you old and ugly....plain and simple! This should be a no brainer. If you smoke, it was time to quit last week. Make the effort to put down the cigs. If the fact that they are bad incredibly awful for you is not reason enough to quit (although it should be), then think about your skin. Cigarettes will make you look much older as they greatly contribute to a blotchy skin tone & deeper wrinkles.
9. Drunken Debauchery
Okay, it may be fun BUT... Every once in a while you like to wind down the day with a glass of wine, am I right? That’s fine. Going out to a club and drinking wayyy too much, than indulging in a few Bloody Mary’s the next morning? Not so good for you OR your skin. Booze increases the inflammatory agents in your bloodstream, which will eventually lead to premature skin sagging. No drunken night, as fun as it may have been, is worth saggy skin.
10. No Pickin’!
I know how tempting it can be to pop a blemish, but you really should try to avoid squeezing your blemishes at ALL costs. Messing with any blemish can cause the bacteria to get further in your skin, which could cause infection and scarring. You can either ride it out while keeping your face clean, or you can use a spot treatment like straight Vitamin E oil or Tea Tree Oil. Just avoid picking at all costs.
11. Water is Nature’s Magic Elixir!
Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a healthy glow after drinking water. It won't happen overnight, of course, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have good effects on your skin. Personally I try to drink 2 liters of water per day. You can also get your water allotment from non-caffeinated, unsweetened drinks like flavored water, herbal teas, fresh juices, etc.
12. Keep It Moist
Some people believe that using lots of moisturizer can increase your skin’s need for the product.Totally UNTRUE! Our skin cannot become dependent on a moisturizer. If you think your skin is dry, moisturizer is the best thing you can do for it.
Wind, cold temperatures and heated houses in the winter can all dehydrate the skin, which can cause eczema to flare up and make the skin itchy and dry. Prevention of this dryness by moisturizing is the single most important factor in protecting the skin from the elements and keeping it healthy.
There you have it....all things you can start right NOW! Don't you love when lists include things you can actually start immediately without the purchase of expensive creams, potions, serums, and "miracle" products?
Love,
Brittany xx
42 and holding.....
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