Skin reflects overall health and aids in personality. After learning about bad skincare habits, I realized how important it is to take care of your skin.
It is important to explore the bad habits that worsen our skin conditions. Such habits include skipping daily sunscreen, sleeping with makeup on, and neglecting post-workout showers.
The blog describes the bad habits that can worsen acne and sheds light on some of the worst skin care products that can inhibit your skin’s vibrancy and glow.
Bad skin habits make the skin unhealthy, flawed, and deficient in vibrancy. By being conscious of these bad habits, we can work to break them to promote our skin’s health and hence work on our self-care.
Table of Contents
What are Bad Skin Habits?
While humans tend to be more conscious of their mental and physical fitness, they often neglect their skin’s health and condition until it gets worse. However, successful people always look for personal care in every situation. There are some unhealthy habits that can cause long-term damage to our skin, and unfortunately, by then, the cure is difficult.
Therefore, it is necessary to be conscious of skin habits and leave behind bad skincare habits like neglecting skincare routines and sunscreens, using makeup without proper skin care, and overloading beauty products to keep your skin healthy.
Be gentle with your skin and leave behind bad habits that can worsen acne, stress, and anxiety, overusing abrasive products and selecting the wrong products without considering your skin type.
10 Bad Skincare Habits
The top 10 skincare habits to leave behind are the following.
1. Skipping Daily Sunscreen
Sunscreen is an everyday must! Skipping sunscreen is a bad skin care habit that leads to skin cancer, sunburn, hyperpigmentation, and premature aging. We have adopted this bad skin care habit for years, but UV (Ultraviolet) sun rays seek to damage our skin.
To break this habit, choose sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more and apply it all 365 days of the year. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggests to apply a minimum of SPF 30 sunscreen daily 15 minutes before sun exposure. If you are a makeup lover, then use sunscreen-based foundations to protect your skin and look beautiful.
2. Over Exfoliating or Not Exfoliating Skin
Exfoliation is a process of removing dirt and dead skin cells from the surface of your skin using skin exfoliating products. Over-exfoliating or not exfoliating the skin at all is the worst thing for your skin that can cause skin damage.
Over-exfoliating skin using abrasive and harsh scrubs causes redness, damage to the skin’s protective barrier, and irritation of the skin.
Mid-exfoliation according to skin type is perfect. Skipping exfoliation inhibits your way toward glowing and brighter skin. Exfoliation helps get rid of skin impurities and unclog pores. Therefore, exfoliation 1-2 times per week is necessary.
3. Sleeping with Makeup On
Sleeping with makeup on is the worst skin care habit, as it immediately leads to breakouts, especially on acne-prone skin. People have developed this habit due to their busy lives, but it causes long-term and short-term damage to the skin.
It prevents airflow to the skin, clogs pores, damages the skin, causes acne, and inhibits skin healing overnight.
If there are no short-term causes, there will certainly be long-term causes of sleeping without removing makeup. Therefore, cleansing the face gently before sleeping is necessary to break the bad habit of sleeping with makeup on.
4. Picking at Your Skin
Picking at your skin is another bad skincare habit that damages your skin. It causes infection, inflammation, scars, redness, swelling and scarring. Naturally, we tend to pop our pimples or pick at our skin, especially when there is an event coming up. Let your skin heal naturally.
This way, you can escape its memory by not letting any scars develop on your skin. Picking at the skin also causes infection, so it is advisable to adopt a hands-off approach. Seek a dermatologist in case of conditions like acne or eczema. These are some habits that you can adopt to break the bad habit of picking at your skin.
5. Neglecting moisturization
Neglecting moisturization is another bad skin care technique that causes dehydration, itchiness, and skin irritation in cases of skin conditions like eczema.
Moisturization is necessary even for oily skin since it helps keep skin healthy and in equilibrium. Moisturization of hands is significant since our hands are exposed to excessive washing, environmental chemicals, and pollution.
To break the habit of neglecting moisturization, opt for a moisturizer based on your skin type, e.g., a Matte moisturizer for oily skin to ensure skin hydration.
6. Excess Sugar and Unhealthy Diet
Your skin radiates what you put in your body. Consuming excessive sugar, processed foods, and dairy products can worsen the conditions of skin like acne, eczema, and rosacea.
Consuming the wrong foods causes inflammation in the body, which then manifests on the skin in breakouts. Successful people, even millionaires, prioritize their health and have the common habit of looking after their diet.
To break this habit, try to consume healthy food that contains more water, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits in your diet. Diet has an impact on skin conditions.
Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a healthy diet. However, individuals usually tend to ignore their diet due to high-priority tasks, leading to breakouts, dehydrated skin, and dull skin.
7. Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are among the worst things for your skin that can affect the skin’s surface. According to Harvard Research, both acute and chronic stress can have negative effects on skin wellness.
It activates glands producing cortisol (a hormone), which can trigger pro-inflammatory cells like mast cells, leading to a number of skin conditions, including itchiness.
Stress and anxiety often accompany workload and pressure, especially when there are more chores or responsibilities to complete. However, work-life balance is important for well-being and vibrant skin.
To break these habits, engage in healthy activities to release stress, such as yoga, meditation, and nature therapy. Using a facial roller to absorb moisturizer or cream applied to the face can also help relieve stress.
8. Overusing Harsh Products
Skin influencers make people believe in overloading their skincare with abrasive and harsh products, making them develop bad skin habits. Retinol and acids cause inflammation and serious skin irritation when applied together.
Harsh cleansers, exfoliators, and treatments can strip the skin of its natural layers and oils, leading to redness, dryness, and irritation.
Use healthy and gentle products according to your skin type, and seek dermatologist guidance for product selection. Keep your skincare routine simple and gentle.
9. Skipping Skin Care Routine
Skipping a skincare routine is a bad skin care habit that individuals develop due to laziness and ignorance.
Opt for a consistent morning and evening skincare routine. This helps keep your skin glowing, vibrant, and healthy.
The inclusion of skincare routines in daily routines makes a big difference; therefore, it should be addressed. Some skin care products that can be included in morning and evening skincare are as follows:
| MORNING | EVENING |
|---|---|
| Cleanser | Cleanser |
| Toner | Toner |
| Treatments or serums | Treatments or serums |
| Moisturizer | Moisturizer (Night cream ) |
| Sunscreen |
Make sure to use these products according to your skin type in your skincare routine.
10. Neglecting Post Workout Shower
Exercise has various health benefits, including body, mind, and skin benefits. Unfortunately, people neglect post-workout skin care, which can cause some skin complications.
The sweat after exercise activates sweat glands, producing sweat that combines with dirt, oil, and bacteria to clog pores, leading to breakouts and acne. This might have a more significant effect on oily-prone skin.
It would help if you did not neglect to shower after a workout. If a whole-body shower is not possible, at least the face should be gently cleansed.
Moreover, if there is less time for a shower, then let your sweat dry before putting on clean clothes to inhibit pore clogging.
Skin Habits that can Worsen Acne
Acne is a major issue of today’s youth. It is a condition in which your slight negligence can worsen your skin.
Therefore, it is necessary to be faithful to your skin and leave behind the bad skincare habits that cause acne. Some habits that can worsen acne are discussed below:
- Trying new acne treatments often results in skin irritation and more breakouts.
- Using beauty products (skincare, hair care, and makeup) that are rich in oil and other ingredients can cause acne and blemishes. Make sure to use products that are “non-comedogenic.”
- Applying acne medication only to blemishes should be used on the whole area where blemishes exist.
- Inviting infections by sharing makeup brushes and applicators. These can clog pores, leading to breakouts.
- Sleeping without removing makeup can inhibit the skin’s natural healing and lead to instant breakouts. If you are too tired to remove makeup, use wipes, but don’t make it a habit since cleansing is necessary.
- Drying out skin since acne skin is mostly oily skin. Dryness causes itchiness and irritation that can further affect acne; therefore, refrain from drying your oily skin.
- If you wash your face too much, you can irratite your skin and, thus, acne.
- Scrubbing your skin can aggravate acne. Avoid scrubbing, and use mild, gentle cleansers.
- Popping pimples is like inviting other pimples in the affected area. Let your pimple heal naturally and completely without any scars.
- Rubbing sweat harshly with a towel during a workout can irritate acne and gently pat sweat from your skin.
Some Worst Skin Care Products
While skincare products are designed for healthy skin, some products can harm skin.
Dermatologists usually suggest focusing on basic skincare routines like sunscreen, moisturizers, and cleansers instead of going for overloaded skin care. Some of the worst skin care products are:
- Expensive moisturizers: Moisturizers keep skin nourished and soft, so there is no need to spend large amounts on them. Choose moisturizers containing the basic ingredients, i.e., hyaluronic acid or ceramides, and use them to nourish skin.
- Oil-based formulas: Oil-based formulas worsen acne in oily skin. Dermatologists have prescribed non-comedogenic or oil-free cleansers or moisturizers for acne-prone skin.
- Gritty exfoliators: Gritty exfoliators contain rough natural exfoliators like kernels or seeds, and harsh peels cause irritation and inflammation. Opt for mild exfoliators and use only twice a week.
- Facial oils: Facial oils lock in ingredients and cannot be used as a replacement for moisturizers. They can be applied after a skincare routine to lock in ingredients, but overall, they might be of less use in a skincare routine.
- Toners: Toners might be necessary for oily skin but not other skin types to maintain skin’s PH balance. However, these days, cleansers are also pH-balanced, and alcohol-based formulations like toners are not recommended.
- Cleansing wipes: These wipes can be useful, but still, they cannot replace cleansing. Moreover, wipes, even the most gentle, strip the skin of their protective barrier; therefore, they are not recommended by dermatologists.
Conclusion
Working on skin care can result in vibrant and healthy skin. Leaving behind bad skincare habits like neglecting sunscreen, sleeping with makeup on, neglecting skincare routine, picking at your skin, having an unhealthy diet and stress, and not exfoliating properly can contribute to the skin’s vibrant glow. Also, being mindful of post-workout skin care and avoiding habits that can worsen acne can enhance your skin’s overall appearance. Remember! Being sensitive to the selection of products is key.
FAQs
Can stress influence my skin’s overall health?
Stress can negatively influence your skin’s health. It can cause instant breakouts, inflammation, and dullness. Therefore, it is necessary to keep yourself engaged in self-relieving activities like yoga, prayer, meditation, etc.
What are the signs that a skin care product is harming my skin?
The signs that a skin care product is harming your skin include itchiness, extreme dryness, irritation, redness, breakouts, and inflammation. If you feel any of these signs, stop using your products and seek help from a dermatologist.
How can I prevent acne breakouts?
Use non-comedogenic skin care products and avoid picking at your skin. Avoid using too many abrasive products and oil-based formulas. Constantly stay in touch with dermatologists for a consistent skincare routine to prevent scars after acne.
