By Maui R. Drilon for Yahoo! Southeast Asia
We do them consciously and sometimes, unconsciously. We’re talking about our habits, the “little things” that we do day in and day out which have formed our daily routine.
You’re familiar with them: you get up in the morning, make yourself a cup of coffee, brush your teeth, rush to work, and possibly drop by the nearest coffee shop for a bagel and even some more coffee. Then you do the same thing the next day.
We don’t think much of these little “routines” we have going on, but did you know that they affect how you look?
That’s right. We might not realise it, but those “little things” that we do everyday directly affects our skin.
Read on to see which of these habits you find yourself doing everyday, and see if you can kick the bad ones to the curb.
1. Sleeping with your make-up on. We’ve all done it once or twice in our life. Hey, after a long day at work followed by a wild night out with friends, who can expect anyone to spend a few minutes in front of the mirror washing all that gunk off their face? It may seem tedious to do at 3 am, but do it anyway – or else you’ll regret it as much as that hangover in the morning. Not removing your make-up clogs your pores, and your pores produce sebum, a waxy lubricant that protects and moisturises the skin. When sebum builds up, it can cause acne and blackheads. Also, your skin needs to “breathe” at night in order to repair itself. It can’t do that when it’s got all that residue on your face!
2. Skipping meals. Whether you do this because you’re too darn busy or because you’re trying to lose weight, it’s one unhealthy habit that needs to be changed. Skipping meals is like running a car with little to no gas in it. Your body needs to burn food in order to make energy to keep you going through the day. If you skip a meal, your body is forced to “dip” into its “reserve gas,” making it work twice as hard while using up essential vitamins that your other organs need to function well. And did you know that your skin is your body’s biggest organ? Imagine your body using up all the nutrients meant for your skin in order to keep up with all those meetings you have today. You’ll end up with dry, wrinkled and dull skin.
3. Over exfoliating. We know it feels divine to do body scrubs. They leave you with incredibly soft, baby-smooth skin. But overdo the exfoliation and you could be left with the exact opposite. Think about it. You exfoliate to get rid of dead skin cells that just happen to hang out on the top of your skin. When you’ve gotten rid of these and still do more exfoliating, you’ll only be scrubbing off the protective barriers of the skin. This makes your skin dry, more sensitive and more susceptible to UV rays. Try to keep the scrubs and peels to once a week.
4. Over-moisturising. True, you need to moisturise to prevent dry skin and – in the future – wrinkles. But that doesn’t mean you should dunk your face in a tub of the stuff every day. Your skin can only absorb so much moisturizer. The excess just gets left on your face, leaving you not only looking greasy, but also with clogged pores. And we all know that clogged pores means acne (or worse, milia – the tiny white spots that form when dead skin cells get trapped under the skin.). So how do you know if you’ve put on too much or too little moisturiser? Listen to your skin. If it feels tight, then you probably need to dab on a bit more or use a humidifier at home. Also, make sure you use the proper type of moisturiser for your skin type (dry? oily? or combination?) What works for your best friend won’t necessarily work for you. Get one that includes UV protection for day use (some brands can be used under your make-up), and a light one for night. Don’t switch them up, either. What’s meant to be worn during the day won’t work as effectively if you use it at night.
5. Smoking. As if the risk of developing lung cancer isn’t bad enough, smoking causes premature ageing, making you look ten years older in the long run. The fact is, smoking replaces the oxygen in your body with carbon dioxide (the same gas found in car exhaust fumes), cutting off oxygen to all your organs, which includes your skin. Puffing can also cause wrinkles around your mouth, and over time, your teeth get stained with all the chemical and plaque build-up. Expect your hair to lose it luster and shine, and your fingers to develop a lovely yellow tinge from handling all those ciggies. Think you’re looking extra glamorous now? How about sagging in various areas, including your inner arms?
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