Five Things To Stop Doing For Healthier Skin

When you look in the mirror, if you are troubled by the skin quality that you see, you may be the cause of it. We're all committing skin faux pas on a regular basis. Keep in mind that it's entirely possible to have healthier skin without paying hundreds of dollars on skincare products. Sometimes the healthiest skin can come around by quitting these simple habits:

• Going to bed with makeup on. 

You're tired. You've had a bad day. Maybe you've had a late night. Or maybe you're stressed out and can barely manage to brush your teeth. Likely, the last thing you want to do is worry about is your nightly skincare routine before bed. Unfortunately, you are doing more harm to your skin than good if you are going to bed with makeup on. At the very least, keep makeup wipes handy, so no matter how tired you are you can get rid of the makeup and grime from the day. This single habit alone will make your skin happier and healthier. 

• Not getting enough sleep. 

Want the secret to movie star skin? More sleep. A study recently showed that poor sleep quality can increase the signs of aging. So, make sure to get at least eight hours of sleep as well. It will impact how you are feeling and how you look. Get some more beauty sleep and wake up refreshed and renewed. Your skin will thank you. 

• Touching your face. 

Stop touching your face! You're likely doing it right now as you read the article. Any dirt and grime on your hands goes right into your pores when you touch your face. Unfortunately, you are probably doing this without even noticing, such as when you are nervous, frustrated, or anxious. Maybe you are leaning on your hand as you read this very article. So, if you feel like you are a chronic face-toucher, recruit friends and family to call you on it anytime you start the habit again. The less you touch your face, the healthier your skin will be. 

• Eating unhealthy junk foods. 

You know the expression – “We are what we eat”? Well, it's true. What we eat has a direct impact on our skin health (as well as impacting the rest of our well-being). So, this time of year may not be the instinctive "eat healthy" season (all that ice cream for hot days!). However, fight the urge to indulge in sugary foods as much as you can. Eat more of the foods that have a healthy impact such as olive oil, Greek yogurt, almonds, and fish such as salmon. Be sure to think of it not as a temporary restriction during the summer season though. For the true benefit of eating healthy for your skin, make it a lifestyle change. 

• Hot showers. 

This may not be as much of a problem during the summer season, but you might not be able to resist a hot shower on a cold day. Because, really, an ice-cold shower in the winter can be as appealing as walking in the snow with flip-flops. However, keep in mind that the hot showers you love in the winter do a lot of damage to your skin. Hot water can strip your skin of essential oils and even stress out your skin. Turn the temperature down a little bit on the shower and take lukewarm showers instead.

Hopefully, you have spotted a few habits you need to break to protect the health of your skin. Just by incorporating a few changes, you'll see the benefits on your face in the long term.