7 Things You Should Never Do To Your Skin

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How many of the following are you guilty of? Read through our blog to see how many of the 7 apply to you and find out what your score is. Give yourself a point for everyone you do and be honest!.

1. Pick or touch your skin

Picking and touching your skin increases the risk of developing bacteria, scarring and infection. According to Academy of Dermatology (AAD), it’s very important to keep your hands away from your face throughout the day to avoid spreading oil, dirt and bacteria from your hands which can trigger skin conditions such as acne, blackheads, clogged pores and breakouts.

Also try to keep your nails clean as they are a breeding ground for germs and bacteria too!. Sometimes it is hard to not touch your face so make sure your hands are kept clean, carry anti bacterial gel if you feel this will help.

2. Expose your skin to sun without SPF

Whether it’s sunny, raining or even snowing, it’s important to wear SPF sunscreen. It will protect your skin from UV lights as 80% of the sun rays can pass through clouds. This means even during the winter months when most people would not think of using it make sure you are protected.

Legally companies are not allowed to advertise their cream as being over a factor 50.  Make sure you wearing the highest factor SPF that is right for your skin type. Wearing sunscreen daily helps to keep the skin protected from UV rays which is one of the most common reason clients get hyperpigmentaion, Melasma, sun spots, uneven skin tone, dark spots and dark lines on their face and also body.

Exposing your skin to sun without SPF also promotes ageing of the skin.  Sun damage from UV rays causes photo ageing of the skin which leads to discolouration and fine lines, wrinkles and sagging. The best thing you can do to protect your skin from being wrinkled later on in life is to apply the SPF so get your suncream on!.

3. Smoking & Drinking

Smoking and drinking can be one of the biggest threats to your skin as it promotes a fast acceleration of your skins natural ageing process. Smoking causes thinning of blood vessels throughout the body which limits the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your skin which maintain a healthy and fresh looking skin.

Drinking dehydrates the skin. Over time, the skin slowly damages and results in a loss of collagen and elastin which results in wrinkles, dull skin tone, dark patches and smoker lines caused by smoking around the mouth area. If it is a big step to give up then reducing the amount you smoke and drink will definitely benefit your skin.

4. Eat processed foods

Excessive sugar, additives, preservatives, oil and salt are found in processed foods. When we consume processed foods which are packed with excessive ingredients in our diets it promotes degradation of collagen in the skin which can cause your skin to develop conditions such as acne which aggressiveness leads to breakouts and oily skin.

Take a look at your diet and try to replace processed foods with natural ingredients where possible. We know that sometimes eating processed food is unavoidable but try planning ahead, like taking a packed lunch to work or go for healthier fresher options when you are eating out.

5. Stress

Stress is not avoidable, but can be managed to control and lower the amount of stress we face day to day. This includes meditating, exercising and getting enough sleep. When stress is not managed it can lead to many negative factors including psychically such as loss of hair, breaking nails, skin conditions and appearances.

Stress can lead to under-eye bags, not getting enough sleep due to stress which can darken and puff the underage area. Stress also can cause skin issues to flare up or make underlying skin conditions worse such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.  Also increased blood pressure can result in being under constant stress as can hormonal imbalances caused by too much stress which in turn will affect the skin amongst other things.

6. Forget to exfoliate

Exfoliating at least once a week is a must to ensure you get rid of any dead skin cells, clogged pores, and deep underlying dirt inside the skin. Forgetting to exfoliate results in many skin problems. This includes blackheads caused by oil and dirt gathered in your skin and wrinkles which develops by not exfoliating the dead skin cells which does not allow the skin to renew and develop skin cell turnover.

Acne is another cause that may happen to your skin when you forget to exfoliate, one of the main reasons why we suffer from acne is dead skin and bacteria. By exfoliating we encourage our skin to renew and replenish and promote a new skin for a healthy and clean looking skin.

Make exfoliating as part of your weekly skin care routine. There are great products available online or on the high street that will do a good job with prices starting from only £5. Its money well spent!. If you want to really deep cleanse your face and leave feeling a million dollars then you can always look into having a hydrafacial or other clinic led treatments.

7. Sleep with makeup

Dermatologists worse nightmare ! – sleeping with makeup on. Sleep is one of the most important times for the skin to restore itself,  if we have layers of make up on blocking up oil glands and blocked pores it could lead to long term skin faults. Nighttime is a crucial time for the skin to renew and shed the build up of makeup.  Holding back skin renewal can cause acne, blogged pores, blackheads and inflammatory acne. Removing make up and cleansing the skin from the days smoke, grime and pollution, especially if you live in a city is essentially if you want to keep your skin in top condition.

• Final score

How did you score?. One or less – give yourself a pat on the back. Two to three – not bad but there is room for improvement. Over four and we really need to sit down and have a talk!.

We are all guilty of committing a few of the above, it’s good to be reminded from time to time, so we can stick to our good habits more often then not!.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]