Do you feel like you look older than you should? Have you noticed crow's feet and sagging skin? What about fine lines and wrinkles? All of these are signs of aging, and although you can't stop the clock, there are 7 poor skin habits that accelerate the effects of aging, making you look older.
Although aging is a natural part of life, your habits and routines significantly impact your skin's health; if neglected, your skin will start to show signs of premature aging, and you'll look much older than you should.
And while genetics play an important role in how and how quickly you age, it's essential to adopt healthy skincare habits and routines to maintain a healthy and youthful glow; ultimately, making all the difference between seeing smooth, healthy skin or fine-lined and wrinkled skin.
By recognizing and understanding the habits that are aging you prematurely, you can start making the necessary changes to take care of your skin, which is the key to keeping premature aging at bay and making sure you look your best.
In this blog post, we'll explore 7 poor skin habits that make you look older than you are and what we can do about them — so if you want to prevent premature aging and maintain a healthy but youthful glow, keep reading!
Here are 7 poor skin habits that are making you look older and what you can do about them:
1. Not cleansing properly.
Not cleansing properly causes a build-up of dead skin cells, sebum, sweat, and dirt resulting in bacteria overgrowth that leads to clogged pores that cause breakouts, inflammation, irritation, redness, dull and tired-looking skin, and premature aging.
What's more, it prevents the absorption of the essential ingredients from your skincare products, decreasing their effectiveness and leaving you with dry and lackluster skin.
As a result, cleansing your skin is a must for keeping your skin healthy and looking young because it's the first line of defense against dead skin cells, sebum, sweat, and dirt that accumulate on the surface of your skin during the day.
To start cleansing your skin properly, first invest in a good quality cleanser that will gently remove impurities without stripping your skin of its natural oils; we've compiled a list of the best cleansers for every skin type to help you find one that works for you.
Once you've found the perfect cleanser for your skin type and concerns, use it in the morning and at night to thoroughly remove impurities from your face and neck; and if needed, double cleanse.
Use lukewarm water to massage the cleanser onto your skin with your fingertips in a gentle circular motion and spend around a minute massaging it in circles on your face, neck, and chest; rinse off with lukewarm water and use a soft clean towel to pat your face dry.
2. Over-exfoliating.
As we age, the rate at which skin cells turnover and shed slows down, leading to a drier and duller complexion. Exfoliation removes the dead skin cells accumulated on your skin's surface, providing a smoother, brighter, and healthier complexion.
Over-exfoliating causes micro-tears in your skin and strips away essential oils and moisture, resulting in a compromised and weakened skin barrier that's prone to free radical damage from environmental stressors that cause dryness, dehydration, irritation, and inflammation.
Dryness makes your skin appear dull and accentuates the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while dehydration causes the sebaceous glands to go into overdrive, producing more sebum to compensate for the lack of moisture — ultimately leading to clogged pores and, hence, breakouts.
On the other hand, irritation triggers the release of inflammatory agents that damage and destroy the structural components of the skin — collagen and elastin — which contribute to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles; read more about how irritation and inflammation prematurely age your skin.
The key to preventing over-exfoliation is to exfoliate in moderation; once to twice a week should suffice to maintain a healthy but youthful glow.
3. Not moisturizing.
Moisturizing is an essential step to any skincare routine, as it helps lock in hydration to prevent dryness and dehydration, restore the skin's barrier to prevent Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) and protect against environmental aggressors to prevent premature aging.
Without adequate hydration and moisture, your skin becomes dry and dehydrated — dryness causes your skin to appear dull and flaky accentuating the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while dehydration aggravates and exacerbates existing conditions such as acne, rosacea, and psoriasis.
On top of that, a compromised skin barrier is more prone to free radical damage caused by environmental stressors, which results in irritation that triggers the release of inflammatory agents that damage and destroy the skin's structural components — collagen and elastin — which contribute to premature aging.
When shopping for a moisturizer, choose one suitable for your skin type. For those with combination, oily and acne-prone skin, opt for lightweight formulas like gels or serums; while those with normal to dry skin can benefit from more occlusive and heavier creams; we have a selection of the best moisturizers for every skin type and concern.
To get the most out of your moisturizer, moisturize your skin twice a day — in the morning and at night — and apply it onto damp skin to lock in hydration and moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
4. Not wearing sunscreen daily.
Sun exposure is not only dangerous for our health, but it's also one of the major contributing factors to premature aging.
UVA and UVB rays penetrate deep into your skin, causing oxidative stress that breaks down and damages the essential components of your skin — collagen and elastin, which are the proteins responsible for giving skin its elasticity and firmness — leading to sagging skin and fine lines and wrinkles.
When exposed to UV rays from the sun, your skin responds by producing a complex polymer called melanin — the pigment that gives color to the skin — as a defense mechanism to protect itself against UV rays damage.
However, this process is not without consequences: prolonged unprotected sun exposure causes an uneven overproduction of melanin that results in hyperpigmentation because of the accumulation of skin pigment in certain areas of your skin.
In addition, sun exposure causes your skin to lose its natural water content, as they break down hyaluronic acid in the outer layer of your skin, which leads to dehydration, dryness, and tightness along with a build-up of old cells that make it look dull and congested — all of which further accelerate the aging process.
Using sunscreen on a daily basis is amongst one of the best ways to protect your skin from sun damage — look for a broad-spectrum formula to protect against both UVA and UVB rays with at least SPF 30; if you're feeling overwhelmed and having difficulty finding a sunscreen that suits your needs, we've compiled a list of the best sunscreens on the market.
Apply sunscreen daily in the mornings at least 30 minutes before going outdoors — even on cloudy days and indoors — because UV rays can penetrate through clouds and windows.
Re-apply every two hours if you're spending extended periods of time outdoors and every time after swimming and sweating for optimal protection throughout the day.
5. Stop using skin care products that sting or burn.
Using skincare products that cause a stinging or burning sensation damages your skin barrier, which weakens it and makes it vulnerable to further damage from environmental aggressors and irritants.
As a result, this compromises the skin's ability to retain moisture and repair itself, which leads to dehydration, dryness, redness, irritation, and inflammation that exacerbates existing conditions like acne, rosacea, and psoriasis and breaks down collagen and elastin all of which cause premature aging.
When shopping for skincare products, look for ones appropriate for your skin type and concerns; it's important to be aware of the ingredients used in the product and their respective concentrations and to check whether they're suitable for you.
That said, always patch-test any new skincare product before applying it all over the face to ensure that your skin is not sensitive or allergic to any ingredients. If you experience discomfort after using a skincare product, stop using it immediately and seek medical advice.
6. Avoid repetitive facial expressions.
Smiling, frowning, squinting, and blinking are all common facial expressions we do daily; these repetitive facial movements cause underlying muscles to contract and crease.
Over time, repeated contraction of these muscles result in fine lines and wrinkles in certain areas of the face — most notably, on the forehead, between the brows, and around the eyes and mouth.
These wrinkles are known as 'dynamic lines' or 'expression lines' because they occur due to repeated facial movements.
While you don't have to ditch your facial expressions completely, it is important to practice the 'resting face' technique — which consists of making a conscious effort to relax your facial muscles and try to avoid smiling, frowning, and squinting as much as possible.
If you have existing expression lines and are looking for a way to reduce their appearance, consider talking to your dermatologist about injectable treatments such as Botox and Dysport.
7. Persistently rubbing your eyes can cause dark circles and fine lines, and wrinkles.
As we age, the skin around our eyes thins and becomes more delicate, meaning it's more prone to damage.
While it may be tempting to rub your eyes when they're itchy, irritated, inflamed, or sore, persistently rubbing the delicate skin around the eyes can break the micro-blood vessels and capillaries, resulting in a leakage of blood that collects beneath your skin, leading to discoloration and dark circles; here are 6 tips to help you get rid of dark circles.
Not only that, but repeated tugging and pulling causes inflammation which leads to fine lines and wrinkles; it's important to be gentle when touching your eyes to avoid any unnecessary damage that could accelerate aging.
If you suffer from persistent itchiness, irritation, or inflammation around the eyes, opt for eye drops specifically designed for people with sensitive eyes and allergies.
You can also use eye massaging tools or cold compresses to help reduce any puffiness, swelling, or inflammation and an eye cream that contains anti-inflammatory ingredients to soothe your skin.
When you feel the need to rub your eyes, use your ring finger to press and tap on the eye area gently — this will help release any built-up tension and provide some relief.
Aging is an inevitable part of life, but adopting healthy skin habits can help you look and feel your best.
Therefore, it's essential to pay attention to your skincare routine and be aware of how your daily habits could affect your skin's health and, ultimately, its appearance.
By avoiding the poor skin habits above, you can reduce the risk of premature aging to maintain a healthy and youthful complexion; it's never too late to start taking better care of your skin — so don't put off making these much-needed changes.
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