7 Habits That May Contribute to Premature Skin Aging
You’ve probably heard of the old adage “change is the only constant in this world.” Well, the same thing applies to our bodies.
Every day, we go through changes from our internal faculties to our skin — a process that we like to refer to as aging.
Aging is a natural part of life and not a single person on this planet can avoid it. But did you know that certain lifestyle practices and habits can make you look older than you actually are?
Here are 7 habits that may contribute to premature skin aging:
Eating the wrong food:
Eating the wrong food can have significant negative effects on your skin. However, in a society that’s fueled by fast food and junk treats, it can be tricky to avoid eating foods that are unhealthy i.e., high in artificial sugars, added sodium, and trans fats.
These unhealthy foods can fill your body up with free radicals — these are nasty little elements that can hasten the skin aging process if not prevented from entering your body.
A healthy diet can help you avoid these free radicals and other ingredients that can make your skin look old. Healthy eating can also help sensitive skin in avoiding allergic reactions and flare-ups, which can also make the skin look much older than it actually is.
Poor sleeping habits:
During sleep, the skin goes into a “renewal state” where it regenerates skin cells and improves a person’s natural complexion.
Studies show that poor quality sleep can cause uneven skin pigmentation as well as the increased appearance of wrinkles and lines on the skin. Furthermore, lack of sleep can also cause the skin to lose its firmness.
Getting a full 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night ensures that you get to complete the whole process, leaving you with fresh, glowing, and healthy-looking skin.
Unfortunately, plenty of people nowadays don’t have the luxury to sleep 8 to 9 hours every night.
Considering the majority of employees spend around 2 to 3 hours commuting to work every day, that’s 4 to 6 hours wasted in traffic on top of the 8 hours they spend at work. Not including the hours these people will spend preparing dinner for their families (if any) and then completing their bedtime routine.
Some people may also have a harder time falling asleep due to the stress they’ve gathered from work and the commute home.
Here’s where NAD may come in handy.
Short for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD), this essential anti-aging molecule helps improve grogginess, laziness, unstable sleep patterns, and tired skin.
Poor sleeping positions:
It might not be the most obvious of culprits — after all, sleep is recommended to achieve healthy and radiant skin. However, mechanical compressions from sleeping in the wrong position (e.g., your face pressed against your pillow or sheets) can cause distortion of the skin.
Plenty of people prefer sleeping on their stomach, as this can give the lower back a pretty good stretch, relieving pain that office workers can get from hours long of sitting. However, your skin still needs to breathe while you’re sleeping; something that this sleeping position can’t let it do.
Sleeping on your belly pushes your face against your pillow or your sheets. This position obstructs the skin follicles, causing them to become clogged. These clogs may later escalate to acne, wrinkles, and fine lines.
Experts recommend sleeping on your back to avoid developing wrinkles and fine lines from mechanical compressions.
Improper cleansing:
Cleansing is one of the most important steps in every skin care routine. It helps remove makeup and other pore-clogging elements from your skin. Furthermore, it removes impurities and dirt that manage to settle on your skin during your daily commute.
Sadly, many people don’t know how to properly cleanse their skin. Improver cleansing can very easily remove moisture from your skin and cause it to look dehydrated and cracked.
Learning how to properly cleanse your skin — as well as figuring out which products work best for your skin type — can make a huge difference in your skin’s overall appearance and health.
Forgoing sunscreen:
Most people only think about sun protection during the summer months or when going on a trip down to the beach. But what about in winter or the times when you step out to pick up a bottle of milk from the store?
The sun is an everpresent body, and whether it’s cloudy or snowy out, you need to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Applying sunscreen to your skin before you step outside is a great way to protect your skin from UV radiation. Other ways you can protect your skin are to:
- Wear long-sleeved clothing that can cover your arms
- Wear pants that can cover your legs
- Wear a cap or hat with a wide brim to protect your face and eyes
- Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes
You should also try to stay in the shade as much as possible to avoid sun damage.
Removing makeup poorly:
Removing makeup after a long day at work can feel exhausting and draining, which is why it can be tempting not to do your full routine once you get home. It’s important that you don’t skip a step in your typical skin care routine, to avoid the negative repercussions that may follow.
Oil and impurities can get trapped in the skin by makeup, which can partly be responsible for aging skin.
Washing your face with soap:
While there’s nothing completely wrong with washing your face with cleansing soap, there are some soaps that can dry out the skin and strip it of its natural oils. This can cause wrinkles to develop and make other skin imperfections much more noticeable. It can also make your skin more vulnerable to allergens and irritants such as bacteria and other viruses.
You need to understand that drying out your skin can lead to the occurrence of blemishes on your skin. When you have dry skin, it can result in breakouts and a ton of other skin problems. To overcome the problem of blemished skin, you need to use the best skin care products that have been tested extensively by dermatologists. If you want a blemish-free skin, you should not compromise on the quality of the skin care products.
The Bottom Line:
There is no one size fits all solution for skincare, so it’ll take a while for anyone to find a routine that’s compatible with them. The important thing is to stay consistent with your efforts and not skip a day out of laziness.
The above habits are just a couple of things you need to avoid to minimize your risk of developing fine lines, wrinkles, and other premature skin aging symptoms. By doing so, you can maintain healthy and glowing skin for years to come.
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