This archive report was first published on 2 July 2019.
Published on July 2, 2019, maintaining good skin health requires attention to daily habits that can negatively impact your skin.
As the largest organ of your body, your skin is exposed to a harsh environment, making it susceptible to infections and dryness. Between the sun, dirt, dust, and raging hormones, it's no wonder that your skin flares up from time to time.
Here are five daily habits that can harm your skin:
1. Constantly Touching Your Face ¶
Touching your face is a bad habit that you do unconsciously. Your hands come into contact with many surfaces with varying levels of cleanliness. Every time you put your hands on your face, you are transferring dirt from your hands to your face, exposing it to harmful bacteria that can cause breakouts.
2. Not Washing Your Face at Night ¶
After a long day, it can be difficult to stand at the sink to wash your face. However, this is the best way to remove all the day's dirt and grime from your face and prepare it to repair itself while you sleep. Use a mild cleanser and be sure to moisturize afterwards.
3. Failing to Change Your Pillowcase ¶
Breakouts around your cheeks could be caused by your pillowcase. Your pillowcase gets covered with hair oil, which consequently goes on your face and causes breakouts. Change your pillowcase often, every day if you can, if it's cotton. It would be preferable to use a silk pillowcase, which doesn't absorb hair oil and will help prevent its spread and consequent breakouts.
4. Smoking ¶
Smoking harms your skin by depriving it of oxygen and nutrients. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which hampers the absorption of these essential elements, making your skin dull, wrinkled, and thin. It also slows the process of healing. The best way to prevent this is to stop smoking altogether.
5. Picking at Your Breakouts ¶
It's tempting to pick at your breakouts, especially when you have a special event coming up and a zit pops up the night before. However, this only makes the breakout worse as it exposes your skin to further infection. You will also get scars when the breakouts eventually heal. Should you get a nasty breakout, use a spot treatment recommended by your doctor.
