Skin Woes: 7 Bad skincare habits to break before you turn 40

7 Bad skincare habits to break before you turn 40

ashley

24 Sep 2017

updated the 25 September 2017 à 10:19

1/7
Not sleeping enough
When you sleep, your skin is recovering from the harsh exposure throughout the day and is working on repairing and replenishing the damage inflicted when you're awake. A lacklustre complexion, dark circles and clogged pores are just a few of the unfortunate side effects of insufficient sleep.
2/7
Using dirty makeup brushes
Ahhh... the holy grail of any makeup bag: Makeup brushes. However, if you spend more time perfecting that Kim K contour instead of washing all that gunk off your brushes, you need to rethink your skincare routine. Makeup brushes are a breeding ground for dead skin cells, dirt, oil, pollution and bacteria. When you don't wash your makeup tools, you're essentially caking your face with layers of dirt that will inevitably clog your pores and cause breakouts.
3/7
Not wearing enough sunscreen
We hate to be a downer ladies, but that measly layer of sunscreen you applied in the morning isn't enough to make the cut. On average, the UV-protection afforded by sunblocks only lasts for 2 hours. Therefore, it is imperative that you reapply this skin-saving protectant every few hours, to reduce the damage caused by ultra-violet rays such as wrinkles, rashes and even pigmentation.
4/7
Not removing your makeup at night
We get it - when you're stumbling home at 3am after a long night, removing your makeup probably isn't high on anyone's list. However, sleeping with a full face of makeup damages more than just your pillow. Hitting the sheets without removing your makeup has detrimental effects on your skin, namely, clogged pores, breakouts and skin irritations. Get the picture?
5/7
Eating too much sweets
Before you find your hand straying towards the donut box, hear us out: When it comes to skincare, sugar is certainly not your friend. Excessive sugar consumption culminates in overall skin detriment. From pigmentation, to under-eye puffiness, sugar does your complexion no favours!
6/7
Over-exfoliating
We've all heard about the wonders of exfoliation. Used primarily to slough off dead skin cells, exfoliator has been touted as a miracle potion by the skincare market. However, overdoing it won't help your skin. When you over-exfoliate, your skin is sapped of it's natural oils and becomes dry and irritated, making for a dull and lacklustre complexion.
7/7
Smoking
This one is a no-brainer- with the innumerable debilitating effects on the body caused by the death stick we call cigarettes, it is indeed no surprise that your skin suffers adverse effects from smoking as well. According to research, smoking has been linked to a bevy of skin-related problems such as discolouration, pigmentation and premature aging. Apparently, whenever take a drag, your vitamin C and collagen stores are depleted, thus resulting in an increased risk to scarring, fine lines and wrinkles.

Rock a radiant complexion by kicking these awful skincare habits to the curb

You moisturize, you cleanse, you do all the works – but why don’t you have that ultra-radiant complexion yet? We hate to break it to you, but you could be slathering priceless creams and salves on your face and still not see any difference. From not getting sufficient sleep to over-dosing on your sugar intake with your copious coffee or dessert fixes, it is these small, seemingly harmless everyday habits that making achieving that fresh-faced glow so difficult.

It is said that once you hit 30, all your fine lines would have fully formed – which makes it all the more imperative for you to have a healthy and effective skin care habits and regime now. Curious to know what bad skin care habits you may be guilty of? Browse our gallery above for 7 damaging skincare habits that you need to kick to the curb immediately before you turn the big 4-0.

Ashley Anand

Photos: Getty Images

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