Arguably as damaging as the toxic friend you should be cutting out of your life.
If you notice your skin condition getting messed up even though it’s not the time of the month yet, and your all-time holy grail skincare products are not helping, maybe it’s time to review your lifestyle.
From the mundane things such as our sleep cycle and eating patterns, to vices such as smoking and drinking, we explore how these little actions can have a deep impact on our skin health.
Sleeping late
Have you ever heard of the term “Revenge Bedtime Procrastination (RBP)”? This term describes people who don’t have much control over their daytime life, and categorically refuse to go to bedearly in order to regain some sense of freedom during the late-night hours. Sounds familiar? Yup, that’s you.
Try setting a fixed bedtime for yourself as staying up late can wreak havoc on your skin and cause unwanted side effects such as an impaired skin barrier, dehydration and breakouts. Unless you want to look like Kai Kai or Jia Jia (even though they are really cute), drop this unhealthy sleeping pattern pronto!
Eating poorly
Your diet plays a big part in your skin condition too! Certain foods, such as those high in sugar, gluten and dairy can easily cause breakouts. Cut down on deep-fried foods as well, as they do more harm than good to the skin.
Instead, try consuming more foods which are high in antioxidants, vitamins and collagen! These superfoods will provide your body with the nutrients it needs internally, and give you healthier-looking skin that’ll leave you glowing from the inside out!
Skipping the cleansing step at night
It’s understandable that we can get a little too tired at the end of the day, but by no means should that deter us from cleansing our face! Your skin accumulates a build-up of oil, sweat and dirt throughout the day, and this can cause our pores to be clogged and our skin to get irritated. On top of that, the buildup may cause acne and the formation of black and whiteheads, which can mar our appearance.
So, no matter how tired you are, always cleanse your face before you head to bed every night, and follow up with a skincare routine that suits your skin type. And if you’re too tired for the whole shebang, we say minimally, you’ve got to cleanse your skin.
Smoking
Do you know that heavy smokers are 5x more likely to develop more wrinkles than non-smokers? Cigarettes contain many harmful substances, one of which is a collagen-destroying enzyme. Collagen is an important component of our skin, keeping it plump and supple. Additionally, lipid peroxide (released in cigarette smoke) is the main free radical that destroys the skin’s barrier, resulting in dry, parched skin.
Start by reducing the number of smoke breaks you take in a day as going cold turkey straight away might be too extreme. But ultimately, as smoking is bad for your health, we would recommend that you quit smoking for good, if possible. The improved skin health that comes with it, will definitely be a bonus. 😉
Binge-drinking (alcohol)
We can all appreciate a drink or two to destress once in a while. However, drinking in excess can cause your skin to become dehydrated, and lead to enlarged pores and cause wrinkles to form. It can also dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow, resulting in redness and puffiness.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of water if you’re having alcohol, as it helps to keep you hydrated and flushes away the toxins. Using a cold compress or soothing sheet mask can also help to reduce redness and puffiness after a night of drinking. Finally, lock in the moisture on your skin with a good topical hydrating moisturiser like ést.lab’s ActivCalm Anti-Stress Hydra Cream to cure hangover skin effortlessly.
Take heed of these 5 pointers when it comes to your skin health. There’s no better time than now to break these bad habits, just like cutting toxic people in your life!
In Good Hands,
Estetica
