Certain habits may be derailing your anti-aging efforts—and you may harming your skin without even knowing it. Diet, lifestyle and our normal day-to-day activities all have an impact on our appearance, and these seemingly innocent habits can accelerate the aging process. But fret not, because a few simple tweaks to your routine can help maintain healthy, youthful-looking skin.
Indoor climate control
Cranking up the air conditioning during the summer and using artificial heat to warm up during winter have one thing in common: They both reduce humidity in the air. With less moisture available to the skin (regardless of season), it can become dry and uncomfortable—and visible signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles and dullness can look more pronounced.
Your bedding
Cotton may be the most popular fabric for bedding, but it doesn’t do your skin any favors. From visible “sleep wrinkles” to collagen damage caused by pulling and tugging on your skin night after night, you might want to switch to a silk pillowcase that minimizes tension on your skin (and hair, too).
That extra glass of wine
Having a second (or third) glass of wine might seem like a good idea at the moment, but overindulging in alcohol can have a variety of detrimental effects on your skin. Broken blood vessels, puffiness, a sallow complexion and dehydration (which accentuates fine lines and wrinkles) are the main age-inducing consequences of this habit, so think twice before asking for a refill.
Stressing out
Some stress is unavoidable, but sweating the small stuff or taking on more than you can handle can add years to your face (and your body as a whole). Blame it on the stress hormone cortisol, which causes inflammation within the cells. As far as the skin is concerned, this inflammation harms collagen, elastin and cellular function, in turn making your complexion look older faster.
Avoiding “good” fats
Fats are a primary component of our skin’s barrier, which helps maintain moisture while keeping external irritants at bay. The skin needs fat to do its job, and cutting out this food group (or seriously limiting your intake) can lead to dryness, redness, itching and more—and cause skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis to flare-up. Sure, skincare that contains lipids like ceramides can help provide some of the fats that help replenish the barrier, but you can’t go wrong by making it a habit to eat more avocado, chia seeds, salmon, raw nuts and extra virgin olive oil.
Sipping through straws
Similar to smoking, the act of repeatedly pursing your lips to drink through a straw can lead to wrinkles over time. This repetitive muscle contraction weakens the collagen and elastin in the overlying skin—and at some point the lines that are visible only while you sip become etched into the skin.
Now that we’ve revealed the most common habits that can damage your skin, here are a few solutions to help protect and prevent premature signs of aging…
Shhh Silk Pillowcase: Available in a variety of solid colors and patterns (as well as sets), these pillowcases can help protect your skin andspruce up your bedroom décor.
PCA Skin C&E Advanced: A potent daily antioxidant is essential to prevent environmental skin damage (as well as some of the bad habits above). Unlike some other antioxidant serums, this powerful blend of vitamins C and E plus brightening hexylresorcinol and silymarin is formulated without water to maintain its effectiveness until the very last drop.
Clark’s Deep Moisture Masque: Formulated with algae microspheres and botanically-based ingredients that instantly improve dryness, provide antioxidant protection and soothe stressed skin, this masque can be washed off after 15-20 minutes or left on overnight for intense skin rejuvenation—and it’s ideal for all skin types.
Beauty
October 15, 2018Stickers that enhance your beauty and wellness
