Bad beauty habits you didn’t know you were doing!
Sometimes you can’t help a habit, they just happen after all. Would you change a beauty habit if you were told it’s actually bad for you? Here are bad beauty habits you didn’t know you were doing and tips on how to stop.
Sleeping with makeup on
This one may not be new to some of you, but sleeping with your makeup on can be the result of some troublesome skin, especially if your skin is more blemish prone. Not removing your makeup will not only ruin your pillowcases, but it will also result in your pores becoming clogged eventually leading to blemishes such as spots and blackheads. With all that set aside, there is also the added worry that leaving makeup on whilst you sleep will in-fact speed up ageing! Your skin rejuvenates itself whilst you sleep and having a barrier of foundation to combat will slow down the regeneration of collagen production and ridding the skin of aggressors, such as pollution, therefore making your skin age quicker. You’ll find you get a better night’s sleep with a freshly cleansed face, so try it out, before you pass out!
Not using a moisturiser at night
As previously mentioned, your skin rejuvenates itself whilst you sleep. It takes a total of 8 hours for the skin to natural cleanse away any aggressors and daily toll your skin had suffered. 8 hours though… I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I had 8 hours of sleep. This is when a nightly moisturiser comes into play, you will find night moisturisers are formulated differently and packed full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals that will give your skin a helping hand. Even if you don’t get more than six hours sleep the moisturiser would have worked overtime leaving your skin healthy and happy! Oh, and before you just grab any old moisturiser avoid ones with SPF designed to use during the day as SPF has a habit of clogging pores and making them enlarged!
Combing your hair when it’s wet
Yes, I know, this one even shocked me when I found out! Our hair is at its weakest when it is wet. If you have fine hair that is prone to breaking easily, give it a spray with smoothing and detangling product and leave it to dry. Once your hair is completely dry that is when you can give it a brush with a wide-toothed comb. The fall out will be a lot less and you’ll find your hair looks super shiny after dry brushing.
Dirty makeup brushes giving you spots
Believe it or not, those pesky spots that just don’t seem to leave may be reoccurring from using dirty makeup brushes! Bacteria would have a field day nestling happily in the bristles of your makeup brushes passing germs back and forward onto your skin. You may find spots appearing on areas where you apply bronzer or blush. It’s best to use a disinfecting brush cleaning spray often and give them a good, deep clean every 2 weeks. We have previously shared with you how to clean your brushes on the blog, click here to take a closer look.
Not using sunscreen every day
Well, it makes perfect sense to layer up on sun cream before a day of sunbathing, but you don’t get to do that every day so there’s no point right? Afraid not… the sun is something you really need to protect yourself from daily. You can either use facial sunscreen or use a moisturiser with an added SPF. Even on a cloudy day the sun can penetrate through, it’s best to be safe than sorry! There are two types of UV rays in the sun, UVA and UVB. One important thing to remember is that UVA is the ray that causes the skin to age and it can penetrate through glass and water, and UVB burns the skin. So even on a gloomy looking day in the middle of winter, those rays can still get you, so stay sun safe!
Grubby phones
You may have heard before that there are more bacteria on your mobile phone than on a toilet! Pass the sick bucket immediately! Thinking about it though that really is no surprise, just take a moment to think about everywhere your phone goes and what it comes in contact with. Pressing it up to your ear whilst having a long old chat to your bestie could result in germs making their way onto your skin, which of course will result in spots and blemishes. All is not lost, so before you throw that expensive piece of technology in the bin, get some anti-bacterial wipes that are safe to use on your tech gadgets and you are good to go!
Heading off to bed too late
I have previously mentioned before how our skin naturally restores itself whilst we sleep and how using night moisturisers will help a great deal too. What you may not know it that your skin has an idea of what the time is and kick starts it’s rejuvenating work as soon as your asleep. Say for example you head off to bed at 11 pm, by 2 am collagen production and natural detoxifying is in full swing and leaves you looking fresh and rested by morning. If you stay up until midnight or later, your skin doesn’t get enough time to work its magic. So give it some help and head off for some shut-eye at a reasonable hour. You can always record Game of Thrones and dodge spoilers the following day, at least that’s the trick we do anyway…
Ignoring your dehydrated skin
It doesn’t really matter how much water you drink throughout the day, your skin is always the last to see the benefits. Unfair I know as it is our largest organ and encounters a number of battles every day, from the elements, weather, pollution, the list is endless. It’s no surprise that our skin can get thirsty! Every skin type can become dehydrated and using topical products has been known as the best way to add moisture back into your parched skin! This is why we formulated the Marine Moisture Mask to contain an entire 25 ml bottle of serum to really fill the skin up with a powerful blend of active ingredients to nourish the skin! So, don’t ignore your thirsty skin and give it some TLC.
There are some bad beauty habits you didn’t even realise you were doing! We can’t lie, a number of them had us a little shocked too!
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.
