Bad Beauty Habits You Didn’t Know You Had!
Sometimes you can’t change a habit, it just happens. If you were told that a beauty habit is actually bad for you, would you change it? Here are the bad beauty habits you didn’t know you had and tips on how to stop them.
Sleeping with your makeup on
This may not be news to some, but sleeping with your makeup on can cause skin problems, especially if you have acne-prone skin. Not only does it ruin your pillowcase if you don’t remove it, it can also clog your pores, ultimately leading to breakouts like pimples and blackheads. That being said, there’s an added concern that sleeping with your makeup on can actually age you faster! While you sleep, your skin regenerates and the protective layer of foundation slows down collagen regeneration and removes pollutants (like pollution) from your skin, causing your skin to age faster. You’ll find that you sleep better after you’ve just washed your face, so try it before you pass out!
Skip the moisturizer at night
As already mentioned, your skin regenerates itself while you sleep. It takes a total of 8 hours for your skin to naturally eliminate all aggressors and the daily stress your skin is put through. Eight hours though… I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I slept for eight hours. That’s where a nighttime moisturizer comes into play. You’ll find that nighttime moisturizers are formulated differently and are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to help your skin. Even if you don’t get more than six hours of sleep, your moisturizer will work overtime to keep your skin healthy and happy! Oh, and before you apply any old moisturizer, avoid those SPF sunscreens meant for daytime use, as SPF can clog and enlarge your pores!
Detangle Your Hair When It’s Wet
Yeah, I know, I shocked myself when I found that out! Our hair is most fragile when it’s wet. If you have fine hair that breaks easily, spray it with a smoothing and detangling product and then let it dry. Once your hair is completely dry, you can use a wide-tooth comb to comb through your hair. There will be a lot less shedding and you’ll find your hair looks super shiny after dry brushing.
Dirty Makeup Brushes Cause Stains
Believe it or not, those pesky spots that just won’t go away may reappear again just because you used dirty makeup brushes! Bacteria can nest in the bristles of your makeup brushes and transfer them back and forth to your skin. Spots can appear when applying bronzer or blush. It’s best to use a disinfecting brush cleaning spray frequently and clean thoroughly every two weeks. We’ve already explained to you how to clean your brushes in our blog. Click here for a closer look.
Don’t use sunscreen every day
Okay, it makes sense to put on sunscreen before going out in the sun, but you can’t do it every day, so there’s no point, right? Unfortunately, no… You need to protect yourself from the sun every day. You can use a facial sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF added. The sun can shine in even on cloudy days, so it’s better to be safe than sorry! There are two types of ultraviolet rays in the sun, UVA and UVB. It’s important to know that UVA is the radiation that ages the skin and can pass through glass and water, while UVB can burn the skin. So even on a cloudy day in the middle of winter, you may be exposed to these rays, so protect yourself from the sun!
Dirty Phones
You may have heard that there are more germs on your phone than on your toilet bowl! Pass the vomit bucket immediately! But if you think about it, it really isn’t surprising. Think about it, wherever you put your phone, whatever it touches. Holding it to your ear while having a long conversation with your best friend could be introducing bacteria to your skin, which of course can lead to spots and breakouts. All is not lost, so before you toss your expensive tech in the trash, grab some Some antibacterial wipes that are safe to use on your tech devices and you’ll be good to go!
Going to bed too late
I mentioned earlier how our skin naturally repairs itself while we sleep, and using a moisturizer at night can also be very helpful. What you may not know is that your skin knows what time it is, and when you fall asleep, its repair work begins. For example, let’s say you go to bed at 11 p.m. At 2 a.m., collagen production and natural detoxification are in full swing, leaving you looking refreshed and energized in the morning. If you stay up until midnight or later, your skin won’t have enough time to work its magic. So give her a little help and go to bed at a reasonable hour. You can still record Game of Thrones the next day and avoid spoilers, at least that’s the trick we used…
Ignore your dehydrated skin
No matter how much water you drink in a day, your skin is always the last to benefit. I know it’s unfair because it’s our biggest organ and fights a lot of battles every day, from the elements, weather, pollution, the list goes on. It’s no surprise that our skin gets thirsty! Any skin type can become dehydrated and it’s well known that using topical products is the best way to restore moisture to dry skin! That’s why we formulated the Marine Hydrating Mask, which contains a full 25ml bottle of serum to really infuse the skin with a powerful blend of skin-nourishing active ingredients! So don’t ignore your thirsty skin and give it some love.
There are some beauty habits you don’t even know about! We can’t lie, some of them shocked us 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.
