1. Don’t go to bed with your makeup on. I know, mineral makeup is so pure you can sleep in it. Unless you’re thoroughly washing your face, applying serums/moisturizers or using a mineral product specifically for Night-time use (such as Aromaleigh Nocturne)… just wash your face. If you’re in a pinch, you can buy face cleansing wipes at the drugstore by Olay, Neutrogena and several other brands. These don’t remove all traces of makeup, but they’re far better than not washing your face at all!
2. Overdoing it. Too much scrubbing, exfoliating, peeling and prodding. Your skin does need to be exfoliated, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Too much exfoliation can result in red, irritated and flaking skin or the opposite- oily, overactive skin. I do a gentle peel once a week. I use my Clarisonic skin brush with the delicate skin brush head once a day. In the winter months, I use Retin A every other day. I probably exfoliate far more than your average bear, but my routine works for my skin. More would be damaging.
3. Diet, diet, diet. Don’t skip out on food rich in nutrients and vitamins while opting for processed food with little nutritional value. Vitamins and supplements can makeup for some of the damage we do with our diets, but they are no match for real, fresh food that is rich in anti-oxidants and skin-happy Omega-3 fatty acids. Oh, skip the sugar too. A little sweetness in your life is wonderful in moderation, but I tend to look at pictures of cupcakes far more than eating them!
4. Stop smoking. It literally adds 10+ years on to your face and deducts who know how many from your lifespan? Smoking decreases the flow of oxygen in your body and increases free radical production… leading to sallow, dull skin that can be punctuated by prominent wrinkles, especially around the mouth. If you smoke, stop now and start reversing the damage.
5. Beauty sleep. Shoot for 7-8 hours a night! Less than that, and your body produces stress hormones that scream “Emergency” to your body, which routes your night-time restorative processes to your major internal organs. Your skin gets dissed when you skimp on sleep. Also, those who don’t get enough sleep are prone to weight problems. Want healthier skin and a healthier BMI? Sleep more.
6. Yo-Yo Dieting. Are you guilty of gaining and losing the same 10 pounds over and over again? This cycle stresses your skin, weakening your skin’s collagen support, causing fine lines and a propensity towards sagging. Pale, thin skin is even more at risk! Up and down dieting can also trigger hormonal fluctuations which cause breakouts.
7. Stress. Stress weakens your body, period. It affects all of your body’s major organs, including your skin. Stress causes hormonal fluctuations and disruptions in the body, the release of stress hormones such as cortisol… and all of this can show up in skin that is sallow, prone to breakouts, rosacea, and premature aging.
8. Sun exposure. I shouldn’t even have to go into too much detail on this one. We all know that sun is the #1 cause of premature aging. SPF every day, even on grey days. Even in the winter. Even when you are working indoors. I wear SPF 55 everyday and try to reapply midway through the day.
9. Overdoing “products”. There’s so many skincare products out there boasting so many benefits that it seems like no matter what we do, we can’t get it all in one product or one line. So what do we do? Pile it on. Do things like use glycolics, vitamin C, retin A, peptides and manual exfoliation all at once. What happens? Our skin reacts and it’s not pretty. Keep it simple. If you’re trying a new product, use other products that you know are tried and true for you. Before you mix two “wonder products” do your research and see if the work with or against one another. Everything in moderation.
10. Dehydration. I’ve blogged about the importance of drinking enough water several times in the last few years. If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Toss your sodas and coffee, they don’t count. I try to drink as much straight-up spring water as I can, and I still find myself continually dehydrated. Well-hydrated skin is plumped up and looks fresh and glowing. Dehydrated skin is just dying for a drink… so drink up!
2. Overdoing it. Too much scrubbing, exfoliating, peeling and prodding. Your skin does need to be exfoliated, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Too much exfoliation can result in red, irritated and flaking skin or the opposite- oily, overactive skin. I do a gentle peel once a week. I use my Clarisonic skin brush with the delicate skin brush head once a day. In the winter months, I use Retin A every other day. I probably exfoliate far more than your average bear, but my routine works for my skin. More would be damaging.
3. Diet, diet, diet. Don’t skip out on food rich in nutrients and vitamins while opting for processed food with little nutritional value. Vitamins and supplements can makeup for some of the damage we do with our diets, but they are no match for real, fresh food that is rich in anti-oxidants and skin-happy Omega-3 fatty acids. Oh, skip the sugar too. A little sweetness in your life is wonderful in moderation, but I tend to look at pictures of cupcakes far more than eating them!
4. Stop smoking. It literally adds 10+ years on to your face and deducts who know how many from your lifespan? Smoking decreases the flow of oxygen in your body and increases free radical production… leading to sallow, dull skin that can be punctuated by prominent wrinkles, especially around the mouth. If you smoke, stop now and start reversing the damage.
5. Beauty sleep. Shoot for 7-8 hours a night! Less than that, and your body produces stress hormones that scream “Emergency” to your body, which routes your night-time restorative processes to your major internal organs. Your skin gets dissed when you skimp on sleep. Also, those who don’t get enough sleep are prone to weight problems. Want healthier skin and a healthier BMI? Sleep more.
6. Yo-Yo Dieting. Are you guilty of gaining and losing the same 10 pounds over and over again? This cycle stresses your skin, weakening your skin’s collagen support, causing fine lines and a propensity towards sagging. Pale, thin skin is even more at risk! Up and down dieting can also trigger hormonal fluctuations which cause breakouts.
7. Stress. Stress weakens your body, period. It affects all of your body’s major organs, including your skin. Stress causes hormonal fluctuations and disruptions in the body, the release of stress hormones such as cortisol… and all of this can show up in skin that is sallow, prone to breakouts, rosacea, and premature aging.
8. Sun exposure. I shouldn’t even have to go into too much detail on this one. We all know that sun is the #1 cause of premature aging. SPF every day, even on grey days. Even in the winter. Even when you are working indoors. I wear SPF 55 everyday and try to reapply midway through the day.
9. Overdoing “products”. There’s so many skincare products out there boasting so many benefits that it seems like no matter what we do, we can’t get it all in one product or one line. So what do we do? Pile it on. Do things like use glycolics, vitamin C, retin A, peptides and manual exfoliation all at once. What happens? Our skin reacts and it’s not pretty. Keep it simple. If you’re trying a new product, use other products that you know are tried and true for you. Before you mix two “wonder products” do your research and see if the work with or against one another. Everything in moderation.
10. Dehydration. I’ve blogged about the importance of drinking enough water several times in the last few years. If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Toss your sodas and coffee, they don’t count. I try to drink as much straight-up spring water as I can, and I still find myself continually dehydrated. Well-hydrated skin is plumped up and looks fresh and glowing. Dehydrated skin is just dying for a drink… so drink up!
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