1. If you keep smoking, you'll not only damage your health, but you'll develop more and more deep wrinkles and blotchier skin tone. In fact, every decade of smoking results in an extra 2.5 years of age.
2. Now, not to take all the fun—you can still have a glass of something. But drink more than one cocktail a day, and your skin suffers. Alcohol increases the level inflammatory agents in the bloodstream—which can increase skin sagging over time.
3. Skin care doesn't stop at your jawline. These areas are almost always exposed, and yet they rarely receive same level of hydration and sun protection as the face. But the skin there is more delicate and just as vulnerable to sun exposure.
3. Why bother washing your brushes... you think. Here's why: Skip washing your brushes and you could wind up with muddied colors, clogged pores, and bacterial infections. Wash them every three weeks.
4. Don't over do it. Sorry—while squeaky-clean pores may initially feel good, harsh cleansing or too much exfoliating can actually cause more oil production and worsen breakouts by spreading bacteria.
5. Sleep deprivation causes stress, which can aggravate all skin conditions
letting skin marinate in makeup—not to mention a day's worth of oil buildup—can lead to clogged pores and zits, especially if you're prone to acne. Your body temperature increases slightly when you sleep, which can enhance absorption of whatever's on the surface. No bueno!
6. Cut the junk food, and you could see an improvement in acne in about six weeks. Instead, reach for snacks like peanut butter, nuts, and avocado—these healthy fats provide nutrients for the hair, skin, nails, and basic metabolism.
7. Not only is the skin around your eyes thinner than practically anywhere else on the body, it's also the victim of a lot of abuse. First, stop rubbing. Every time you do, you risk breaking delicate blood vessels, which leads to darkening, dulling, and thickening of the surrounding skin.
8. It's tempting... I know. But the reality is that squeezing a pimple just pushes bacteria deeper into the pores, causing inflammation, infection, and scarring—and almost doubling the zit's life span (from about one week to two).
9. Along with lifting your mood, exercise increases blood flow to the skin, causing a healthy-looking flush. Both immediately and over time, it has been shown to decrease tension, which can result in better skin.
10. Bronzer? Fine. Self-tanner? Fine. The real thing? So not fine. In trying to protect itself from continued exposure to the sun, skin thickens and produces melanin, the pigment that darkens cells, Any pigment change from UVA or UVB light can cause premature aging and increase the likelihood of skin cancer, and tanning beds can be even worse, since they emit concentrated UVA light, which penetrates deeper than the combination of UVA and UVB rays found in sunlight. Yes, sorry I had to go there.
