Beauty Tips: 11 Bad Beauty Habits That Can Easily Make You Look 10 Years Older

If you want to have youthful skin, you can't just spend money and time on your face. Your personal living habits, maintenance methods and whether you exercise or not all affect the barometer of skin health.

    1. Not using broad-spectrum sunscreen

If you want your skin to be wrinkle-free, sagging, and spot-free, the best way is to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB. Generally speaking, the sunscreen should have a SPF of at least SPF30/PA++, and if you are outdoors for a long time, it is recommended to reapply every two hours. We know it's painful, but it's better to have a good laugh than to have wrinkles every time you laugh.

2. Smoking

Smoking not only harms your health, but also causes deeper wrinkles and more spots on your skin. According to a study published in the American Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, smoking for 10 years is equivalent to looking 2-5 years older.

3. Alcoholism

Sure, you can still have a drink every day for fun, but if you drink more than one cocktail a day, you're damaging your skin. Alcohol stimulates inflammation in the bloodstream. "Over time, the skin will sag faster," says renowned dermatologist Fredric Brandt.

    4. Not exercising

In addition to boosting your mood, exercise can also speed up blood flow in the skin, make your complexion rosy, and relieve stress, which results in better skin. "When people are under great psychological stress, cortisone levels will rise, causing stress acne and aggravating other skin problems," said dermatologist Rodan. "Reducing the rise of stress hormones will naturally make the skin smoother and cleaner." Of course, remember to wash your face immediately after exercise.

5. Squeeze pimples

It's tempting to pop a pimple, but that only pushes bacteria deeper into the skin, leading to inflammation, infection, and scarring -- and likely to double the number of pimples a week or two later. Of course, using high doses of acne treatments isn't a good idea, either. "Using a lot of benzoyl peroxide can damage the skin around the pimple and cause more problems," says Dover, a dermatologist in Boston. Apply 2.5 % of benzoyl peroxide to the pimple at night, and then apply the product to the pimple in the morning. For stubborn pimples, prescription tretinoin is recommended, but use it only as directed by your doctor.

6. Going to bed without washing your face

Sleeping with makeup on and all the dirt and oil from the day can clog pores and cause breakouts, especially for acne-prone skin. “The body temperature rises after sleep, and the skin’s ability to absorb nutrients increases,” Rodan says, “so you want to make sure that only those nutrients are absorbed by the facial skin.”

   7. Eating junk food

The latest research found that those who replace processed carbohydrates with whole-grain foods and high-protein foods are less likely to get acne. The reason is: "Foods with a high glycemic index will cause blood sugar to rise, stimulating the secretion of insulin, and insulin will stimulate the secretion of male hormones, making the skin prone to acne." Miami dermatologist (best-selling book "The Skin Type Solution" author) Baumann said.

8. Staying up late

"Lack of sleep can cause stress and lead to a variety of skin problems, such as acne, eczema and psoriasis," said Karyn Grossman, a dermatologist in New York City. "When you sleep, your body automatically repairs the damage it suffers during the day. If this process is changed, it will slow down the rate of cell regeneration." In short, blood flow to the skin is disrupted, and you will look pale.

9. Choosing the wrong skin care products

Leslie Baumann said that using skin care products that are not suitable for you is the most common mistake. The following are suggestions for choosing skin care products for different skin types:

Oily skin: Choose a cleanser containing salicylic acid, use an oil-free lotion to prevent shine, and use a chemical exfoliant containing glycolic acid once a week.

Sensitive skin: Use a non-foaming, hypoallergenic cleanser. Use fragrance-free, non-irritating sunscreens, and choose anti-aging creams that have specially added moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and shea butter.

Combination skin: Choose a foaming cleanser for oily skin, use a lightweight moisturizer, and apply a more moisturizing cream to particularly dry areas.

Dry skin: Choose a soap-free cleanser to avoid removing the skin's natural oils, use a cream containing trehalose, and use anti-aging products containing retinol every other day (using it every day will dry out the skin). If you feel that retinol is too dry, you can also use a cream containing pentapeptides or kinetin.

    10. Using dirty makeup brushes

The result of not washing your makeup brushes is that the color you apply will blend, and the pores will be easily clogged and infected with bacteria. Every three weeks, you should clean your makeup brushes with shampoo or a special makeup brush cleaner. You can also choose antibacterial makeup brushes, but you should still clean them once a month.

11. Apply layer after layer of skin care products

"When I ask patients to show me their skincare routine, they bring me bags full of makeup," said Patricia Wexler, a dermatologist in New York City. "They don't check to see if there are any overlaps or conflicts when adding products."

In fact, some active ingredients in cosmetics can counteract each other’s effects, and sometimes using them together can cause skin discomfort or damage. “When a person wants to solve different skin problems at the same time in their skincare regimen, adverse reactions are most likely to occur. For example, when using products to treat photodamaged skin and adult acne at the same time, those ingredients are often too irritating or incompatible with each other,” Baumann said.

Remember to mix the following ingredients separately: Retinol, glycolic acid (also called AHA), VC and benzoyl peroxide (an acne treatment ingredient). If you must use them, it is best to separate them during the day and at night.