7 Ways You Are Aging Your Skin

7 Ways You Are Aging Your Skin

There are common mistakes people make about their skin while thinking they are not a big deal, but over time they can take a toll, leaving your skin and you looking prematurely aged.

Here are some of the bad skin habits you should avoid as of today and start turning back the aging clock or at least stop it from ticking very fast.


Skipping sunscreen

The No. 1 way you’re aging your skin is by not wearing sunscreen daily.

The sun is the primary cause of skin aging. The sun can reach you every day regardless whether it cloudy, rainy, or even on snowy days. Skin-damaging UV rays can penetrate through glass, so you need to apply sun protection even indoors, especially if you are sitting close to the windows.

Always choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which blocks both types of UV rays, UVA and UVB, with an SPF of at least 30. Antioxidant-fortified formulas containing ingredients such as resveratrol, vitamin C, idebenone, or coffee berry can offer additional protection.

Neglecting your hands and neck

Your face isn’t the only area that needs to be protected and taken care. Overexposure to sun affects your hands and neck just as much as your complexion. These areas show signs of aging, like dark spots, dryness, and loss of firmness.

Treat your neck and the backs of your hands as you would your face by generously applying moisturizer and sunscreen. You can buy body-specific products or simply use your face products, as they will work fine.

Spot treating pimples

Hormones tend to fluctuate so women over 40 routinely experience acne problems. But using a spot treatment to relieve red spots will only dry out the skin, leaving a raw and irritated area—and it won’t help heal the pimple either.

Instead, treat your entire face with an acne-fighting cleanser or moisturizer once a day. It’s your best bet for preventing future breakouts.

Going to bed without removing your makeup

You may find it tempting to fall into bed after a busy day—or a late night on the town—without cleaning your face. But skipping a cleanser at night can lead to breakouts later.

During the day, environmental toxins (like dirt and pollution) build up on skin and invade pores, which can cause complexion problems. Do not hit the sack before you wash your pretty face. Use a good cleanser and save your skin. If that is too much for you, then at least keep a box of cleansing towelettes bedside for added convenience—simply swipe and sleep.

Ditching products too quickly

If you’re frustrated that your new anti-aging moisturizer isn’t doing its job, stick it out longer before switching. Bouncing from product to product may leave you with the impression that nothing works for your skin.

Give a new product a chance to work by using it for at least six weeks and assess if there is a change in your complexion. One skin cycle takes 30 days [for new cells to reach the top layer of skin], so in order to see a real difference in texture, tone, and clarity, you need to use it for more than a month. If the product contains anti-aging ingredients, wait even longer. Your skin takes about four months to regenerate collagen and elastin.

Using too many products at once

If a new moisturizer is good, then you might be tempted to buy the whole range of products from the same brand. This idea maybe a good, but it is best to incorporate each new product in to your routine sequentially and not all at once. This is because if your skin gets irritated after you use a handful of new products, you won’t know what’s causing the problem and assume they’re all irritating. Instead, start with one at a time, and integrate a new product every two weeks. That way, you’ll be better able to identify what’s aggravating you, or know what combination of products makes your skin go haywire.

Skimping on sleep

Getting insufficient sleep can age skin prematurely—and, in the short run, result in dark circles and a lackluster complexion. During the day, our skin cells are battling against an onslaught of stressors, like UV rays and pollution. Sleep is vital because stress hormones drop to normal levels at night, giving cells time to repair and rejuvenate.

Plus, stress raises the levels of the hormone cortisol, which cause collagen and elastin to break down, accelerating skin aging. So please make sure you’re not depriving yourself of the sleep you need.