We all try to do the best with our beauty routines, hoping to keep our face and body in optimum condition and preserve its health for as long as possible. However we all get into bad habits, but sometimes we don’t even realise that what we’re doing can be damaging. Take a look at the list below of 10 beauty habits that can bring more damage than good to see if you recognise any of them in your own beauty routine.
Using Face Wipes
Face wipes are good at removing make up before proper cleansing but they shouldn’t be used alone to clean the face. Wipes spread makeup, skin oils and dirt around instead of rinsing them away like a good cleanser and water. They also dry out the skin, making it more prone to flakiness and premature ageing.
Using Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly is often used to try and moisturise chapped lips but this is not what the product was made for. In fact, petroleum jelly is best at creating a barrier on the skin- to protect open skin from dirt, to lubricate the hands during manual labour and to make dry joints like the elbows less uncomfortable. This barrier effect means that petroleum jelly is good at protecting your lips from the cold but little else, as it actually prevents moisture from entering the skin meaning your lips will be more dry and chapped in the long run.
Not Moisturising
You may think that because your skin is normal or oily that you don’t need to moisturise, but think again. Moisturisers help to plump the skin and deliver ingredients into the lower layers of the skin that you can’t see. If you have oily skin but your face often feels tight, then it may be dehydrated and in need of water instead of the oil that it produces. Try using a water based moisturiser everyday and see how your skin changes.
Washing Hair Everyday
While it may seem like basic hygiene to wash your hair everyday, it actually isn’t necessary, even for oily hair. Washing the hair too much can dry it out, making it weak and brittle but also stimulating your scalp to over-produce oil, meaning hair will seem dirtier in the long run. Try to wash your hair every two to three days and use dry shampoo in between. Your oily hair will actually become less oily over time.
Cutting Cuticles
Trimming the cuticles is often a basic part of a manicure but actually this is an unnecessary step. The cuticles should never be cut or trimmed because this can leave the skin and nail bed open to infection from unclean tools or outside germs. Instead, use an orange wood stick to gently push back the cuticles, taking care not to break the skin.
Not Cleaning Makeup Brushes
You may think you’re doing your brushes a favour by not getting them wet, but this beauty habit can be doing damage that you can’t see. Makeup, skin cells and bacteria can collect in your brushes meaning they don’t work as well as they used to and using them may be clogging your pores. Wash your brushes often in warm soapy water or use an on the spot antibacterial cleaner to remove makeup and kill acne causing bacteria.
Sleeping in Makeup
Even after a long night you should still make the effort to remove as much makeup as you can before bed. Foundation, concealer and powder can clog the pores when left on the skin for a long time and not washing your face twice a day will allow grime and dead skin cells to build up.
Scrubbing Everyday
Using exfoliating scrubs or rough exfoliating tools on the skin everyday can irritate it and cause it to age prematurely as skin cells are unnecessarily broken down and removed. If your skin is rough or bumpy, use a gentle chemical exfoliator like salicylic acid or glycolic acid instead and leave the scrubs to once a week or less.
Re-using Razors
While razors are designed to be used more than once, using the same one over a long period of time can do your skin more harm than good. Soap and skin cells can build up on the blades, making them blunt and allowing bacteria to grow on them. The combination of blunt blades and bacteria can lead to skin irritation and shaving cuts, leaving the area open to infection.
Using Old Makeup
There is no point trying to save money by using old makeup when this beauty habit can cause more harm than good- beauty products can go off when bacteria from the area and your skin enter the packaging after it has been opened. In particular, products with wands like lip gloss and mascara can harbour bacteria from the skin and create an enclosed environment for it to grow. Most skincare products will have their ‘use by time’ shown on the packaging with an M for months, but eye products and those in tubes should be thrown away after six months or less and other makeup should be used up or thrown out within a year.
