The popularity of anti-wrinkle creams and expensive anti-ageing serums that sell like hot cakes are proof enough that there’s an intense urge among a larger population to look young and keep skin free of wrinkles. However, before picking up an expensive anti-ageing serum, we would like to draw your attention towards some habits that are in fact robbing your skin’s youthful glow and accelerating premature ageing. It is important to identify these habits and avoid them completely so that you can keep your skin firm, young, and wrinkle free for long. Here is an article that will help you weed out the 15 most common and harmful ones.
1. Using Soap on the Face: The first thing we should do is avoid using beauty soaps on the face. Most of these soaps strip skin’s delicate pH barrier, stripping natural oil, and leaving it stretchy and dry. Among a host of skin issues it can trigger, premature ageing is the most common one. So, avoid washing your face with soap, instead switch to natural cleansers such as this (DIY Homemade Powder Facial Cleanser for All Skin Types) or gentle, dermatologist-recommended ones, such as Cetaphil.
2. Skipping Sunscreen: We do understand that sunscreen is extremely important, but then apply it only while going out or rely on makeup products with SPF to provide the protection. We would like to underline that sun rays can trigger the ageing process, and age spots, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, so do not skip sunscreen while stepping out. Sunscreen with high SPF and an umbrella are really must-haves whenever we step out. Here’s a list ofe “10 Best Fragrance Free Sunscreens in India.”
3. Living a Sedentary Life: Regular exercise not only benefits your body, it’s great for your skin as well. Exercise boosts happy hormones, flushes out toxins, and brings down inflammation in the body (one of the major factors accelerating ageing process). All forms of exercise help tone muscles, increase blood circulation, and keeps skin firm. So, if you remain a couch potato and lead an extremely inactive life, you tend to age faster. Be on your feet all through the day and lose weight in the process as well.
4. Letting Stress Take Control of your Life: Cortisol, the stress hormone, not only leads to weight gain, it also damages collagen and elastin fibers (both of which keep the skin supple and young). It’s important to find ways to reduce stress and calm down. When your mind is stress free, it helps your skin look fresh and young too. Read about some “Simple and Effective Stress Busting Techniques.”
5. Wrong Dietary Practices: Your skin shows what you eat. Eating a diet that lacks nutrition, does not have good amount of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants is bound to have a negative effect on the skin. To get that glow from within and to keep skin young, supple, and flawless, place a great deal importance on your diet and for that you can check Rati Beauty diet, which would not only help you lose weight, it will help you flaunt youthful skin as well. With the right amount of nutrition, your skin would benefit naturally. Download the Rati Beauty app for more details.
6. Smoking/Alcohol Habits: Alcohol consumption is an extremely bad habit, just like smoking. Cut down alcohol intake and quit smoking to keep your skin glowing and young.
7. Not Getting Enough Sleep: It is important that you sleep at least 8 hours every day. Avoid being a nocturnal creature, cut down on binge watching TV, and sleep well through the night. If you ignore the significance of sleep, you end up having dark circles, tired-looking eyes, puffy eye bags and all these together, you look no more the young woman you are.
8. Not Drinking Enough Water: Water is the best gift of nature and a magic elixir that keeps your skin supple, hydrated and youthful. Drink loads of water to keep your skin plump and hydrated. Your body would be free from toxins and your skin would look forever young.
9. Intense Love for Sugary Delights: Yes, you need to cut out junk food and fried foods from your diet for clear skin, but there’s a bigger enemy in your daily diet that damages skin cells, and that’s “sugar!” Cutting down sugar will have an amazing reaction on your skin because insulin spikes caused by high refined sugar in the body causes inflammation of skin which leads to premature ageing, wrinkles, acne, and uneven skin tone. If you want to look 10 years younger, then the first thing you should do is eliminate sugar from your system. Sugar in the bloodstream leads to a process called “glycation,” in which sugar molecules damage the collagen and elastin (responsible for suppleness and firmness) in our skin. Cutting down glucose will eliminate insulin spikes which will eventually lower down inflammation of the skin and you can get your youthful glow back within two weeks. So, when you cut back on sugar, you can say bye bye to acne and wrinkles for as long as you want.
10. Excessive Exposure of Blue Light From Phone and Other Gadgets: If you thought the blue light from computer screen and phones could only damage your eyes, you are totally wrong! While we may adhere to “apply sunscreen while stepping out” rule, dermatologists say it’s important to use a sunscreen for protection against blue light because it can lead to cell shrinkage and speed up the ageing of facial skin. Adding a blue screen filter on phones/laptop, switching on the “night mode,” lowering the screen’s brightness, and using a blue light defense sunscreen will help a good deal.
11. Not Following the Right Skincare Routine: Most of the times, we tend to become lazy. We want to look good and yet hate the idea of investing some time in maintaining a good skincare routine. Cleansing, toning, exfoliation and moisturizing should be part of your regular skincare regimen. Pamper your skin with natural fruit face packs once a week. Use gentle skincare products only. Also, always remember to remove makeup before hitting the bed. Use sleep time to help your skin rejuvenate and repair. Also, read about “10 Awesome Tips to Get Glowing Skin Overnight.”
12. Constantly Rubbing your Eyes: You may be doing it unintentionally, but constant rubbing your eyes can harm the delicate skin around the eyes, leading to dark circles, fine lines, and wrinkles.
13. Not Having Vitamin C and Retinol in Skincare: Vitamin C has skin brightening properties and also it’s a potent antioxidant, scavenging free radicals that damage skin cells. Retinol stimulates collagen production and helps in improving skin’s texture. That’s why, both these ingredients should be a part of your skincare routine. Ask your dermatologist to find products according to your skin type.
14. Sleeping on a Cotton Pillowcase: Most of us sleep on cotton pillows, but do you know they are not great for skin. Cotton pills have a rough texture that can cause friction on the skin and break down collagen. Choose a soft fabric for your pillows or invest in a satin pillow case to retain the youthfulness of your face.
15. Not Wearing Sunglasses: Wearing sunglasses with UV protection will prevent the skin around the eyes from wrinkling up and creasing (think about crow’s eyes). If you never forget to apply eye cream at night, then you should also protect the delicate skin around the eyes by wearing sunglasses while going out.
