Everyday Habits That Age Your Skin

We all know that a good skin care routine and sunblock helps minimize skin aging. But certain habits that we don’t think much about could also lead to premature aging! In today’s post, we are listing down surprising ways you are aging your skin:

Skipping Sunscreen during Winter

There is no excuse for skipping sunscreen. Even if it’s in the dead of winter. Ultraviolet rays actually bounce off snow and right on your face. UVA rays will penetrate the thickest of clouds to do serious damage to unprotected skin. So never skip sunscreen when you are heading out. And don’t forget to re-apply your sunblock every two hours for good measure.

Yawning

Habitual tugging and pulling of the skin causes premature wrinkles. Of all habits, yawning is the most damaging to the skin. When you yawn, the eyes water leading to puffiness and swelling. The excess fluids in the eyes weaken the skin around it, speeding up aging. That’s because the fluid reduces the elasticity of the skin. Once the skin loses elasticity, it’s not able to snap back to its original shape. And this leads to saggy under eyes.

Squinting

Squinting is guaranteed to cause forehead and eye wrinkles. Blurry vision weakens the skin tissues around the eyes. This leads to pronounced appearance of wrinkles. If you keep squinting, we recommend having your eyes checked. Prescription glasses are a great way to correct this skin-damaging habit. Frowning and other facial expressions could also cause wrinkles. Of course, these are nonverbal methods of communication so it’s one habit that’s hard to break.

Secondhand Smoke

Tobacco smoke contains 8,000 toxic chemicals – 7 of which cause cancer. Worse, it also breaks down skin tissues causing wrinkles. If you think secondhand smoke won’t damage your skin, think again. Because the toxic compounds in secondhand smoke is unfiltered, it’s even more damaging to the skin. It destroys enzymes that produce collagen and weakens the elastic fibers of the skin. The result? Saggy, dry and blotchy skin. If you smoke, quit right now. If you are often exposed to secondhand smoke, use skin care products loaded with antioxidants.

Over-exfoliation

Exfoliation is an essential part of any skin care routine. When done right, it will eliminate dead skin cells that age the skin. It will also restore radiance by revealing the younger skin beneath all that gunk. But, over-exfoliation accelerates aging too.

Too much exfoliation causes minute damages on the skin. This leads to flaking, dehydration, and inflammation. Aggressive exfoliation also destroys healthy cells and triggers melanin production. This leads to hyperpigmentation.

To prevent all these, use non-abrasive scrubs. Reduce the frequency of exfoliation to twice per week. If you must do micro-peels, make sure to consult your dermatologist to find out the safe way to peel the skin. Never use at-home peels for the first time without supervision from an expert.

Your Sleeping Position

Sleeping on your side could also cause wrinkles. That’s because your head weight combined with friction between the pillowcase and your skin causes skin creasing. Overtime, this will lead to permanent wrinkles. We recommend investing on silk pillowcases to minimize wrinkles while you sleep.