5 Habits That Are Sabotaging Your Skin Health in the Long Term

Taking care of your skin is one of the best ways to maintain your overall health, boost your confidence, and delay signs of aging that can eventually lead to discomfort. While many tend to focus on skincare more intensively as they get older, it’s important to care for your skin at any age. Doing so not only helps provide comfort in the short term but also lays a strong foundation of protection and prevention later in life. 

At Bloo Pharmapeutica, we know just how important it is to care for aging skin and how much of a difference adopting best practices early on can make later on in life. Below we’ll highlight 5 bad skincare habits that you may be practicing without realizing it. Read on to learn more!

Sunbathing Without Protection

Spending time outdoors is a great way to stay active and boost your wellness by getting your daily dose of vitamin D. With that being said, it’s important to use proper protection when soaking up the sun. Sunny days bring plenty of warmth and fun, but it’s crucial to be aware of the risk that UV radiation poses to your skin health. Prolonged exposure to UV rays without sunscreen or UV-resistant clothing leaves your skin vulnerable to penetration by radiation, which damages the collagen fibres found beneath the surface and causes compound damage that leads to wrinkles and thinner skin. When spending long periods outdoors,  apply a broad-spectrum SPF of 30 or higher 

 Smoking and Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Your diet influences your health closely, and your overall skin health is no exception here. Consuming a diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants is a great way to keep your skin looking and healing at its best. Conversely, unhealthy nutritional choices like smoking, drug use, and excessive alcohol consumption negatively affect the body as a whole and slowly break down the protective and regenerative layers of the skin over time to accelerate the aging process. Smoking restricts blood flow to the skin, which starves it of oxygen and speeds up the breakdown of collagen and elastin. Alcohol causes dehydration and inflammation, aggravating existing skin conditions and straining the body’s self-healing systems. To delay the signs of aging and protect yourself against several other negative health defects, avoiding smoking and reducing alcohol consumption is crucial. 

Sleeping with Makeup On

Life is always on the go, and with many of us busier than ever before, it can be easy to skip steps in your beauty routine, like removing your makeup at the end of a long day. While it can be tempting to skip a rinsing and cleansing your face to be cosmetic-free in favour of a few extra moments of shut-eye, you may not realize the damage you’re causing to your skin in the process. Our skin accumulates make-up, dirt, sweat, and environmental pollutants throughout the day, all of which clog pores and hinder our body’s natural regeneration purpose.

 Leaving makeup on overnight leaves these pore-cloggers in place, and can lead to a wide variety of issues like acne, rashes, allergic reactions, dullness, and even premature aging due to oxidative stress. Taking a simple 5 minutes to rinse, cleanse, and treat your skin helps give it the chance to breathe, rest, and heal while you sleep. 

Skimping on Sleep: Undermining Skin’s Recovery

Speaking of sleep, one of the biggest causes of poor health and long-term stress issues is continuous sleep deprivation. Consistently red-lining yourself and missing out on valuable sleep time can quickly stack up against your health, and your skin will often be one of the first places that will display the long-term effects of chronic fatigue. Sleep deprivation inhibits the body’s ability to produce collagen properly and undergo cellular regeneration, leading to dark circles, dullness, and a wide variety of other negative detrimental effects. To avoid these kinds of issues, always prioritize a healthy sleep routine, and aim for at least 7 hours of sleep nightly whenever possible. 

 Neglecting a Consistent Skincare Routine

Finally, the sooner you implement a consistent, age-appropriate skincare routine (the needs of your skin evolve over time), the better your foundation of care will be as you get older.  To nurture your skin and promote long-term wellness, commit to a daily skincare regimen that includes cleansing, moisturizing, sun protection, and targeted treatments as needed. You may even want to consult with a dermatologist to develop a personalized skincare plan that addresses your specific concerns and goals.

Lay the Foundation for Better Skin Health Today

When it comes to looking your best and avoiding premature signs of aging, maintaining and knowing the common mistakes that lead to skin damage is key. By embracing the tips above and adopting a prevention-focused skincare routine, you can keep your skin looking and feeling its best for as long as possible. 

Looking to treat your skin to a little extra TLC and replenish moisture and vitality? Bloo Pharmapeutica’s Aqua Miraculorum product is the world’s first whole-body Methylene Blue skin bath application and is designed to help address fragile skin by increasing skin elasticity and resiliency. Learn more here and by contacting our team today!