We all know spending hours out in the sun is the perfect way to get pre-mature wrinkles. You may have also heard that dry skin exaggerates fine lines. Or that squinting makes your crow’s feet worse.
The resilience of skin is inevitably going to break down over the years, but you may be speeding up the process without knowing it. Watch out for these 10 sneaky skin wrinklers.
Washing Your Face Improperly
That’s right. There is a right way and wrong way to wash your face. If you’ve just been using soap and water while you’re in the shower you aren’t doing your skin any favors. If you’re scrubbing your face it’s probably doing more harm than good. Washing your face too many times a day could also be a problem if you have dry skin.
Experts recommend washing your face at the sink using lukewarm water to wet your skin and loosen up the dirt in pores. Work in a soap-free cleanser by using circular motions from the center of the face outwards. Finish by washing the cleanser off with cold water and patting your face dry.
Skipping Steps in Your Skin Care Routine
Cleanse, tone, moisturize – that’s all you need for flawless skin. Right? Not quite if you want to prevent or improve wrinkles.
Those three steps are the cornerstones of good skin care, but if you’re not exfoliating and using a serum with antioxidants you’re missing a few key essentials. The best way to avoid missing steps in your daily skin care routine is by using a set like Dermaclara Complete. It has everything you’d ever need to nourish your delicate epidermis.
Sleeping on Your Side or Stomach
You probably never realized how you sleep at night can have a huge impact on wrinkles. Dermatologists note that if you sleep on your side or stomach wrinkles are more likely to form because your face is pressing into the pillow. Overtime anywhere the skin folds wrinkles will develop, especially if you tend to sleep only on one side.
Yo-Yo Dieting
Gaining and losing weight repeatedly through fad diets is bad for your skin for a few reasons. First off, fad diets rarely provide the nutrition you need to support your skin structure. Second, fluctuations in weight can do a number on your skin’s elasticity.
Chewing Gum
Is that minty fresh breath worth added wrinkles around your mouth? The more your face moves the more dynamic wrinkles will form. When you chew gum your mouth is constantly moving when it doesn’t have to. Smoking cigarettes and drinking through a straw are equally bad wrinkle-forming habits. Plus, smoking cigarettes reduces blood flow to the skin.
Eating Lots of Refined Sugar
Refined sugar (the white kind you find in processed foods) isn’t just bad for your waistline. New studies have proven that sugar molecules break down collagen and elastin in the skin. Excess sugar can also cause free radicals to form and wreak havoc on a cellular level. The result – skin that is looser, less plump and more likely to wrinkle.
Fluorescent Lights
If you think you’re safe from UV damage when you’re indoors, think again. Sitting under fluorescent lights at work exposes you to a significant amount of UV radiation. While the research doesn’t suggest fluorescent lights can cause skin cancer, it’s clear that they can speed up the photo-aging process.
Drying Out the Air in Your Home
The air quality indoors is worse than outdoors, mostly because of poor circulation. However, if you crank up the air conditioner or heater all the time you’re also drying out the inside of your home. The dry air will suck the moisture right out of your skin making wrinkles more exaggerated. After a while, the dryness will damage the skin barrier. If you use your HVAC system on a regular basis invest in a humidifier to add moisture back into the air.
Never Breaking a Sweat
Has it been ages since you went to the gym or jogged around the neighborhood? A recent study found that regular exercise can reverse skin aging in people of all ages. Exercising is extremely beneficial for skin because it improves blood circulation. Blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to the skin, just as it does the rest of the body, while also reducing free radicals.
Forgoing Fish
Fish is a healthy source of lean protein, but it can also be beneficial for your face. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish help cells retain water, which helps skin stay moisturized. Hate the taste of fish? Then opt for an omega-3 fatty acid supplement or snack on walnuts instead.
