Taking care of your skin isn’t as simple as using cleansers daily. If you want to maintain a youthful glow, you should commit to some lifestyle changes. Like losing weight or building muscles, restoring beautiful skin also takes effort, willpower, and discipline.
But how come some people — especially boys and men — manage to have good skins without a lengthy skincare ritual? Well, that’s because a lifestyle change isn’t just improving your skincare routine. In addition, genetics also influence the condition of your skin. If your family has always had oily skin, then you’re predisposed to frequent breakouts, too. Maybe the people you’ve met with good skins yet only do the bare minimum just happen to have good DNA. If not, chances are their lifestyle practices help them stay blooming.
To finally unravel the secret to smooth, youthful skin, here are the everyday habits that can affect your skin health:
1. Drinking Too Much Caffeine
Starting your day with a cup of coffee or tea is fine; healthy, even. But binge-drinking caffeinated drinks every day can damage your skin. Caffeine is a diuretic, which is a substance that helps your body get rid of sodium and water. In other words, caffeine makes you urinate, drying out your skin in the process.
If you must drink caffeine at night for an important task, offset its effect by using an effective, hydrating water-based facial serum. The product will lock in moisture to your skin, letting it stay hydrated throughout your sleep and until you wake up in the morning. However, in the long run, excessive caffeine will still dehydrate your skin no matter how many layers of moisturizers you use. So best reduce your caffeine intake now while you can still reverse its effects.
2. Eating Too Much Fast Food
As much as fast food triggers your brain’s reward system, it also triggers a breakout. Acne is strongly associated with food loaded with calories, fat, and refined carbohydrates, all of which are found in fast-food meals.
It’s actually unclear why fast food triggers acne. Some researchers propose that fast food alters hormone levels in a way that produces acne. So while fast food doesn’t directly cause acne, its unhealthy contents will have an effect on your health. And it is known that an unhealthy body also leads to unhealthy skin.
3. Consuming Whey Protein Powder
Whey protein powder is a popular dietary supplement. It has lots of benefits, such as increasing the body’s amino acids, improving athletic performance, and providing a milk substitute for lactose-intolerant people. However, amino acids also help your skin cells grow and divide more quickly, which could result in the formation of acne.
Moreover, amino acids in whey protein can also stimulate higher insulin production. This can also contribute to breakouts.
Alternatively, whey protein powder is also shown to help lower the risk of eczema in young children. Some evidence also suggests that taking a specific whey protein extract every day for eight weeks can reduce symptoms of psoriasis.
4. Not Changing Your Pillowcases As Often As Needed
Pillows can cause a number of skin problems, including premature aging and acne. If you often wake up and find creases on your pillowcase, those things can actually break down your collagen and elastic tissue. That would eventually lead to sagging skin and wrinkles.
In addition, pillowcases hold more bacteria, sweat, oil, and hair-care product buildup more than you realize. If you don’t change them as often as recommended, your pillowcases could be the reason why you have zits.
Experts recommend changing pillowcases as often as once every two nights. To delay aging, use silk or copper pillowcases. They don’t crease and are less abrasive on the skin.
5. Using a Harsh Laundry Detergent
If you have sensitive skin, you should be quite picky with your laundry detergent. Harsh types can cause contact dermatitis, an allergic reaction that causes red and itchy rashes. The rashes can be widespread or confined to the areas near the armpits and groin.
To avoid contact dermatitis, look for common allergens in the ingredients label. These include:
- Parabens
- Enzymes
- Preservatives
- Colors and dyes
- Fabric softener
- Thickeners and solvents
- Emulsifiers
- Moisturizers
You can also narrow down your options to the hypo-allergenic types to make your search quicker. Read reviews online to find out if anyone has ever suffered contact dermatitis after using a specific brand.
6. Using Your Smartphone or Tablet for Hours At a Time
The blue light from your screens has the same effect as exposing yourself to the sun without sunscreen. It can cause aging spots, wrinkles, and an increased risk for skin cancer. So even if you won’t go anywhere, wear your sunscreen.
It won’t be easy to make lifestyle changes to care for your skin, so take small steps. One by one, abandon your bad habits until healthy choices and practices become second nature to you.
