The Skincare Guide: Bad Lifestyle Habits for your Skin

Nobody will be innocent in this post, myself included, but nonetheless I will persevere (though likely with my head low). Most of these points will be total no-brainers, but some might not be so obvious or well known among your average person.

1) Smoking: probably one of the worst there is. Horrible for your health, and thus your skin as well. And you can always tell if someone's a smoker just by looking at their face - it usually has a slight grey tinge to it and looks as dry as the sahara desert. I'm a huge anti-smoker campaigner, so if you are a smoker, here's my advice: quit NOW (stress is no excuse, there are millions of healthy alternative stress-relievers), and if you're not a smoker - GO YOU! *fist pump*

2) Sugar: the number one evil in our diets, sadly. Obviously, it's virtually impossible to completely to cut it out of your life, and if you did it'd be a very a sad life, so just try and keep your intake low. The current recommended daily amount by the World Health Organization is 7 teaspoons (more info here). Of course, you can still have your cheat days, just don't expect your skin to greet you in the morning looking air-brushed with zero whiteheads. Same goes with all junk food (e.g. greasy pizza, burgers, etc). You are what you eat. 

3) Alcohol: again, bad for your health, makes your liver work harder to get it out of your system, incredibly dehydrating and thus results in dehydrated skin. If you don't drink - great, if you do - keep your intake low (e.g. 1 glass of wine). Some alcoholic drinks tend to also contain a ton of sugar as well, especially cocktails.

4) Stress: an unpleasant sensation for all of us no doubt, but also wreaks havoc on your skin. Stress causes hormonal imbalances, which can lead to break outs. I know it's hard to avoid stress, so just keep it mind if you're wondering what could be the cause of recent breakouts.

5) Lack of Sleep: I would go as far as to say this is the biggest cause of breakouts. Sleep is when your body restores itself and balances hormones. Thus, if you had to sacrifice some sleep and only got 7 hours of sleep or less, it will immediately show. It throws your body completely off balance, especially with hormones. I personally break out every time I get a bad night's of sleep and my boyfriend does too. Luckily, the solution is simple: get some sleep! Ideal would be 8-10 hours. 

6) Dairy: When I say dairy, I am mainly referring to milk. Milk tends to promote inflammation within the body, and inflammation is exactly what tends to bring about acne. The red puffiness around a spot? Yeah, that's inflammation. If you can avoid milk all together, or substitute it with something like almond milk, brilliant! If not, then try lowering your intake.

7) Sunbathing: refer to this post for further information. But to sum it up, there's no such thing as a safe tan, if your skin browns then that's your DNA being damaged. The UVA rays from the sun age you, so if you don't want to look like a shrivelled prune when you're only 30, then stay in the shade and wear sunscreen!

Next time on The Skincare Guide: Dehydrated Skin