5 Good Skin Care Habits + 5 Bad Ones to Kick

Everyone has good habits and everyone has some bad ones too, and those tendencies likely extend to your skin care routine. Good skin care habits can help you foster and maintain your most beautiful skin throughout the years. While, bad skin care habits can sabotage even the best efforts. For beautiful skin every day, try to kick some of the bad skin care habits you’ve acquired and replace them with skin care routine steps that can boost your complexion, not hinder it.

Good skin care habit #1: Being flexible with your skin care products. If you already cater to your skin’s needs as they fluctuate and change, then you get a skin care gold star. Your skin will experience oil at times and dryness at others. It may also experience both oily and dry skin at the same time! Keep a selection of skin care products on hand so that you can address your skin concerns and take care of your everyday skin needs simultaneously. Consider having a creamy cleanser at the ready for days when your skin is dry and swap it out for a foaming cleanser when you’re experiencing excess oil. You can also swap out heavy moisturizers for lightweight options when your skin is oily and vice versa. A variety of face masks can also prove to be helpful, as you can apply one to help address your top concern, or multi-mask to address all of your skin woes at once.

Skin care good habit #2: Wearing SPF every, single day. Not a day should go by, when you face the world sans sun protection. If you take SPF application seriously and have it as an essential part of your daily skin care routine, then you are on the right track. SPF can help keep some common signs of skin aging, like fine lines, wrinkles and age spots from developing prematurely. Not to mention, regular application can also better your chances for a more even-looking skin tone, keeping lobster-like complexions at bay. Make sure the sun protective skin care product you apply is formulated with SPF broad spectrum protection so that you shield your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.

Skin care good habit #3: Cleansing in addition to removing makeup. If you take the time to properly clean your skin, your complexion will thank you for it. It’s wise to think of cleansing your skin and removing your makeup as two separate skin care routine steps. If you simply wash your face without removing your makeup first you may not be achieving the best clean for your skin Removing your makeup before cleansing can better ensure your skin is not only free of day-old makeup, but surface oil, dirt and sweat too.

Skin care good habit #4: Treating yourself by treating your skin. Allotting some time to pamper yourself will always be well worth it, especially if you spend that time pampering your skin. When you spend a little extra time on your skin care routine a few times a week you can address any concerns and boost your skin’s natural beauty potential. Encourage beautiful skin by applying a face mask two to three times a week or apply a cold compress to the skin around your eyes. You can also take some time to relax and exercise with a yoga class, which can help highlight the look of your skin’s natural radiance.

Skin care good habit #5: Taking advantage of your sleeping hours. Your skin’s recuperating abilities are at their prime while you sleep, so if you follow this good skin care habit, then you know that applying a nourishing night cream is a simple step that can foster worthwhile results overtime. Pick a night cream that is formulated to address your skin aging concerns, like fine lines or sagging skin. And, make sure that you clock enough hours of shut eye, so that your skin’s recuperating process can get the time it needs.

Hopefully, you’re following all five of these good skin care habits, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re not guilty of any of the below. Check this list to be sure your skin care routine is on fleek.

Skin care bad habit #1: Focusing on covering up concerns instead of addressing them. If you look to concealer and foundation to solve your top skin care concerns, then you’re going about things all wrong. If blemishes, breakouts or signs of skin aging steal your focus, look for ways to address them; not only cover them up. Follow a skin care routine and look to products designed to address your skin care woes. And, consider trying a skin smoother to help blur imperfections and hydrate your skin at the same time.

Skin care bad habit #2: Only cleansing at night. Sure, it’s important to wash away the dirt and oil that can build up on your skin’s surface throughout your day at night, but it’s also just as important to start your day with a fresh face, as sweat and oil can accumulate while you sleep too. You don’t have to use the same cleansing product that’s a part of your nighttime skin care routine, you can opt for a gentle cleansing formula like micellar water or a quick-cleansing skin care product like a facial wipe or towelette.

Skin care bad habit #3: Intentionally drying out your skin. While it has become popular to look to skin care methods that will dry skin out, when your skin is extra oily or prone to breakouts, you should try to focus on balancing your skin’s natural oil production. When your skin is intentionally dried out, you can trick it into thinking that it needs to produce even more oil to make up for the temporary dryness. Instead of following this bad skin care habit, look for ways to provide your skin lightweight moisture, like with a hydrating serum formula that is non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores.

Skin care bad habit #4: Not removing your makeup. Changing into your pajamas is not the only nighttime necessity – just as you take off your day clothes, you also have to take off your day makeup too. Makeup residue can mix with dead skin cells and clog your pores resulting in a dry, flaky complexion or otherwise easily avoided breakouts and blemishes. There are many ways to remove makeup, try a micellar water formula, gentle toner or facial wipe.

Skin care bad habit #5: Following a harsh outlook and approach. If you are hard on your skin, then you’re not helping it – or yourself. Harshly rubbing, scrubbing and drying your skin can cause more harm than good. And, not having a positive outlook and stressing about your skin care concerns can also exacerbate some of your top woes. Relax, gently apply skin care products and treat your skin with care.

When following any skin care routine, whether it’s anti-aging focused, simple or trendy, be sure that you keep these good habits in mind. And, if you’re guilty of any of the bad skin care habits, be sure to nip them in the bud and replace them with the good ones ASAP so that you can have beautiful skin today, tomorrow and in the years to come.