Though you are already taking a great care of your skin, you might still be sabotaging your skin in numerous ways you have no idea about. You might flaunt a great skin regime and use the best products. Even after that, there are various unknown ways that might have an adverse effect on your skin.

Take a break; a bad habit is enough to make your skin look dull and gloomy. Here are a few such lifestyle habits which can prevent you from flaunting a healthy and youthful looking skin.

1. Not removing your makeup while sleeping
Let’s admit. We all tend to sleep with our makeup on after those late party nights and strenuous meetings. Don’t we? Well, this is one of the mistakes that might be taking a toll on your skin. This clogs your skin pores with makeup and pollutants and can lead to breakouts, further, preventing your skin to breathe, and replenish itself. Hence, it is very necessary to ensure that you remove your make-up before going to bed to get a healthy looking skin.

2. Not drinking enough water
To get a glowing and clear skin, it is essential to keep yourself well hydrated. It becomes a necessity, especially during peak summers. Less water intake makes your skin look saggy and dull. It is thus highly recommended to include more fruits and veggies in your diet with a lot of water content. Water helps in transporting nutrients to various parts of your body and helps in removing toxins from your system. Keeping yourself hydrated enhances blood flow and improves blood circulation.

3. Taking hot showers
Needless to mention, hot showers provide an ultimate relief, especially during winters. As good and relaxing as they might seem to be, they strip off your skin’s natural oil and leave it dry and dull. As a result, dry skin leads to wrinkles and dullness. It is thus highly recommended to avoid taking hot showers if you want to flaunt a healthy looking skin. Instead, you should always use cold or at least, lukewarm water for taking shower.

4. Not getting enough sleep
Lack of sleep not only interferes with your brain’s ability to function properly but can also take a toll on your skin. It is thus highly recommended to take 8 hours of proper sleep to rejuvenate your body and mind. This is because your body heals and repairs itself when you are asleep at night. Thus, making you feel fresh and energetic with a radiant skin when you wake up the next day.

5. Excessive alcohol intake
Alcohol consumption can lead to dehydration and can affect the elasticity of your skin, making it look dull and blotchy. Further, it would speed up the aging process of your skin and may even lead to the breakouts. It is thus highly recommended to drink in controlled amounts to stay youthful throughout.

6. Excessive smoking
Smoking is yet another bad habit which not only affects your skin but has an adverse impact on your health too. It works by reducing the blood circulation over the facial capillary region and further, damages the collagen. It can also speed up the aging process and can cause wrinkles. The best way to make your skin look youthful and glowing is by quitting smoking. There are many alternatives to quitting smoking.You might use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or nicotine patches or alternatively take help of rehab centers.

7. No proper protection from the sun
The best way to protect your skin from the sun is to avoid stepping out during midday when the sunlight is at its maximum intensity. However, if this is not possible, the only way out here to protect your skin from UV rays is by applying a powerful sun protection formula. It is highly advisable to apply sunscreen lotion before stepping out in the sun. Further, you should wear protective clothing to avoid direct exposure to sunlight. If you feel the sunscreen protection is wiped off, do not hesitate to apply it again.

8. Wrong or no exfoliation
Exfoliation is essential for a glowing and healthy looking skin. Proper scrubbing and exfoliation can provide your skin the much-needed glow by removing all the dead cells from your skin. It is highly recommended to choose scrubs which do not have large particles that might cause irritation or inflammation.

9. Using dirty makeup brushes
Did you ever think that makeup brushes can also impact your skin? Well, yes, they can! Dirty makeup brushes serve as the breeding place of bacteria and can cause irritation and itchiness on your skin. They can also lead to the formation of breakouts and bumps. It is thus highly recommended to use good quality make-up brushes and make it a habit to clean them on a regular basis. Further, you should always avoid using the make-up brush used by someone else as it may contain some microbes and can cause irritation on your skin.

10. Lack of exercise
Exercise is important not only to lose weight but also to keep your skin look healthy and glowing. Exercise helps in reducing stress and improving blood circulation. Further, exercise helps in oxygenating the blood flowing to the skin and makes your skin glow. It also helps in retaining the moisture content in the skin, thus making it look radiant and youthful.

Your Turn
We’re sure you must be surprised to know how our lifestyle can impact our skin adversely. What are your views on this? How many of the above-mentioned habits are you guilty of? Do let us know in the comments.