11 Sneaky Ways You're Damaging Your Skin Without Realizing It
I know if you’re reading this blog post, then like me, you love caring for your skin. You’ve invested in quality skincare products, do your research about which trends are good or not, and either visit an esthetician regularly for treatments or consult a professional for skincare advice.
But sometimes, even with great skincare and treatments, you can damage your skin in ways that we wouldn’t notice or think about. In this blog, I’m listing 12 surprising habits that might be sabotaging the hard work you put into having healthy skin. Let’s shine a light on the sneaky stuff so your skin can truly thrive!
scrub me secret: something I love to do is ride my bike outside. I love to cycle for hours multiple times a week when the weather is nice enough. I’m always diligent about applying proper SPF and remembering to reapply after a couple of hours. And of course I wear a helmet. But last summer, I started to notice a small patch of hyperpigmentation on my forehead right on my hairline. I realized sun rays were sneaking in through the slats in the helmet, and because I was sweating so much, my SPF was diminishing more quickly. To address this issue, I purchased a UV protection cycling cap to go underneath my helmet.
🧴 1. Skipping the Reapplication of SPF
SPF should be reapplied every 2 hours while you’re spending time outside or in a sunny setting. Sunscreen and SPF work by either blocking UV rays or using chemicals to absorb radiation from the sun, making it less damaging to the skin. UVA and UVB rays degrade your SPF product as time goes on; therefore, in order to keep getting a proper level of sun protection, we need to reapply. **If you are spending most of your day indoors or in a dark place, there is no need to reapply this often.
Skipping the SPF reapplication can lead to sunburn, unwanted pigmentation, and collagen/elastin damage.
☀️ 2. Catching UV Rays Through Car or Home Windows
Glass doesn't block all UVA rays, so sitting near a window at work, home, or driving in a car for long periods can give you major skin damage if you aren’t wearing your SPF and reapplying like I talked about above. Also, if you like a window seat on an airplane, remember to wear your sun protection.
scrub me secret: Certain car window tints give you more UV protection. If you live in a sunny place, I recommend it! Both my husband and I have window tints, and they’re much needed here in Colorado.
💤 3. Inconsistent Sleep Is Sabotaging Skin Repair
When we sleep, our bodies work to heal and regenerate important tissues and organs. Our bodies also release important hormones during deep sleep. All of these functions lead to a healthier body and healthier skin (because our skin is our biggest organ). Going to bed and waking up around the same time each day and evening is one of the best ways to ensure we get our best, REM sleep.
Getting inconsistent or not enough sleep leads to more inflammation in the body and less overall regeneration and repair. And that can contribute to both skin and health issues.
🥦 4. Too Many Processed Foods, Not Enough Fresh Nourishment
Fresh fruits, veggies, grains, and proteins contain antioxidants, hydration, and nutrients you won’t find in packaged snacks. Some packaged foods contain sugars, high sodium, and artificial ingredients that impact our skin and body negatively. Flooding your diet with fresh, homemade foods and produce helps reduce the amount of processed foods you eat.
I love having frozen fruit in my freezer to make smoothies for breakfast and snacks. I like to pick up veggies at local markets or farmers’ markets as well as high-quality meats, and I prepare most of my meals at home. I also opt for baked goods made at home or from local bakeries.
scrub me secret: this blog post is a great list of things you can add to your diet for more nutrients, protein, and/or hydration scrub-me.com/scrubmesecrets-blog/superfoods-drinks-supplements-for-healthy-skin
⚖️ 5. Electrolyte Imbalance Affects Skin Hydration
Too little sodium, potassium, or magnesium in your body can throw off your skin's moisture levels and could also contribute to unwanted puffiness. Electrolytes are minerals that help your body regulate hydration and send it to the areas you need it most, keeping you more hydrated than just drinking water alone.
For better hydration, I think we should all aim to include a serving of electrolytes in our daily water intake. Minerals found in sea salt are the primary source of electrolytes in the electrolyte powders I enjoy drinking. I believe they are the best kinds for our skin and body. These minerals are naturally derived and, when ingested properly and in the right amounts, have great benefits for us.
🔥 6. Scalding Showers Can Strip Your Skin Barrier
Hot baths and showers might feel relaxing and comforting in the moment, but they damage your protective lipid layer over time. This means the hotter the water we use, the less our skin can retain hydration and moisture. So if you’re wondering why the skin on your body, or maybe your face too, always feels dry, dull, and itchy, this could be one of your issues.
I recommend using lukewarm water to shower. If you want your heat fix, a sauna or an infrared sauna is a great place to get it.
scrub me secret: This hot/cold showering ritual is something I’ll do from time to time. It’s a great way to boost your energy, improve skin and hair health, and support your immune system!
🚫 7. Using Products with Harsh Chemicals or Irritants
Sneaky ingredients like fragrance, perfumes, alcohol, certain preservatives, and stabilizers can contribute to uneven skin tone, texture issues, breakouts, or sensitivity issues. Even if you’re using clean and safe for skin facial items, I find that most people overlook the ingredients in body washes and commercial soaps. You’ll be really surprised at the change you can see in your skin when you switch away from products with fragrance (essential oils in certain concentrations are totally okay) and other harmful ingredients.
This blog post I wrote has some great tips on navigating your skincare product label, and I gave a list of my “red flag” ingredients.
😰 8. Chronic Stress Disrupts Skin Function
Stress hormones like cortisol cause unwanted inflammation in the body. Stress also disrupts other important functions like tissue regeneration, our immune system, and other hormonal balances. Therefore, when we are over-stressed, it’s common to have flare-ups of rosacea, acne, psoriasis, or eczema if you already struggle with any of these skin conditions. The inflammation of stress can also make our faces look puffier and “saggy”.
Over time, long periods of high stress can cause long-lasting skin and health issues. That’s why we need to prioritize time for things like meditation, time away from devices, deep breathing, massage, yoga, facials, or whatever else relaxes you. It’s not frivolous to relax; it’s necessary.
📱 9. Blue Light and Screen Time May Accelerate Aging
HEV light, or high-energy visible blue light that radiates from our technological devices, can cause our skin to age more quickly by degrading our important proteins in the skin. This light is naturally occurring in sunlight and is also found in other places, like lighting emitted from our computers, cell phones, tablets, and other tech devices we hold close to our faces. Also, looking down at your devices and squinting while you look at them causes wrinkles in your neck and face. Not to mention neck pain!
To combat factors like this that cause lines, wrinkles, and skin damage, I suggest wearing daily SPF to deflect the HEV rays, holding your phone at an angle where you can have better posture while using it, and limiting your screen time (we all know we could use a little less 😉)
🤦 10. Constantly Touching or Rubbing Your Face
Mindlessly rubbing your eyes, picking at blemishes, and touching your face without thinking about it is a common habit a lot of people share.
The problem with constantly rubbing your eyes or other areas of your face is that you are pulling and tugging at delicate skin, oftentimes pulling in a downward direction. Over time, this causes early sagging skin and a heavy or droopy eye area. Also, there could be bacteria or other substances on your hands that could lead to skin or eye irritation.
Picking at your skin not only makes blemishes stick around for longer, but it can also cause pigmentation called PIH - post-inflammatory pigmentation. Unlike a typical mark we might see after a breakout, that we didn’t pick or let a professional treat, this type of pigmentation is darker, covers a bit more surface area, and is harder to fade away. When picking or popping a blemish, there is also a chance you can introduce new bacteria into your skin via your nails or hands.
So if you needed a good reason to break that habit of touching your face, just remember that less sagging skin, less irritation, and fewer blemishes can be in your future if you break the habit!
scrub me secret: A spot treatment is an amazing way to treat your blemishes without picking at them. This blog post I wrote has a list of esthetician-approved spot treatments that help your breakouts go away quickly.
🧢 11. Forgetting to Clean Hats, Sunglasses, and Helmets
I love hats and sunglasses, especially ones with UV protection. But forgetting to wash your hats or wipe your sunglass frames clean can introduce bacteria and debris into your pores. We even have to remember to wipe clean our bike helmets and any other protective goggles or gear we wear on our faces/heads. That stuff gets caked with sweat and skin oils! Not cleaning these types of items mostly always ends up in blackheads, small white heads, or even larger pustules that could have been prevented.
I like to use an alcohol wipe for my sunglasses frames and for the inside of my bike helmet. I wash all my baseball caps after one use if I'm sweating. And I wash the ones I wear casually once a week.
Click the photo to book with me! I look forward to helping you with your skin ✨
Is your skin needing some help, or are you looking for skincare guidance? Visit me at my skincare studio in Boulder, and I’ll help you on the path to your best, healthiest skin ever!