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Seven Surprising Things That Are Wrecking Your Skin

1. Skimping On Sleep

Looks like Sleeping Beauty may have had the best anti-aging strategy. A good night’s rest can have a great effect on skin because lack of sleep can prevent adequate secretion of melatonin levels, a natural antioxidant leading to accelerated aging and reduced skin health.  But even while we sleep, the threat of wrinkles looms. According to 9 Things You Need to Stop Doing to Your Skin, persistently pressing your face into a pillow can cause trauma to your skin, including permanent creases, known as sleep wrinkles. The best way to prevent sleep wrinkles is to sleep on your back with a pillow that is contoured to cradle your head and neck, making it easier to lie on your back throughout the night.

2. Applying Products Out of Order

A key to getting the maximum benefit from a skincare regimen is to apply products from thin to thick consistency after you cleanse, i.e. toner, serum, cream. Heavier products can block lighter-weight ones from penetrating the skin.

3. Outdated Glasses/Contact Lens Prescription

Anything that makes you squint – like not updating your contact lens prescription – leads to more fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area says marieclaire.com. Get your eyes checked annually to keep your prescription current. And if you’re of the age where reading the menu in a dimly lit restaurant is difficult, try using the light on you cell phone for illumination or use readers, which now come in a variety of fashionable colors and shapes.

4. Using Tap Water To Wash

Chlorine in tap water can strip the natural oils from skin and cause dryness and irritation, especially during the winter months when there is less humidity in the air. Consider installing a showerhead with a built-in water filter and check out Winterize Your Skin for more beauty tips.

5. Your Cellphone

Your cellphone is crawling with germs and bacteria so be sure to clean it regularly says 5 Ways Your Phone Is Ruining Your Skin, but first check the manufacturers’ cleaning instructions. And that’s not all, constantly looking down at your phone can lead to saggy jowls and “text neck,” which can cause neck, shoulder, and back pain. So consider bringing your phone closer to eye level when you want to read or answer your messages. Plus, if you have a sensitivity to allergens like nickel, cobalt, and chromium, and your phone’s case is made with those elements, you could develop “Mobile Phone Dermatitis.”

6. The Plastic On Your Dry-Cleaning 

To avoid skin irritation, goodhousekeeping.com says, take the plastic off your dry cleaning as soon as you get home. The longer the plastic stays on your clothes, the more skin-harming chemicals are absorbed.

7. Neglecting Your Yearly Skin Cancer Exam

According to American Academy of Dermatology, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Remember to always use sunscreen and schedule an annual skin cancer screening.