6 Things That Are Bad for Your Skin

   1. Going to sleep without washing your face

This is something that we're all guilty of. After a long day we get home and then go straight to bed without washing our face. Sleeping with makeup on will block your pores and lead to acne.
Also skin regenerates during sleep, so with all the makeup and impurities that it has accumulated during the day, it cannot function properly. It disrupts cell turnover, leaving your skin looking lifeless and dull.
So always wash your face at night before going to sleep.

And to make it worse: Not washing your pillowcase regularly!
Not only we make the mistake of sleeping with our makeup on, but we also do not change the pillowcase as often as we should. All the impurities from our skin and hair can cause breakouts.

   2. Overexfoliating

Removing dead skin cells definitely makes your skin look younger and radiant - unless you overdo it. Skin should be exfoliated only 1-2 times per week to speed up cell turnover. But lately, with the increase in use of active ingredients many people are using exfoliating acids on a daily basis, which is not good for the skin.

How to tell that you're overexfoliating your skin?

• Skin feels irritated more than usual
• You experience redness and inflammation
• Breakouts
• Patchy/flaky and dry skin texture 
• Increased sensitivity to application of subsequent products in your regime

If you feel like you have been overexfoliating your skin, take a break for one month and stop using acids/retinol or physical exfoliatiors until your skin has healed.

   3. Rubbing your face with a towel or makeup wipes

I personally wouldn't even recommend that you use makeup wipes. Excess tugging and rough wiping cause fine lines and wrinkles to form prematurely. So I would recommend only oil and balm cleansers to remove your makeup. If you do use other types of makeup removers where it involves using a cotton pad, then gently press the pad to the eye, and hold it in place with light pressure. Do not wipe forcefully.

The same things applies when you're drying your face with a towel. You should not be tugging the skin, but gently patting it until it's dry. You should especially be careful around the eye area since that is the most delicate part of your face.

   4. Picking and popping your pimples

As tempting as it is, popping your pimples or squeezing blackheads will only make the condition worse. Picking the skin will cause inflammation and can lead to scarring. So, instead try to spot treat your pimples.
And if you're doing blackhead extration yourself, you risk of damaging the shape of your pores.

   5. Eating a no-fat diet

Not all fats are bad for us. Your body needs healthy fats to support cell growth, absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones. Omega-3 fatty acids in particular assist in collagen production. So, do not restrict your fat intake and consume more avocados, olive oil, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds to get the nutrients that your body and skin need to function properly and be healthy.

   6. Sleeping on one side

Sleeping on the same side every night can cause wrinkles on the side of the face that is in contact with your pillow. Applying repeated pressure will cause collagen to break down and eventually result in deep lines overtime. You can avoid this by trying to sleep on your back. Although this may be uncomfortable for many people since they are used to their sleep position, but with a little practice it is doable.

But wait! Still finding it hard to change your sleep position? There is another option:
Change your pillowcase! Upgrade your pillowcase from cotton to satin or silk. There will be less fraction and your face will glide on the pillowcase without tugging the skin.