{"id":25776,"date":"2020-08-13T17:07:12","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T00:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/valleygirlblog\/?p=25776"},"modified":"2020-08-13T17:09:58","modified_gmt":"2020-08-14T00:09:58","slug":"3-things-youre-doing-to-sabotage-your-skin-without-even-knowing-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/valleygirlblog\/tips-tricks\/3-things-youre-doing-to-sabotage-your-skin-without-even-knowing-it\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Things You\u2019re Doing To Sabotage Your Skin (Without Even Knowing It)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by Gabrielle Okray<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We can all relate to the feeling of waking up in the morning wishing that our skin was better \u2013 clearer, smoother, \u201cprettier\u201d \u2013 you name it, people have struggled with it. But with so many products lining the shelves of every store we walk into and so much advice from every corner of the internet being shared and re-shared, it\u2019s hard to know what exactly you\u2019re doing that your own skin doesn\u2019t agree with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n

I personally have struggled with my skin for years and can remember the overwhelm that would hit me every time I walked down a drugstore skincare aisle. I was completely unsure of what I needed but so desperate for clearer skin that I was willing to try any product that looked like it might be helpful.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

On top of using the wrong products, I was also committing skincare \u201csins\u201d that kept me from achieving the healthy skin I so desired. In this post, I\u2019ll be sharing three things that you\u2019re most likely doing that are sabotaging your skin, and how you can change them for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. You\u2019re not washing your face before bed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is the one that people are most likely to know about as a \u201cskincare sin\u201d, and are most likely to continue doing anyway. We\u2019ve all been there, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re crawling into bed after an exhausting day, and just as you\u2019re relaxing and wondering how your mattress can possibly feel this comfortable, you remember. \u201cI didn\u2019t wash my face\u201d. This is a huge skin saboteur for people for two main reasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, because when you don\u2019t wash your face before bed you\u2019re sleeping in more than just your makeup. You\u2019re sleeping in all the almost-invisible dirt, grime, and sweat that you\u2019ve accumulated just by walking around all day long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The free radicals from the pollution in our atmosphere are breaking down the cells in your skin and causing premature aging. And second, as if that\u2019s not bad enough, bacteria can multiply by the millions in just a matter of hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s right, millions in hours<\/em>. So even if you go to bed with clear skin and don\u2019t wash, one microscopic bacteria inside one tiny pore can mean you\u2019ll be waking up to a nasty breakout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. You\u2019re skipping your moisturizer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is something I hear all the time. \u201cI don\u2019t need moisturizer because my skin is so oily\u201d. In fact, skipping your moisturizer because you\u2019re oily is one of the largest contributing factors to your skins excess oil production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it this way: your skin creates it\u2019s own oil (sebum) down in your dermis (below the epidermal layer that you can see with the naked eye). When you wash your face, you\u2019re altering the pH balance of your skin and, in turn, stripping it of its natural sebum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t put back the moisture that you\u2019ve removed when you washed, your skin will recognize that lack of balanced hydration and moisture and will rush to produce more on its own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which will lead to you washing your face again when you notice how oily you feel, which further strips the skin, and causes it to want to produce even more oil to try to regain that natural balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This vicious cycle can be interrupted by simply making sure to moisturize after every cleanse. That way your skin won\u2019t feel the need to continually attempt to rehydrate itself with sebum production, and you\u2019ll start to regain that naturally balanced hydrolipid layer we all strive for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. You\u2019re not wearing SPF<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is, by far and without a doubt, the one thing that every skincare professional in the world will recommend to every single client, regardless of their skin type. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rays from the sun penetrate down into our dermal layer and literally destroy collagen, causing 85% of premature aging. Protecting your skin from harmful UV rays (bonus tip: your skin considers ALL UV rays harmful) is the only surefire way to slow down premature aging and keep your skin healthier every single day. Here are some super helpful answers to common SPF questions I get from clients:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n