Changing your daily routine and kicking these common bad habits for teenage skin can help to overcome the ups and downs of teenage skin struggles.
We all have bad beauty habits, but breaking the cycle can be the single most important thing you do to keep your skin looking fresh and dewy.
Your lifestyle choices are inextricably tied to skin flare-ups, which – as you’re no doubt aware – causes ripple effects on your physical and mental health, leaving you feeling withdrawn and more self-conscious than normal.
Nixing those every day bad habits can feel like an impossible feat, but understanding how they might be contributing to acne, dry skin, redness and other teenage skin problems is the first step to tackling the root cause head on so that your skin looks its best. Here are some of the most common teenage pitfalls and smart ways to rework your daily routine.
Over-using toiletries
It can be tempting to constantly prime teenage skin with product after product, especially if you suffer with an oily or dry complexion, but being over-zealous with what you’re layering on simply leads to irritation and will fail to clear up skin issues in the long run.
Less is more when it comes to teenage skin health and so it’s important to rethink your morning and nightly routine to include fewer, but more hardworking products. Swap to simple products that house a powerful blend of herbal ingredients, for example skin-smoothing grapeseed and supplements containing berry extracts to help improve the condition from the inside out.
Excess caffeine
Knocking back a cup of coffee or a caffeinated energy drink might help to wake up your senses, but over-consumption of caffeine is one of the most common bad habits for teenage skin. Caffeine is a diuretic that dehydrates skin leaving it parched and dull and crying out for TLC.
Good old plain water on the other hand helps to flush out toxins, keeping you hydrated and refreshed. Try to get in the habit of drinking two litres a day and remember that herbal teas count towards your overall intake. Sipping on tea infusions that include ingredients like fennel and lemon are especially good for cleansing, so go and put the kettle on!
Having a hot shower
A long hot shower can be comforting when it’s cold outside, but hot water combined with the pressure coming from the shower head damages the skin barrier, so sadly it’s time to give heat the heave-ho.
Excess heat dehydrates skin cells, stripping it of its natural oils and causing inflammation, so it’s best to avoid washing your face while in the shower. Instead, cleanse your face with tepid water either before or after showering and your skin will thank you for it later.
Exposure to harsh chemicals
Using multiple toiletries in a bid to care for your skin isn’t the only no-no when it comes to the products lining your bathroom shelves, the ingredients in your favourite toiletries should also be put under intense scrutiny if you’re determined to improve skin health.
Get into the habit of boycotting harmful chemicals like parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and formaldehyde in favour of more natural ingredients, and support skin with a daily supplement like HRI Teen Skin to top up levels of those all-important vitamins and minerals that your skin needs in constant supply.
Over-exfoliating skin
Whilst exfoliating skin is important to slough away dead skin cells, purify clogged pores and reveal a brighter complexion, harsh scrubs aren’t the pimple preventer that you might think they are and are another common bad habit for teenage skin. Scrubbing skin too frequently can cause irritation, especially if your skin type is prone to redness or tends to be sensitive. Exfoliating skin once or twice a week with a gentle formula, rather than exfoliating daily, will ensure that your skin gets the best out of your routine. Check out these good-enough-to-eat recipes for homemade exfoliators and other treats for your skin.
Prolonged exposure to UV rays
Let’s face it, sun-kissed skin can be a real confidence booster and while it’s important to expose skin to a little bit of sunshine so your body can manufacture immunity supportive vitamin D, it’s also paramount to safeguard skin from the sun’s UV rays. The long-term effects of prolonged exposure include inflammation, DNA damage and an increased risk of skin cancer.
If you’re inclined to spend hours soaking up the sun’s rays, it’s worth rethinking how to enjoy sunshine safely without risking your future health. The best way to do this is to expose skin to sunlight for around 15 minutes, after which you should apply a layer of broad-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF.
Over-using the salt shaker
Skin waxes and wanes all the time, but if you’re partial to a liberal sprinkling of salt on your dinner or digging into a daily packet of salt and vinegar crisps, it’s going to spell bad news for your skin.
While salt is needed by the body in small amounts, when too much salt is consumed, (the upper recommended daily allowance is 6g), it can dehydrate skin, leaving you looking puffy and bloated.
Try to reduce, or better still, cut out salt in your food, and over time your tastebuds will learn to adapt to a salt-free diet. Season food with herbs and spices and include lots of flavoursome fruit and veg in your diet to increase your levels of vitamins, minerals and other healthy nutrients. Discover the importance of good nutrition here
Tackling these common bad habits for teenage skin is easier than you think: start with one small change and go from there. Check out our daily multivitamin supplement for teenage skin, HRI Teen Skin, which is packed with ingredients to keep teenage skin nourished and spot free from the inside out.
