We all want to look younger, longer. Yet, the little things you do each day could be aging you beyond your years… even some so-called healthy habits you’ve been practicing for years.
That’s why we’re counting down six seemingly harmless habits that can leave your face looking like a road map. If you’re doing any of these, you’ll want to make some changes:
#1 — Drinking from straws or plastic water bottles
Grabbing a drink of water is one of the best anti-aging tools in your arsenal. After all, water helps to keep your cells, including those of your skin, hydrated and plump. However, if you’re drinking using either a straw or plastic water bottle, you could be destroying much of its benefits.
That’s because drinking from a bottle or straw requires that you purse your lips, which according to dermatologists, can result in wrinkles and lip lines that leave you looking older due to the repetitive muscle motion required.
#2 — Drinking too much coffee
If you’re like me, you can’t start your morning without coffee to wake you up and make you feel human again. However, you might want to put a one or two cup limit on your habit.
Since coffee is a diuretic, it can cause dehydration. And the simple fact is that dehydration is a major risk factor for skin aging.
In fact, Cammie Cannella, Senior VP of Global Education and Customer Relations of Kiehl’s (a major skincare brand) says that signs of dehydration include visible fine lines, loss of plumpness and dull, tired, rough-looking skin.
#3 — Using chemical-laden skincare products
When you cleanse your face, slather on your moisturizer or swipe on sunscreen, you probably believe you’re doing something good for your skin and warding off signs of aging.
But depending on what’s in those products, you could be accelerating skin problems and the aging that comes with them. That’s because many skincare products on the shelf are laden with chemicals that can damage your skin’s health and lead to premature aging.
Ingredients to avoid include:
- Alcohols, like SD alcohol 40, denatured alcohol, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol
- Sulfates, like sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate
- Chemical sunscreens like oxybenzone and avobenzone
#4 — Not cleansing your face enough
While cleansing your face too often can lead to dryness, the American Academy of Dermatology says that you should wash your face morning and night, plus whenever you sweat.
That last part is important because perspiration that sits on your face can irritate and inflame your skin, which speeds up the aging process.
#5 — Not getting enough sleep
If you regularly skip out on the shut-eye your body needs, the effects could show up on your face.
The Cleveland Clinic says that chronic lack of sleep can lead to premature wrinkling, dark circles under your eyes and a breakdown of the collagen that keeps your skin firm and lifted.
#6 — Drinking too much dairy
If you consume dairy on a regular basis, especially if you’re lactose intolerant, you may be setting yourself up for “inflammaging,” a term scientists coined a few years ago to describe the effects of inflammation on aging and chronic disease.
Inflammation is a major factor in skin aging and, worse, it’s thought to be behind a number of age-related conditions and diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, heart disease, type II diabetes and cancer.
Ready to give up milk? Read here for some plant-based alternatives to choose from.
The good news is that kicking these habits now can help you look more youthful in the long run. So say goodbye to premature aging and hello to happiness every time you look in the mirror!
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Sources:
- Do Straws Cause Lip Lines And Wrinkles? Top Derms Give Us The Answer — HuffPost Style & Beauty
- Why dehydration is ageing your skin — Cosmopolitan
- The One Common Skincare Ingredient That’s a Total Red Flag — Byrdie
- What Ingredients Should I Avoid and Why? — Glowbiotics
- 7 Controversial Beauty Ingredients You Should Know About — Allure
- What you need to know about the chemicals in your sunscreen — The Washington Post
- Face washing 101 — American Academy of Dermatology Association
- Here’s What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep (And How Much You Really Need a Night) — Cleveland Clinic
- Anti-Aging News: The Facts About Inflammation — Allure
- Soothe Chronic Inflammation & Slow Premature Aging — Shape
- Lactose intolerance — Genetics Home Reference
