Get a fresh start with these easy tips
Do you peel your nail polish? Rarely clean your makeup brushes or replace bath puffs? Skip sunscreen on cold, cloudy days or for the entire winter season? These bad beauty habits and more are common among otherwise informed and well-groomed people. Some behaviors are just icky, others are potentially dangerous, but all sabotage your looks, which is reason enough to kick them to the curb. Here are 6 beauty habits to drop today and what to do instead. Do you …
1. … exfoliate your skin too aggressively?
Sometimes too much of a good thing is bad. Take exfoliation. Cell turnover — your skin’s natural exfoliation process — slows with age, which contributes to a dull dry texture, stubborn cakey makeup application, and an inability for serums and creams to penetrate effectively. If your face is looking red and irritated or is experiencing a burning or stinging sensation, that’s an alert to drop your chunky scrub or chemical peel and make a change. Many exfoliators are too abrasive or potent and designed for thicker, oilier, acne-prone youthful complexions — not mature skin that’s thinner, drier, and more sensitive. Look for gentle water-activated microfine exfoliating powders and scrubs (also known as physical exfoliators). No need to put muscle into it, this is your face, not the kitchen floor! Once a week (twice max) is enough to get smoother skin and more glow. On a cautionary note: Those with very reactive skin, rosacea, or eczema should avoid exfoliation completely and see your doctor for pro care.
2. … fry your hair with hot tools?
Is your hair super-dry, dull or the texture of cotton candy? Is it suffering from breakage and split ends? That’s heat damage and a signal to change your drying and styling habits. Though air-drying hair sounds like a good idea in theory, it isn’t practical or desirable for most women — especially those with medium-to-long hair. Instead, drop the flat irons and curling irons and go back to a basic blow dryer. After showering, blot freshly washed hair in the towel to absorb excess water. Apply a leave-in conditioner and heat protectant to avoid further damage and give hair a silkier texture whether it’s straight, wavy, or curly. Then
“rough dry”
hair until it is partially dry (60 to 70 percent). Simply bend at the waist and use your opposite hand to tousle and separate as you dry. This will add plenty of body, but be sure to keep the dryer moving and not concentrated on one spot or section. For extra shape or polish, throw in a few Velcro rollers at the end for a few minutes. Dial down the washing and heat styling to once or twice a week.
3. … neglect daily nail and hand care?
Regular manicures can help you look groomed, but they don’t make up for picking at nail polish, biting your cuticles, dishwashing minus gloves, using nails to open your packages, and skipping hand cream. First, there’s the visual turnoff. That’s followed by resulting issues such as thinned, weakened nails and dry, rough, reddened hands. Start by treating yourself to colorful chore gloves and promise to wear them every time you do dishes. Make another commitment: Apply a nongreasy but deeply hydrating hand cream with the humectant glycerin and the signature occlusive jelly to seal in moisture every time you wash your hands or apply sanitizer. (Stash extras in your bag and at every sink.) As the holidays approach, treat your hands to a long-lasting gel or dip manicure as an incentive to bring nibbling to a guilty halt and avoid germs that prompt viruses and infections.
4. ... avoid beauty “laundry”?
How many of you almost never clean your hairbrush or eye shadow brushes and use the same bath puff for months on end? Not washing beauty tools is messy and creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria that can lead to breakouts, rashes and infections, scalp irritation, and greasy lifeless hair. Set aside a weekly time slot, and separately clean hairbrushes and combs in one group, makeup brushes, sponges, and sponge-tip applicators (from eye shadow palettes to sponge tips on eyeliners) in the second, as a preventive measure. All it takes is a sudsy swish in warm water and some mild shampoo for the cleansing action, followed by a clean rinse, then blot on a paper towel and air-dry. Dry-clean hairbrushes and combs first by removing as much hair as possible using the end of a rattail comb or tweezers. Then use an old clean toothbrush to scrub between rows of bristles and teeth before the actual suds and water soak. For makeup tools, deposit a small amount of mild baby shampoo or a makeup brush cleanser on the business end. Then use your fingers to work up a lather before rinsing, reshaping, and lying flat to air-dry. Finally, toss any bath puff, loofah, or sponge that has been hanging out in your shower or bath caddy and replace them every four to six weeks.
5. … give sunscreen a rest in winter?
It’s cold, cloudy, or rainy and you figure
“the sun is so weak today, I’ll just skip the SPF.”
Sound familiar? Well, don’t give in! UV rays are always out to get you 365 days a year, regardless of the weather or the fact that you’re just driving around doing errands. A fading sun is no excuse to let down your defenses and neither is the idea that daily face makeup is an adequate substitute. Find a moisturizing cold weather SPF 30+ makeup with a tint that will give your skin protection and a fresh radiant look while blurring discolorations. These vary from sheer formulas, to those with more coverage so choose accordingly. All can handle a midday touch-up without a cakey buildup should you decide to take a long walk, work next to a window, or meet a friend for lunch or coffee outdoors.
6. … hoard and use expired beauty products forever?
It is recommended that you date every new beauty item with a Sharpie. Only about 50 percent of people are diligent about doing this, and they never extend the effort beyond makeup. Big mistake! Who can remember when you bought or opened that body lotion, hair mask, sunscreen, or face cream? Your motto should be:
“When in doubt, throw it out,”
and it will save you from rashes, irritation, and formula breakdowns that make whatever you are using ineffective or just plain yucky. Change your habits and start dating all new buys and tossing questionable oldies. Some products will tip you off by just smelling “off,” or changing color or texture. Others have a PAO (period after opening) code specifying 6M or 12M, indicating how many months of use are OK. Even then, can you be certain the start date was last January or June? The safety timeline speeds up when products are natural and preservative-free. Make cleaning out your bathroom shelves, cupboards, and makeup cases a monthly ritual. Say bye to anything that separates or looks curdled — especially undated open-mouthed jars of those face creams we love that get double-dipped touches by human fingers.
Adapted from: AARP
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