Confession time: You may have seen the inside of a tanning bed at one point in your life and/or…
Confession time: You may have seen the inside of a tanning bed at one point in your life and/orpopped a zit or two. We're all guilty of committing a beauty sin, but we’ve discovered why those indiscretions may be doing you more harm than you think. Read on to get the full list, some may surprise you.
1. Sleeping with Your Makeup OnYou went out with the girls, had one too many martinis and before you know it you're face down on your bed passed out cold. You'll wash that smoky eye off tomorrow, right? Not so fast. Aside from the fact that your sheets are about to look like an imprint of the Joker's face in The Dark Knight, you're doing some serious damage to your skin. "If you're acne prone, this is the worst thing you can do to your skin," says Dr. Debra Jailman, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. "Leaving makeup on overnight clogs your pores and traps in dirt from the day. Nighttime is your skin's time to repair itself."
If you know you can be a little lazy at night, make sure to leave some makeup removing wipes by your bedside like POND's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes, $5.69, drugstore.com, to give yourself a quick swipe before shutting your eyes.
1. Sleeping with Your Makeup OnYou went out with the girls, had one too many martinis and before you know it you're face down on your bed passed out cold. You'll wash that smoky eye off tomorrow, right? Not so fast. Aside from the fact that your sheets are about to look like an imprint of the Joker's face in The Dark Knight, you're doing some serious damage to your skin. "If you're acne prone, this is the worst thing you can do to your skin," says Dr. Debra Jailman, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. "Leaving makeup on overnight clogs your pores and traps in dirt from the day. Nighttime is your skin's time to repair itself."
If you know you can be a little lazy at night, make sure to leave some makeup removing wipes by your bedside like POND's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes, $5.69, drugstore.com, to give yourself a quick swipe before shutting your eyes.
2. Over ExfoliatingSure, a little exfoliating treatment every now and then feels like tiny angels are scrubbing your face with magical toothbrushes, but exfoliate too much and you could be doing more harm than help for your skin. "Exfoliating gets rid of all the dead skin cells on your face, but this in turn makes it more vulnerable to the sun and your favorite products," says Jailman.
So how much is too much? Jailman recommends a few times a week in the summer but in the winter keep it to once a week so you don't dry your skin out. For a spa-like exfoliating experience, try the Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System, $149, drugstore.com.
So how much is too much? Jailman recommends a few times a week in the summer but in the winter keep it to once a week so you don't dry your skin out. For a spa-like exfoliating experience, try the Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System, $149, drugstore.com.
3. Not Getting Enough Sleep
We know, we know...you don't have time to pee some days let alone get seven to eight hours of sleep. Sorry to break it to you, but according to Jailman there's just no way around this important beauty must. "You can apply all the makeup in the world, if you don't get enough sleep your skin is just not going to look good," she says. Like with leaving your makeup on, nighttime is your skin's prime time to repair and rejuvenate, so those hours of shuteye are important.
If you find yourself falling behind on sleep, make sure you turn off the tube, close your laptop, and set your BlackBerry to sleep mode so you can mentally check out and focus on dozing off.
4. Tanning
In a perfect world, we wouldn't even have to discuss this issue. So take this advice and pretend we're not talking to you, because you've never been in a tanning bed...right? Well, if you happen to stumble upon one — don't do it. Just don't. On top of that little thing called skin cancer you're guaranteed to get brown spots, wrinkles, and a big frown from your derm.
This goes for the real sun too. Jailman recommends wearing sunscreen every day (even in the winter), and be mindful of reapplying every few hours when vacationing.
5. Popping Your Zits
There is nothing more frustrating that walking around with a blemish on your face, but popping it is not the solution. "Picking at your face often leads to depressed scars, skin infections, and sometimes broken blood vessels," warns Jailman.
Instead of popping, use an OTC benzyl peroxide or salicylic acid treatment (we love Bliss No Zit Sherlock Complete Acne System, $32, sephora.com). If you absolutely must pop, Jailman says to use a warm cotton swab or compress on your face to bring the puss up to the surface and squeeze gently.
6. Over Moisturizing
Slathering your face in lotion, especially in the winter is good for your skin, right? Not necessarily. Jailman says doing so can cause you to break out, or can even give you milia, tiny white spots that are formed when dead skin is trapped in the skin.
To keep your complexion clear, choose a lightweight moisturizer like Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer, $14.97, walmart.com. If you're prone to acne, pick a serum over a lotion to keep your pores clean.
7. Plucking Out Your False Lashes
You decided to splurge and get lash extensions but now, they're growing out and are all sorts of annoying. Can you do damage by plucking a few false lashes out? "Absolutely," says Courtney Akai, lash expert and owner of the Courtney Akai Boutique. "Your extensions are attached to your real lash, so there's no way to know if you're pulling a fake lash or one of your real ones."
Ideally, you should go to a professional to get your false lashes removed, which is quick and painless (a solution is rubbed on a cotton swab and the lashes slip right off). If you can't make it to a pro, Akai recommends carefully clipping the ends of your lashes where it doesn’t hit your natural lash so that they don't hang over so much.
