The Worst Habits Damaging Your Skin

Dr. Joshua Zeichner is an associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. As a skin care expert, Dr. Zeichner understands the importance of good skin health and avoiding bad habits that can interfere with skin cell functioning. The activities we partake in on a daily basis can impact your overall health of the skin and either help or harm our skin barrier. Read on to find out more—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

We know that UV light exposure is the single biggest contributing factor to both skin aging and skin cancer. Wearing sunscreen on a daily basis is your first line of defense. Choose a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 protection and make it a part of your morning skin care routine like brushing your teeth.

Acne is the most common skin disorder that people suffer from in the United States, affecting over 50 million Americans. Picking the skin inevitably leads to more harm than good.  Instead of picking, get to the root of the problem by using acne treatments over-the-counter that contain ingredients like benzyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Treat the whole face to prevent pimples from developing rather than trying to treat them after you already have them. 

If you have hives on your skin, one of the worst habits is to scratch them as that will only irritate your skin more. Two ways to treat hive are covering the affected area with a cold washcloth or rubbing an ice cube over it for a few minutes can provide short-term relief and prevent scratching or using an effective treatment like Allegra Hives, a new product from Allegra that works from the inside to relieve itching due to hives & reduces hives for 24 hours without drowsiness.

Cleansing is the foundation of your skin care routine. It helps remove dirt, oil, make up, and pollution that buildup on the surface of your skin. If you don't wash your face, you leave this on the skin which can cause irritation, inflammation, acne breakouts, and even contribute to premature aging. 

While a hot shower may be relaxing for our minds, it actually can strip the skin of essential oils and disrupt the skin barrier. Showers should be short, 10 minutes or less with lukewarm water. The temperature of the shower should be around what you'd expect a heated pool to be in the summertime. After getting out of the shower, pat dry and apply a moisturizer to lock in hydration. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e