One minute you’re casually wondering how to prevent wrinkles, and the next, BAM – you look in the mirror and suddenly find yourself staring at a California raisin. Okay, I’m exaggerating, but only a little. That’s the thing about our daily habits: They’re sneaky and subtle, and much of the time we don’t realize what they’re doing to our skin until it’s already done. This means war.
Here are 8 everyday habits you should tweak on your quest to prevent wrinkles:
1. Leaving it vulnerable to pollution
When mastering how to prevent wrinkles, there are some things you can’t control – like pollution, which decreases oxygen and collagen in your skin and leaves it looking… well, blah. Not only does it mess with your skin tone, but it can leave it looking blotchy and cause breakouts. (Ugh.) Guard your skin with an SPF, wash your face every night before bed, exfoliate twice a week, and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
2. Over-washing and under-moisturizing
Washing your face excessively can dry out your skin cells, leaving your complexion dull and highlighting any damaged areas. Don’t wash your face in the morning, as you’ll strip away all the work your body put into restoring your skin while you were asleep – just splash with water and mosey on with your day. When you do wash your face, never skip moisturizing afterward.
3. Stretching your skin to apply makeup
This is a tough habit to break, but it’s one of the most important ones to ditch when learning how to prevent wrinkles. It’s no different than a repetitive stress injury messing with your joints: The more you contort your skin to get your makeup just right, the more wrinkles you’ll end up with – like, tomorrow.
4. Not getting enough sleep
They call it beauty sleep for a reason! While you’re snoozing away (and hopefully dreaming about Channing Tatum), your skin goes through its renewal process. The less sleep you get, the less time your skin and the beauty products you’re using have to do their thing. In fact, a study by UH Case Medical Center found women who only slept five hours each night for a month had twice as many wrinkles and spots than those who slept for seven hours. Do everything you can to get your zzzzs.
5. Not drinking enough water
As we age, our skin gets thinner and drier, making it more necessary than ever to drink enough water to keep it hydrated. Try your best to drink an average of six to eight glasses of water daily.
6. Drinking from a water bottle/straw
Similar to how squinting causes fine lines around your eyes, drinking straight from a water bottle or through a straw has the same impact on your mouth. Your facial muscles become overworked and form wrinkles called “puppet lines.” Either pour your drinks into a glass, or find a water bottle that has a glass-sized opening.
7. Snoozing with your makeup on
Okay, we’re all guilty of this from time to time, but when you sleep with your makeup on you’re basically saying to wrinkles, “Bring it on.” The makeup, combined with the environmental pollutants that are partying on your skin, seep into your pores and break down your skin’s elasticity. Always wash and moisturize your face before bed. Always.
8. Neglecting your neck and hands
Many of us obsess over how to prevent wrinkles on our face and forget about our neck and hands. Since you’re already in the habit of beautifying your face daily, simply add your neck and hands to the roster until your cleaning and moisturizing process for both is second nature. I mean, who wants to look like the crypt keeper?