Bad Habits to Give Up That Encourage Clogged Pores
We get it, some habits are difficult to give up—especially when we don’t think they have any long-lasting effects. Touching our face often (even unconsciously!), wearing makeup during a workout, or popping pesky pimples actually worsen the state and appearance of skin. Although small and seemingly insignificant, these habits sensitize our skin and make it prone to experiencing clogged pores.
In a previous post, we shared our top recommendations to minimize the appearance of pores and other unwanted buildup on skin like blackheads and whiteheads. This week, we’re highlighting bad habits to give up that encourage clogged pores. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you take it one step at a time!
1. Over-exfoliation
Once you learn about the benefits of exfoliation, it becomes tempting to overdo it. A gentle exfoliation on a regular basis bodes well for the skin, but if you experience having a highly irritated, sensitive, or dry—even tight—complexion, over-exfoliation may be the culprit. You may just be slathering on your acid or face scrub more often than recommended!
2. Over-cleansing
We’re definitely all for removing your makeup and sunscreen after a long day with the double cleanse method (an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser), but just like any good thing, you can over-cleanse your face, to a fault. Having flaky or dry skin is a telltale sign of over-cleansing. Twice a day is enough!
3. Too much exposure to the sun
Our pores are definitely more susceptible to clogging when we expose our skin to too much sun and, it goes without saying, don’t wear a healthy amount of sunscreen. Not only does this cause skin inflammation, it also builds up more dead skin cells that clog pores, thereby causing more unwanted breakouts.
4. Wearing makeup during workout
While we’re all for feeling confident with or without makeup, there’s just something about wearing makeup in the gym that we don’t necessarily agree with. The regular workout is a healthy way to let your skin breathe and flush out unwanted toxins. When wearing makeup, you’re encouraging congestion, leading to pesky breakouts and bacteria buildup.
5. Popping pimples
Pimple-popping may be a guilty pleasure to many, but doing it yourself (without a dermatologist) can simply backfire. It can worsen the state of your skin and even lead to permanent acne scars. If you don’t want to spread the bacteria, which will highly result in an acne flare up, just use a trusty acne patch!
6. Touching your face
Last but not the least, we’re zooming in on the most common habit we’re all guilty of—touching your face. Not only are you protecting yourself from the pandemic, you’re also encouraging good skin habits. Between typing on your iPhone to twisting door knobs, you just don’t know where your hands have been. Be more mindful! Always wash your hands, too, and have a hand sanitizer or alcohol in your handbag.