10 Common Things You Need To Stop Doing Now That Are Ruining Your Skin

Everyone loves feeling comfortable in their own skin. It’s empowering to look at yourself in the mirror and love what you see back.

A huge part of that comfort comes from maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking care of yourself, inside and out.

That being said, there are some habits we need to take out of our lives if we want better skin and to slow up its aging process. For example, limiting your air conditioner use is more important than you think, as your AC unit could be causing unnecessary dryness.

Keeping your skin clean is easy, but you would be surprised how many things you do regularly without realizing it that allow more germs to gain access to your pores. If we don't pay attention, these germs can easily become trapped.

Scroll through below for a look at ten common things you need to stop doing right away that can be causing serious damage to your skin.

Did we forget anything from our list? Let us know in the comments and please SHARE with friends and family on Facebook!

Thumbnail sources: Flickr 1, 2

1. Sleeping With Your Makeup On

Jesara The Cat
Flickr / Nathan

I know we’ve all done it before after a late night out, and hope that it still looks fresh enough to roll out of bed in the morning and go. But your pores will get clogged, and you can get bacterial infections from letting everything sit overnight.

2. Skipping Meals

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Pexels / Stokpic.com

Not eating (and hydrating) when you are supposed to can dry out your pores and age your skin faster.

3. Forgetting To Sanitize The Phone

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Flickr / Marjan Lazarevski

So many germs can get onto your phone since you bring it everywhere. Make sure you use sanitizing wipes on your phone once a week to keep the germ count down, and use headphones for longer conversations.

4. Using Dirty Pillowcases And Towels

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Wikipedia Commons

We don’t think to throw these in every time we do laundry, but pillowcases can actually make us sick if they’re not washed enough. And even though we use towels on our bodies when we are clean after a shower, they do get dirty after three uses.

5. Consuming Too Much Sugar

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Wikipedia Commons

Too many sugary foods can cause your skin to sag. Go for natural sugars in fruit if you are looking to snack on something sweet.

6. Leaving The Plastic Lining On Your Dry Cleaning

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Wikipedia Commons

Yes, this affects your skin. The longer your clothes stay in the plastic, the more skin-harming chemicals will be able to sink into the fabrics, and eventually get on your skin.

7. Popping Pimples

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Youtube / Diane A Dotson

As oddly satisfying as this is, popping pimples can push bacteria deeper into the skin. Your skin can also get scabs and scars if you’re not gentle enough on it.

8. Applying Makeup Products Out Of Order

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Wikipedia Commons

As silly as this may sound, there is a reason for the order of makeup we put on, aside from logic. Products are made certain ways to be put on before or after others (like when you prime before applying eyeshadow and foundation).

9. Taking Long, Hot, Steamy Showers

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Wikipedia

As satisfying as they are when the weather gets colder, long hot water exposure can affect the oils in your skin, allowing the moisture to easily escape, leaving your skin dry. This can be remedied with shorter showers and moisturizing daily.

10. Overusing Your Air Conditioner

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Flickr / Steven Vance

The air conditioner takes away the moisture in the air, which can also dry out your skin. Don’t put it on full blast so your skin can breathe.

Did we miss anything from our list? Let us know in the comments.

And if these skin care tips helped you, please SHARE with friends and family!