New York City dermatologist Dr. Deborah Wattenberg on US TODAY explains the top 5 mistakes that are ruining your skin:
1. Smoking - probably one of the worst things you can do for your skin. Not only does smoking break down collagen and elastin fibers (proteins responsible for keeping our skin youthful in appearance), smoking breaks down capillary networks causing broken capillaries. Smoking also harms our lungs and fills our bodies with chemicals. Good news is that it is never to late to stop.Smoking can also lead to those lines around the mouth.
2. Alcohol, junk food and coffee cause the body to dehydrate which is the opposite of what the body needs. A healthy skin and body is hydrated and full of vitamins and nutrients including essential fatty acids. Drink lots of water if you are consuming any of the above and also your essential fatty acids as these also keep the skin looking good. Lots of oily fish, avocadoes and nuts or if you don't like any of those, krill oil capsules are the go.
3. Lack of sleep can cause the skin to look grey and dull. Especially if you are kickstarting the body after a short sleep with a coffee! The skin needs time to repair and so does the body, get to bed early if you are up early. Your skin will love you for it.
4. Don't pick your pimples! It will scar, cause pigmentation and be more difficult to cover. Acne is cause from hormones, not dirty unclean skin. So scrubbing your face away is not the answer. Using a acne serum like Clarity Bac by Societe or for occasional breakouts Skin Perfection Serum from Skin Matrix will assist you in your blemish free quest.
5. Wear a sunscreen free of chemicals such as the Osmosis Protect or Cosmedix Hydrate +. Use part of your daily routine to reduce collagen and elastin breakdown, pigmetation, sun spots and broken capillaries.
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