The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Six Beauty Don'ts That Will Help You Look Younger

Magazines, TV shows and advertisements always seem to be telling us what to buy and what to do to help us look younger and more beautiful. But there are arguably just as many things we should not be doing—things that cost absolutely nada—which can help us achieve similar results. So here's a quick list of 6 beauty don'ts that might just help improve your already amazing good looks.

Don't scrub your skin with harsh soap. If you lather up until you've reached that squeaky clean feeling, you've gone too far. This holds true for both skin and hair. Your body's natural oils are there for a reason—no need to strip them away entirely only to replace them with inferior man-made products (which we all use but just sayin').

Don't touch your face. Aside from your morning and/or bedtime beauty routine, try to keep hand-to-face contact to a minimum. This means no pimple popping, no extracting black-heads (gross, but we all do it), no nervous picking or pulling or tugging. I'm convinced that messing with your skin just makes it worse and can even lead to scarring. Your hands also carry germs and oils that you're spreading to your face which can potentially lead to breakouts.

Don't skip sunscreen in the winter. We need sunlight to help our bodies produce vitamin D, elevate our moods and set our biological clock, but too much sun exposure speeds signs of aging and all that bad stuff. The sun's harmful rays are always present to some extent, so use a moisturizer with sunscreen in the fall and winter, too.

Don't let yourself get dehydrated. When it's cold out, we sometimes tend to forget to drink enough water but it's obviously important to do so year-round. You don't have to chug gallons a day, just make sure you stay hydrated with delicious, filtered tap water.

Don't buy expensive beauty products—especially ones that make too-good-to-be-true claims. Makeup is fun, I get it, but the truth is you don't have to spend a fortune on quality, effective products. The drugstore or health foods store has everything you need to enhance your natural beauty. Remember, just because you pay more for something doesn't mean you're getting more.

Don't wear antiperspirant every day. I am not a medical doctor (duh) but something tells me it can't be healthy to apply a chemical that prohibits your body from naturally perspiring every single day, for years on end. I'm not saying antiperspirant has been linked to any types of diseases or cancers, but I think common sense dictates giving your skin a breather (literally) every once in a while is probably a good precautionary measure.

What don'ts would you add to this list?

Comments
Don't wash your hair everyday!
it sounds yucky, but its so true! When you wash it every single day, it takes the oils out, and makes your hair seem greasier sooner, and during the winter, its dry outside, so you can wash every other day, or other other day.

When you DO wash your hair, use as much shampoo as about the size of a quarter. It seems hard, but its really do-able!
saves shampoo, and keeps your hair from over-cleaning itself
#1 Anna on 2009-11-09 14:25 (Reply)
So true, my hair definitely doesn't like being washed every day!
#1.1 The Budget Babe on 2009-11-11 15:30 (Reply)
I have to agree with the "no touching or picking" rule.
Also take a day off during the week and don't do your hair, don't put on any make up. It gives your skin and hair a rest from being painted, sprayed, heated and rubbed.
Although I have to say that certain things (concealer and foundation come to mind, and I've heard straighteners and hairdryers but I don't use those) I think you do get what you pay for. Everything else I'm all for the drugstore but those two I'll always buy from a beauty store.
#2 Erin (Homepage) on 2009-11-09 14:50 (Reply)
you're absolutely right--look for VALUE, whether it's at the drugstore, specialty shop, or beauty counter at a department store. I love my Clinique and occasional treat from L'Occitane and Origins as much as the next girl!
#2.1 The Budget Babe on 2009-11-11 15:41 (Reply)
These are some good tips! Definitely a healthy diet consisting of a wide variety of fruits and veggies is key, as is limiting your intake of processed foods. Exercise is a great way to keep you young too! Doing hot yoga helps me detox my body by sweating out toxins.
#3 MizzJ (Homepage) on 2009-11-09 14:53 (Reply)
LOVE these tips. And thanks for the reminder to lay off the deodorant ... I'm a stinker, but agree that something about those chemicals is decidedly sinister.

I'd add "don't do anything that hurts/stings/burns." We tend to think that means "it's working," but often it just means OUCH.
#4 Sally (Homepage) on 2009-11-09 14:56 (Reply)
I'm not entirely hept on the whole skipping anti-perspirant, BUT I'm not big on the chemicals either. Which is why I switched to using Tom's of Maine deoderants. I particularly like their apricot scented one. :-)
#5 Jen on 2009-11-09 15:11 (Reply)
Get plenty of sleep! I know my skin looks better and acts better when I'm getting sleep. When I'm tired and stressed, it shows.

And, in addition to water, drink green tea. It's a warm drink alternative to coffee, and it's loaded with good stuff for not only your skin but the rest of you as well.
#6 Aspiring Fashionista (Homepage) on 2009-11-09 17:47 (Reply)
I only wash my hair every three days or so, and when I do, I always use shampoos without laurel/laureth sulfates because that's what dries your hair out. I also make sure to get good fats like olive oil when i cook, avocados, and flax seeds, and eat as healthy as possible. I don't use any product in my hair and never blow dry, curl or straighten it. I agree about washing your face too, and I usually just use a wet wash cloth without any soap or face wash. But I definitely need to work on not touching my face. Great article, I always feel like people are really extreme with what they use on their body/face/hair.

http://gleopatraofdenial.blogspot.com/
#7 gleopatra (Homepage) on 2009-11-09 22:36 (Reply)
I can't believe I forgot to put down my favorite thing of all, an olive oil mask for my hair. For a while I was spending money on conditioning treatments but I recently started just combing olive oil through my hair, leaving it for a few hours, then shampooing out and it makes my hair feel amazing.
#7.1 gleopatra (Homepage) on 2009-11-11 12:06 (Reply)
Excellent tips BB. I try really hard to keep my hands off my face. Another tip is to wash your face with distilled water vs. chemical ridden tap water. I only use natural / organic products to moisturize my skin like Shea Butter and vitamin E. I only wear makeup once a week and very little foundation to limit the amount of chemicals on my skin. Use organic anti-perspirant the other stuff has aluminum in it!
#8 budget chic on 2009-11-12 15:53 (Reply)
Excellent tips! :-)
#9 Leia (Homepage) on 2009-11-14 06:59 (Reply)
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