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?
