11 Hygiene Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making
11 Hygiene Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making
Who would doubt their hygiene habits? You wash your face thoroughly, keep your nails in check, and never forget your creams. However, doctors say there are some not-so-obvious personal hygiene mistakes that are easy to make. You might not even realize that these habits are harming your body.
1. Touching Your Face with Your Hands
I bet you touch your face with your hands very often: resting your head on them, or just absentmindedly touching your face. However, any repeated contact directly contributes to facial contamination. Your hands are not always clean, and touching your face can disrupt oil production, clog pores, and cause slight skin thickening, which can lead to acne. This habit is hard to break, but you can start by being more aware of what you do with your hands.
2. Washing Your Face After a Workout
It seems like the obvious thing to do after a workout is to wash the sweat off your face. However, experts say you should gently wash your face before your workout! When you sweat, you tend to rub your skin, which means you’re rubbing in the dirt and oil that were already there. So, rinse your face before exercising, and afterward, only water and salt will come out, which are harmless to your skin.
3. Taking Hot Showers
There’s nothing better than a hot shower on a cold morning. However, as pleasant as it is, hot water is bad for your skin. It opens up your pores, leading to a loss of internal moisture and washing away protective skin oils. This worsens your skin’s moisture levels, causing dryness and itching. Want your body to look great even in winter? Gradually lower your usual shower temperature.
4. Applying Lotion Too Late
Running late for work and skipping your beauty routine? Bad news: if you apply lotion or moisturizer too late, it won’t have any effect. After taking a bath, pat yourself dry with a towel, but don’t rub your skin completely dry. Then, apply your moisturizing creams. It’s important not to overdo it; apply them as carefully and sparingly as you would your face cream.
5. Using Soap Every Day
Winter is a tough time for anyone with dry skin. Sometimes it seems like no matter how much lotion you use, your hands still feel dry and cracked. If our recipes haven’t helped, try using shower gel less often in the bath, and just rinse thoroughly the rest of the time.
6. Not Using Sunscreen
Dermatologists never stop reminding us, but we continue to ignore them. Even if you live in a place with little sun, it can still harm your skin. Find a good foundation with SPF so you don’t forget about sun protection. Plus, you’ll have cream ready if you suddenly decide to go on vacation to a warm, sunny place.
7. Not Changing Your Loofah
When and where did you buy your loofah? If you can’t remember, it’s definitely time to get a new one. Loofahs can harbor bacteria, mold, and other harmful things. Make sure it dries sufficiently and change it more often.
8. Not Cleaning Your Makeup Brushes
This is easy in theory, but in practice, it’s often overlooked. Deep cleaning takes a few minutes, but it can save you years of dealing with inflammation. Makeup brushes accumulate a huge amount of bacteria, so don’t forget to wash them thoroughly with soap and water to keep your makeup flawless.
9. Using Mouthwash
Alcohol-based mouthwashes actually dehydrate your mouth significantly, and these conditions are a breeding ground for bacteria. Use only special products with xylitol, which stimulate saliva production.
10. Brushing Your Teeth After Coffee
No one likes the feeling of coffee residue on their teeth, but dentists recommend waiting at least 20 minutes after eating before brushing your teeth, especially if you’ve consumed drinks and foods high in carbohydrates and sugar. The same goes for acidic foods, which weaken the enamel and can damage the protective layer. Have an important meeting coming up and can’t wait 20 minutes? Rinse your mouth with plain water.
11. Not Washing Under Your Nails
We wash our hands regularly throughout the day, but how much time do we actually spend on this? Most often, we rush to finish and get back to work. However, it’s important not only to wash your palms but also to clean under your nails, which can harbor bacteria and dirt. Of course, when you touch your mouth or face with your hands, all of this directly enters your body.
For more tips on health and wellness, check out this authoritative source.
