Are you sabotaging your skin without even realizing it? There are mistakes that we all make without even knowing we are making them. The sooner we correct these mistakes, the less quickly we will be making Botox appointments. Take a read and see if you are making any of these skin faux pas.

Invest In A Humidifier

Heat and air conditioning are two things than can make your skin drier than the Sahara. Instead of shelling out major coin for face lotions that might not help anyway, try firing up a humidifier instead. Your skin will thank you and will be less dull.

Get Your Sleep

It’s not called beauty sleep for nothing. Sure, your skin can catch up fine after a night out, but if you are only sleeping five hours a night then there’s going to be problems. If your tired, why wouldn’t your skin be? It will start to look dull and drab. So shut off your phone a couple of hours earlier, start the unwind process and hit the hay a bit earlier.

Back The Hell Away From That Triple Espresso

I break this golden rule all the damn time. How can coffee be bad for your skin when it was obviously sent down from the heavens? Well I have bad new for you. Coffee is like great tasting Kryptonite to your skin. Although fabulous, its super dehydrating. Which will suck all of the life from your skin.

Are You Eating And Drinking Your Feeling?

Sugar will break down the collagen and elastin in your skin, causing dullness and wrinkles over time. Not good. And the sweet, sweet nectar called alcohol isn’t much better. It dehydrates your skin and causes inflammation. So basically not only does it wrinkle you up faster, but it makes your skin more red in appearance. Dammit. So if you’re stirring a chocolate martini right now with a cake pop, put it down and back away slowly.

Take A Deep Breath

Stressing out makes your cortisol levels go up, which in turn causes inflammation that will ultimately lead to dullness. Which is just going to stress you out even more. I find this one to be a catch 22 because if you’re going to reach for that stress helper called wine, its just going to lead to more inflammation. So sometimes you just have to roll the dice and say ” fuck it. Inflammation it is!”.

Here Ciggy Ciggy Ciggy

Obviously smoking is one of the WORST things that you can do for your skin. Premature aging, fine lines and the ability to suck out every drop of moisture from your skin is what a cigarette has to offer you. Oh, and death.

SPF 5000 Please

I am a devout sun worshipper. We have winter here for about ten fucking months of the year lately, so don’t you dare tell me that when the sun finally comes out that I can’t enjoy it. However, sunblock is key. Slather yourself in it, and when you think you are done, slather on more. It’s not a one shot wonder either. If you’re going to be out there for a while, prepare to reapply. The sun is getting stronger. I was out on the deck last weekend and because I didn’t have plans to be out there for very long I didn’t put any on. I was visiting and before you know it a burn happened. Bad Stephanie. So now I put it on when I get up in the morning. Better safe than sorry.

Are There Any Special Potions That Can Help A Sista Out?

Even on a good day I have dry lizard skin, so I have to live by a moisturizing routine. If you are looking to invest in a good cream, then keep your eyes peeled for these key skin boosting ingredients:

1- Antioxidants. A serum or moisturizer that has antioxidants can reverse the dullness in your skin in about a month of use. Your skin will look brighter and more fresh.

2- Ceramides. Enzymes in your skin need water to function properly. Ceramides reinforce your skins natural moisture barrier and will keep it hydrated and more youthful.

3- Retinoids. If you want to really see results, use this skin powerhouse every night before you go to bed. It smoothes out your skins surface, increases collagen production, and will even out pigmentation to make the skin reflect light better. Basically it will help undo the damage that the box of pop tarts you ate did.

These are are things that you can do to help your skin look the best that it can. However a skin regimen can also go a very long way. Always moisturize every morning and night, exfoliate your skin every time you’re having a shower, and for the love of sweet baby Jesus wash your makeup off every night. That one is a major skin saver. These are all things that take three minutes of your time and can save you years on your face.

xo Stephanie