Break those bad beauty habits

11:22 10 February 2011

Every go to sleep with your make-up on? Or forget to moisturise? Some of your bad beauty habits could lead to ageing, sagging skin, cellulite or infections.

Here are some handy ways to help you break those habits now.

Falling asleep with your make-up on
This has to be the number one bad beauty habit that every woman has been guilty of at one time or another.

Not taking your make-up off before you go to bed can lead to products building up in your pores and can cause breakouts.

If youÂ’ve been on a night out and just want to fall into bed, keep some facewipes handy, otherwise make sure you get rid of your slap thoroughly with a make-up remover or cleanser.

Over plucking
Never pluck your eyebrows too thin or youÂ’ll end up with a constant surprised look. Fuller brows are in, so let them grow out a bit.

Tanning
A sun-kissed look may be appealing, but exposing yourself to harmful UV rays can cause melanoma. Try using a self tanning spray or foam to get that glow without the risk.

Straightening your hair everyday
You need to give your hair a rest from heat styling every now and then. Try and have one or two days a week where you skip the straighteners and go au natural.

If you style your hair a lot, make sure you use a deep conditioning treatment once a week to try and get some moisture and nutrients back into your locks.

Not washing your hair
Not regularly washing your locks can lead to dull hair and even hair loss. If you start to notice that your scalp is dry or flaky, it could be that you need to wash your hair more.

A healthy scalp is a clean scalp, so get washing.

Messing with spots
It may be tempting to play with, pick or even pop your pimples, but resist the urge. Squeezing spots can lead to scarring and the oil from your fingers causes more acne, so itÂ’s a vicious circle really.

Picking the skin around your nails
If youÂ’re prone to tearing at the skin at the side of your nails, think again. Not only can picking lead to tender skin, it can also stump nail growth and could cause infections.

To prevent picking Keep the skin around your nails neat with soft clippers.

Pumping your mascara
If you push your mascara wand in and out of the tube a few times before using it, think again.

By doing this, air is propelled into the tube, which dries out the mascara so it spreads unevenly and clumps. You could also be driving bacteria into the tube that could cause an eye infection.

Not moisturising
Do you find yourself too rushed to put on moisturiser after a shower? This can lead to cellulite and sagging of the skin, not to mention dryness - but thatÂ’s pretty obvious.

Find a lotion you love, thatÂ’s easy to apply or an oil if youÂ’re short on time