Skin care

8 Bad Skin Habits That'll Shock You

You know your diet coke addiction and sunbathing ways are bad for your skin, but read on to see the mistakes you don't even realize you're making

July 14, 2011 | by Sharon J. Yi | 107 COMMENTS

We don't know about you, but if we hear the same-old skin care tips one more time (you know -- wear sunscreen, have a derm check your moles once a year, exfoliate twice a week), we're going to scream.

Skip ahead to see the 8 surprising skin sins now.

We all know about these often-repeated good skin care habits we need to follow for a perfect, glowing complexion. And as beauty veterans, we're even familiar with the more obscure tips, like patting your moisturizer into your skin instead of rubbing it, or applying urine on your face to fight acne (which is so false BTW).

And even we were surprised -- no, shocked -- by these skin sins everyone commits, including us.

These eight habits not only mess up your skin, but some can even wreck your health. So here they are, the bad skin care habits you -- yes, you -- are committing on a daily basis. See 'em, learn 'em, and fix 'em -- A.S.A.P.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Skin sin no. 1: Not using oil on your face

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Wonderful! Smoking, tugging on skin, and drinking too much caffeine and alcohol will work hard to age you as well.

by GigiSD Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 03:44PM Report as inappropriate

Never realized milk was THAT evil. Washing brushes once a week is not necessarily often enough, you really shouldn't even suggest once a month can be ok. This is terrifying. Once a month is ASKING for inflammations and acne.

by venenumletalis Monday, April 8, 2013 at 07:39AM Report as inappropriate

THank you for recommend

by hiang Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 10:59PM Report as inappropriate

great information, i will eat more watermelon

by Ross1113 Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 05:51PM Report as inappropriate

Good advice

by Mollysunshine Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 03:58AM Report as inappropriate

It was shocking. I never would have thought adding oil would decrease it. And maybe if I try eating my water instead of drinking it I won't be thirsty all the time. Thanks

by Chica181 Thursday, March 7, 2013 at 12:54AM Report as inappropriate

Some of these I have never considered, like the milk for instance.

by krista_dailey Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 10:27AM Report as inappropriate

lesson learned dont drink as much milk!

by angel_golz Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 04:55PM Report as inappropriate

Great article! So many good tips!

by MizzPink Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 07:24AM Report as inappropriate

Thank you

by WeddingPlanner Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 11:59AM Report as inappropriate

I really don't think it makes a difference if you eat your water or drink it. It all ends up in your stomach anyway.

by amber.flute Monday, January 14, 2013 at 01:45PM Report as inappropriate

Thank you, I didn't know many of these! One of your best articles.

by tarynone Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 07:17PM Report as inappropriate

This is the best information!

by EricaF123 Tuesday, December 25, 2012 at 01:26PM Report as inappropriate

WOW. some shocking stuff on here :( thanks for posting things such as the drugs things because often i wonder (not because i use) if things like that affect skin and it seems it does!

by rayshaviolet Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 02:38PM Report as inappropriate

great article, i didn't even know this

by aishak55 Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 02:47PM Report as inappropriate

Such great advice! I'm so glad that these articles are so informative and helpful

by Ladybugg9 Friday, November 9, 2012 at 11:31PM Report as inappropriate

thanks, really enjoyed this article. I did not realize calcium was harmful

by denise_pierce Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 06:06PM Report as inappropriate

there's no way i'm missing my calcium from dairy..women don't get enough calcium already

by springsblue Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at 08:41AM Report as inappropriate

ok this was surprising...I dont know about the wearing the eyeliner during the day i dont see a problem with that

by jenni84 Monday, August 20, 2012 at 10:33AM Report as inappropriate

I think a lot of people overlook the inflammatory foods point. I'm glad it was mentioned here. I also like the point about eating water rich foods as opposed to just drinking plenty of water.

by HeathRene Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 11:29AM Report as inappropriate

I'm sorry but the 2nd sin about eating more then one protein at a time is complete nonsense... our bodies are efficient at digesting while leaving plenty of "beauty energy" (really? does beauty energy sound credible). I don't think I will be dropping milk either, I am not sold that it causes acne and it has so many benefits for health in general. Did anyone think recreational drugs were good for skin?

by kimmi_o Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 12:38PM Report as inappropriate

this was surprising!

by heidihannibal33 Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 09:40AM Report as inappropriate

Several of these "bad habits" did shock me. I still can't get used to the idea that milk is bad for you.

by alictasia Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 01:53PM Report as inappropriate

I don't see throw correlation between your skin and getting refills on a prescription without seeing your doctor? And recreational drugs .... that's a no brainer. We've always been told DRINK WATER for healthy skin. This just makes no sense to me.

by flirtygirl214 Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 11:06AM Report as inappropriate

The recreational drugs “skin sin” is NOT a shocker!

by caligirldotcom Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 09:23AM Report as inappropriate

I stopped drinking milk in an effort to get rid of my cystic acne and I didn't notice the slightest difference and I really miss my milk and cereal! I drink plenty of water and that doesn't do anything either, except make me pee all the time.

by RoleModel Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 11:32PM Report as inappropriate

Wow! These tips are things I've never heard of before. Such small things, like not airing out brushes, really do make a big difference that I had never known. Great!

by lovemuffin Friday, June 15, 2012 at 10:01AM Report as inappropriate

this is really useful, especially the tip about using oil and consuming dairy, thanks!

by LeSucre Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 09:22PM Report as inappropriate

Interesting! I had no idea dairy was hurting my skin. I guess that explains why I broke out this week-- I've been eating cereal for breakfast instead of my usual waffles!

by Roxalyn Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 05:38PM Report as inappropriate

The dairy makes me so sad :( I LOVE milk more than anything!

by Karica4 Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 11:58AM Report as inappropriate

fish oil and advil are a bad mix, good info

by AmandaAmanda Monday, May 7, 2012 at 05:06PM Report as inappropriate

very interesting

by mayra_alonzo Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 06:42PM Report as inappropriate

How about also not washing your make up brushes. I am so guilty of that!

by TheLacqueredLady Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 07:22PM Report as inappropriate

Oil is great for all over your body. I use it from head to toe! :]

by pynkNymphette Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 12:31AM Report as inappropriate

These weren't really so shocking...

by tallredamanda Sunday, April 8, 2012 at 01:53PM Report as inappropriate

I had no idea that drinking water didn't help much!! It makes total sense, though!

by CCochran Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 12:56PM Report as inappropriate

great information!

by rosie1123 Monday, April 2, 2012 at 09:08AM Report as inappropriate

DHC oil cleanser is great

by chelsea_preston Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 07:35AM Report as inappropriate

Thanks,I have oily skin and I will definately try this to reduce my shine.

by gillianr Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 08:55AM Report as inappropriate

Only a few of these are potentially relevant to me (and many others, I suspect), but good information for those for whom it is relevant.

by Jewelrydesigner Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 09:24AM Report as inappropriate

Who knew eating foods with water would be better.. interesting stuff.

by lazorc Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 07:16PM Report as inappropriate

great info about cortisone!

by sportimonki13 Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 02:34PM Report as inappropriate

I had just recently learned about using an oil on my acne prone skin and I was happy to see this was number 1! I use the Tarte Maracuja oil and my oil production has diminished!

by powerwoman033 Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 12:12PM Report as inappropriate

Useful:)Thank you!

by heartMashimaro Monday, March 5, 2012 at 03:06AM Report as inappropriate

Informative article. Surprisingly, dairy was the major cause of my breakouts, so I began to limit my dairy intake and since I drank alot of milk, I started drinking lactose-free milk which helped, but I have since replaced it with Almond milk. A huge plus!

by beauty_goddess Monday, February 27, 2012 at 09:05AM Report as inappropriate

"it's a good idea to limit your consumption of protein and not consume more than one type at a time. 'Protein takes the most digestive work, as the foods have to be broken down into amino acids from complex chains,' says celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. This energy spent on digesting protein takes away from what Snyder calls your 'Beauty Energy,' which she describes as "energy that can be redirected away from digestion to grow thick, healthy hair, clear up dark under-eye circles, repair the collagen in our skin, etc." This sounds like a horrible, horrible idea. I do not understand the rationale here. Reduce intake of an essential nutrient to make ourselves more beautiful? We NEED those bothersome amino acids, not only to stay alive, but to actually do the things you want that "beauty energy" to do. Protein's main function is body repair. Methionine, for instance, is largely responsible for hair and skin cell re-growth. Methionine is one of the eight essential amino acids we must eat, because our bodies cannot make them. It's absurd to say that energy spent on digestion is taking away from energy spent on looking pretty. You are almost always taking in way more calories from a food than you expend on its digestion. If our bodies really were using so much energy in the daily process of digestion that they could not maintain themselves, how would we stay alive? Complex molecules are complex because they contain more nutrients. If you want something simple and quick to digest, try replacing your lean protein with table sugar. See how that goes.

by hypatia7 Monday, February 13, 2012 at 03:16AM Report as inappropriate

Great!

by queenphoto Friday, February 10, 2012 at 03:26PM Report as inappropriate

Wow! Good Info.!!!

by PinkGirl76 Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:41PM Report as inappropriate

Very interesting article. I find it hard to believe that milk will cause skin issues, and I'm sorry but I sort of disagree abou the water. I'm not saying that you shouldn't seek water from fruits and veggies, but I have first hand experience that drinking lots a water will help clear your skin. Sorry.

by msbrown822 Monday, February 6, 2012 at 06:30AM Report as inappropriate

Wow! Great advice!

by lwagner120 Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 01:02PM Report as inappropriate

It's against the law to not see an isotretinoin patient once a month, therefore making this example irrelevant.

by torisylvesterr Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:34AM Report as inappropriate

thanks for this, the eating water tip was a good one. Will definetly make sure to steer clear of these in 2012!

by RaraGiggles89 Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 05:32AM Report as inappropriate

hahah i'm not sure if using recreational drugs a shocking bad skin habit. kind of obvious. But Sort of interesting list. The part about eating your water is basically the same as eating your vitamins and not taking supplements instead. Basically don't over eat/drink on anything.

by Minibear Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 01:51PM Report as inappropriate

Making sure to stay clear of these skin damaging things!

by MissXu Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 05:24PM Report as inappropriate

Apparently we break these rules every day. Recreational drugs, really?

by patricia89 Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 03:42AM Report as inappropriate

I disagree with the no blue eyeshadow and black liner. I think blue can look pretty if done well (it's not for beginners). I also think black liner looks nice if not overdone any time of day. I also disagree with the one shade of eyeshadow during the day. I think most women (not all) need a little contouring of the eye.

by missoconee Friday, December 30, 2011 at 10:53AM Report as inappropriate

I had never heard of cortisone addiction before but it now explains some side effects I've had from using it.

by sportimonki13 Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 03:49PM Report as inappropriate

Great article!

by DesertGirl84 Monday, December 26, 2011 at 09:16PM Report as inappropriate

I would not trust an esthetician untrained in dermatology for this article. Essential oils can also be very irritating, and irritation stimulates the skin to produce more oil and further exacerbate the problem. So you might want to ask which essential oils she's referring to. Also, the thing about the molecular structures penetrating the skin is definitely not a scientific fact - skin acts as a barrier, there are very few substances that can actually penetrate its surface level save salicylic acid, because skin's function is to keep bacteria out of our bodies, not take them in.

by lyndsay_thompson Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 10:56PM Report as inappropriate

I was drinking a glass of milk when I read this. LOL. Great tips.

by andie Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 10:23AM Report as inappropriate

Interesting

by kmb1129 Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 05:59PM Report as inappropriate

i need to try these stipss

by Nicole2814 Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 10:10AM Report as inappropriate

great tips the milk one was extremely surprising

by Nicole2814 Friday, November 18, 2011 at 09:45PM Report as inappropriate

Thank goodness I air mine. Common sense ladies and gentlemen

by CheskasBeauty Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at 02:37PM Report as inappropriate

I know that dairy products can be bad for your skin but I love milk too much to stop c:

by anna_davis Monday, October 31, 2011 at 07:51AM Report as inappropriate

MIlk? Thats hard to believe.

by andyv1217 Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 06:17PM Report as inappropriate

these are shocking.

by shar_r Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 03:59PM Report as inappropriate

Awesome

by Flicky_95 Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 06:20AM Report as inappropriate

I just can't believe that milk is bad for skin. i used to have it daily and I'm sure my skin glows because of it.

by sanam Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 04:22PM Report as inappropriate

One article says to drink all this water a day then another they say don't. Same ith milk, really? Which advice to follow???

by Only1KimmieD Friday, October 14, 2011 at 09:59AM Report as inappropriate

what? water is always helpful to your skin... mostly to your body..the whole point is to flush out toxins from your system.. and even if you are getting your 8 glasses daily you probably should drink more water.. it helps the body function properly

by lelalu100 Thursday, October 6, 2011 at 07:47PM Report as inappropriate

watermelon! :D but I don't think I'd follow much of this advice (aside from the obvious ie the recreational drugs and the pill popping).

by katiespeaking Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 01:02PM Report as inappropriate

I can't believe milk is bad for your skin 1

by murph2mr Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 07:01PM Report as inappropriate

Thanks - I had no idea "eating" water was more beneficial than drinking it. Interesting suggestions!!

by tarynone Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 11:34PM Report as inappropriate

wow the water thing was the most shocking. I have always heard to drink more water but I guess the article makes sense.

by stephgal Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 08:16PM Report as inappropriate

I think water in any form is good for the skin. It flushes away a lot of toxins and ultimately leaves your skin looking better.

by gaej19 Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 01:58PM Report as inappropriate

i agree.. come on

by gisellemarie Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 09:40AM Report as inappropriate

Really, drinking water? Come on

by LaurelJ Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 05:50PM Report as inappropriate

Drinking water is useless??? Today I drank a lot and had to use the bathroom quite frequently as a result, so I suppose it holds true that I'm not really absorbing since it comes right out.

by MissXu Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 08:43PM Report as inappropriate

Look, im going to continue to be skeptical of advice until i know who the source is...a dermatologist maybe?

by janellelora Monday, September 5, 2011 at 02:48PM Report as inappropriate

I had no idea that drinking lots of water wasn't as helpful as I thought it was! I'm so glad I now know!

by vfalkow Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 09:54PM Report as inappropriate

Some interesting info, others such as the protein item, water and calcium run counter to what you read elsewhere - could just be the variety of opinions you can find on the net.

by Breton Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 03:15AM Report as inappropriate

Very interesting, alot of things in here i didnt know.

by amanda_guajardo Monday, August 29, 2011 at 08:20AM Report as inappropriate

Well... I absolutely can't agree with some of these. "The energy spent on digesting protein takes away from your ´beauty energy´", really? That runs against pretty much anything known to physiology today. As long as you provide your body with energy, it will use it where ever it is needed - that is what your bloodstream exists for. And it is definitely important to eat different kinds of protein because otherwise you will lack essential amino acids which your body needs to synthesize new collagen - not some ominous "beauty energy", even if that might sound prettier.

by candmed Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 07:37PM Report as inappropriate

cool cool :P

by riley_beach Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 10:23AM Report as inappropriate

This is really informative, but not doing drugs should be a no brainer!

by bonjournikkie Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 04:56PM Report as inappropriate

wow thank you!!!

by Bon_Bon Monday, August 15, 2011 at 02:48AM Report as inappropriate

airing out your brushes should have been common sense. Mold, fungus, overall dampness eww its gross thinking about it.

by sarah_m Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 09:01PM Report as inappropriate

Wow! I workout a lot and eat a lot of protein. Reading this is an eye opener.

by carolyn_rucker Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 09:31AM Report as inappropriate

I'm totally guilty of taking vitamins without my dr approval. oops! Guess I better check with him on my next visit.

by ladyboarder9669 Monday, August 8, 2011 at 02:40PM Report as inappropriate

Wow, the cortisone thing surprised me!

by katherine_melendez Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 08:04PM Report as inappropriate

Thanks I realy learnrd alot from those 8 ways, That's why always like to read. Or as they call it fed the brain. Thanks Colette

by colette53 Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 04:14AM Report as inappropriate

Wow I didn't know that dairy was so bad for acne, I'm going to cut that out and see if my skin clears up.

by RoleModel Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 01:53PM Report as inappropriate

wow

by porsha_coleman_mcdaniels Monday, July 18, 2011 at 12:16AM Report as inappropriate

When I was younger I didn't care for Watermelon, so I've avoided it for years. I had it again and it was amazing. I love changing taste buds. I'm definitely eating more watermelon now.

by volta Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 11:14PM Report as inappropriate

o really

by samantha_cherry Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 01:24PM Report as inappropriate

Whoever didn't know about the brush thing..come on..

by eatinglipstick Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 10:21PM Report as inappropriate

Very interesting tips..especially the one about water!

by LittleBunny Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 09:01AM Report as inappropriate

Def cut out dairy. I can't tell you how much my skin and health has improved since cutting out dairy.

by luxylexi Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 12:36AM Report as inappropriate

The water tip was the most interesting one for me.

by stephgal Friday, July 15, 2011 at 06:35PM Report as inappropriate

These tips are pretty useful, although a few were kind of a 'duh'.

by katiespeaking Friday, July 15, 2011 at 04:10PM Report as inappropriate

Some intersting tips..

by lanigaga Friday, July 15, 2011 at 09:22AM Report as inappropriate

Look,the supplement thing you wrote about,you obviously have no idea! Let's leave it at that!

by selma Friday, July 15, 2011 at 06:22AM Report as inappropriate

There are some really good tips in here. I always wash my makeup brushes at night and leave them out on a towel until morning, so they're completely dry.

by LipglossandSpandex Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 08:57PM Report as inappropriate

the part about the water is interesting!

by vanillasummer Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 06:16PM Report as inappropriate

great read!!!

by volta Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 11:59AM Report as inappropriate

I'm guilty of some of this, yikes.

by MissPurple Thursday, July 14, 2011 at 11:36AM Report as inappropriate

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