When it comes to beauty routines, we all have our habits. Unfortunately, some of these habits we picked up as teenagers and can find it tricky to stop, even if we know that they may not be doing us any favours. Check out these hidden dangers of your beauty and skincare routine and the ways to keep looking your best without suffering the unsightly consequences that bad beauty routine habits can sometimes cause.
Mom Was Right: Don't Ever Squeeze Your Pimples
You know you’re not supposed to do it, but you know you do it anyway. When you’re going over your meticulous skincare regime (cleansing, toning and moisturizing), it’s practically irresistible to avoid squeezing out the occasional pimple or blackhead. But keep in mind that the bacteria on your fingers only makes matters worse and that squeezing can lead to recurrences, infection or even scarring. If you absolutely must force the little sucker out of your pores, follow Dr. Oz’s method for doing away with blemishes.
For more hidden beauty routine dangers take a look below. Story continues under slideshow.
Skincare And Beauty Routine: 6 Hidden Dangers
Sharing Lipstick Can Lead To Unpleasant Surprises
It’s a habit we’re glad to say we kicked around the tenth grade, but sometimes we’re still tempted to try on a friend’s lipstick if it is particularly gorgeous and we’re out on the town. If this is something that you and your girlfriends do on the regular, we hope this gives you pause; oral herpes can be transmitted via lipstick and lip balm. Sharing is great and everything, but when it comes to make-up, it’s definitely best to stick with your own stuff. (And try to keep this in mind the next time you’re tempted to play around with testers at the cosmetics counter at the mall.)
Your Eyelash Curler Can Be Counterproductive
Nothing can give a face that wide-eyed doe look better than perfectly curled lashes, but some eyelash curlers have been known to take a few for the team (i.e. yank some of your lashes out). If you’re lucky and already have luscious lashes, that’s probably not such a big deal for you. But for those of us with sparse lashes, we need every last one! To ensure that your lashes aren’t sticking to your lash curler, ensure that both your instrument and lashes are free of mascara, false eyelash glue and any other residue. Curl gently; be firm but don’t pull too hard. If that fails, a decent curling mascara also works well and won’t leave you with fewer eyelashes that ever before.
Bikini Waxing Can Cause Bumps
As smooth and satiny as bikini and Brazilian waxing can make you look and feel, sometimes hair removal can cause painful and unsightly bumps and ingrown hairs that may even cause scarring if not properly tended. If you’re a slave to waxing, avoid getting ingrown hairs by regularly using a gentle exfoliant to slough off dead skin cells that might clog up your pores. It’s also important to wear breathable cotton underwear and avoid tight clothing.
Don't Hang Onto Old Mascaras
We know it was expensive. We know it’s your favourite. But once your beloved mascara has hit the three-month mark, consider it expired. Otherwise, it could cause irritation, sties and even potentially cause eye infections
Heat Styling Can Be Damaging To Your Hair
Pack up those hot rollers and go easy on the hair dryer! What you think is making your hair look better today may actually be making it look worse, in the long run. Flat irons, curling irons, hair dryers and hot rollers are all capable of inflicting serious damage on your follicles, causing dryness, split ends, dullness and frizz. If you’re going to use one of these tools on your lovely lady locks, make sure that you do it while your hair is dry (wet hair is more prone to breakage) and use a heat protection spray or serum to help protect your hair. Make sure you’re using a good daily conditioner and once per week, use a deep conditioning treatment to help keep your hair soft, supple, smooth and shiny.