Texoma Living Well Magazine Fall 2015 | Page 30

Beware of Bad Beauty Habits J ust as it is important to develop healthy eating, exercise and hygiene habits, it’s also important to maintain good skin care habits. Taking care of your skin goes beyond simple hygiene. Skin care regimes can decelerate the aging process, decrease the number of acne flaws and help decrease the risk of developing skin cancer. If you currently partake in any of the bad beauty habits listed below, it’s time to make a change. Helen Kaporis, DO, FAOCD, Preventive and Cosmetic Dermatologist at Cooper Clinic, explains some of the most common bad beauty habits and how to break them. Not Protecting Your Skin from Sun Damage Not properly protecting your skin against UV radiation is the worst beauty habit you can have. UV radiation increases your risk of developing pre-cancers and cutaneous cancers and breaks down collagen, which results in premature aging. Break this bad beauty habit by choosing a daily sunblock to wear consistently–it must be higher than SPF 30 to be beneficial. “For ease of use and to reduce the number of products you put on your face every day, look for an SPF with moisturizer in it, such as the Elta MD Daily SPF Lotion,” says Dr. Kaporis. “You can also find tinted daily sunscreens to give yourself a quick glow when you’re crunched for time.” 28 By Dr. Helen Kaporis, Cooper Clinic Dermatology Wearing Old Makeup and Not Cleaning Your Cosmetic Brushes Oil, dirt, bacteria and dead skin cells get trapped in bristles of makeup brushes and in your makeup. These components can clog your pores, leading to acne breakouts, folliculitis (inflammation of hair follicles) or skin i