The ten worst saboteurs of your skin.

These are the “skincare” practices that will harm your skin and scalp, some of them permanently. You may be able to reverse some of the damage, though. The skin has ways to eliminate damaged cells, but you have to give it a chance. Even better, avoid the stress if you can!

The ten worst culprits

1) not protecting your skin from UV radiation

2) Benzoyl peroxide and other strong oxidants, like those used to bleach the skin and hair

3) Plucking. Yes, eyebrows will regrow after plucking until the hair-making cells die or change into skin-making cells

4) Copper-containing “skin care” products. They promote oxidation when the antioxidant system of the skin has enough work to do as it is

5) Peels. Yes, they will reveal tender, fresh skin, but they are chemicals or abrasion are stressful

6) Allergenic skincare products and makeup. Inflammation will follow

7) Mascara will block pores and stress the hair-making cells

8) Heat and cold: be careful around heat and cold, they both kill skin and scalp cells

9) Skin and scalp hunger: older skin loses blood vessels, bringing in nutrients

10) Desiccation: alcohol, heat, and low humidity environment are harsh on the skin

Not enough environmental stress? Count on the skincare industry to add new chemicals that damage proteins by design: plasticizing your scalp. In pursuit of the immediate gain (softer hair) they modify scalp cells chemically, endangering your hair’s future.

Hannah

PS: do you find this post too stressful? There is hope! Your skin can almost always recover, if you give it a chance. Wear sunscreen, use topical epidermal growth factor, antioxidant proteins, and healing ingredients, and be nice to your skin. It has to last for so many years!