Habits are habits for a reason, they are repeated actions usually without even knowing we’re doing them. There are good habits and bad habits. Bad habits are ones people are always trying to break because…well…they are bad. Today I’m going to bring up some bad beauty habits you really should consider breaking. I’ll even try to give you some tips and tricks for breaking each one!
Also, don’t feel bummed if you have some (or a lot) of these bad habits. I personally struggle with some of them still and constantly and trying to improve and break them completely.
And, if you prefer watching to reading, you can see the common beauty habits in a little video montage I made below for “the tubes.” It was a lot of fun making this video so I hope you enjoy it.
Bad beauty habits
Blowing on your brushes
Why? After you’ve loaded your brush with a powder product it’s common to want to blow off some of the excess to decrease fallout. As much as you brush and floss and mouthwash, your mouth still harbors germs and other yuck – you don’t want that on your face.
Fix it Get into the habit of tapping excess powder off your brush. I kicked this habit myself a few years back by replacing the habit of blowing on my brushes with the habit of tapping my brushes.
Using expired makeup
Why? Listen, I get it. Makeup is expensive! And using it all up before it seemingly expires seems impossible. Not to mention expired makeup never really LOOKS expired like expired milk or cheese. Unfortunately, using old makeup means you run several health risks such as skin irritation, dermatitis, or the growth of bacteria.
Fix it First, gain an understanding of when most makeups expire, check out this helpful guide from Buzzfeed. Next, stop buying makeup from places like the Dollar Tree – I KNOW, I know, you hate me for saying this. But, hear me out, these makeups are usually already last year’s formulas, which is why they are so cheap, and likely already expired. Lastly, resist the temptation to overbuy makeup so you have the chance to use up what you buy before it goes bad.
Sleeping in your makeup
Why? When you’re sleeping it’s a time for your skin to do it’s normal skin things like shed dead cells and produce good oils. Makeup products left on the skin don’t allow this to happen as easily. Additionally, pollutants from the environment that attached to the makeup throughout the day can build up on your pillow which can wreck havoc down the road. At the end of the day, getting into the habit of sleeping in makeup can lead to all sorts of issues like clogged pores, blackheads, dermatitis, acne, and blackheads.
Fix it: Trust me, I get it, the process of washing off makeup at the end of the day is CHORE. So, find products that make it easier. My two favs are the combo of a solid/balm cleanser and makeup wipes. Solid cleansers are like a balm consistency and you apply to your face dry, rub in, and then use water to rinse away. They are seriously miracle workers and take off pretty much every makeup. For anything stubborn makeup left behind, typically around the eyes, I go for a makeup wipe. These two products can honestly have my face clean in less than 90 seconds.
My go-to makeup removing products:
Careless use of testers
Why? You have no idea who else has touched these testers, how they handled them, and how long they’ve been sitting out. If you need more reasoning this article should freak you out. A doctor and biological sciences professor at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia completed a study on public makeup testers. What did she find? Oh, just staph, strep, and even E. coli bacteria.
Fix it Personally, I only try testers on my arm/back of my hand – that’s good enough for me. However, if you really must test, clean the product with a cotton pad and alcohol beforehand (usually available at all stores with testers.) Then, if available, use the little tester brushes and spatulas to grab the product. Lastly, try to avoid products you test on your mouth or around your eyes as these two areas are more susceptible to bacteria.
Not washing your hands before applying makeup
Why? Kind of a no-brainer, right?
Fix it: This is just a habit you have to learn to do. My trick? I like to keep a really great Bath and Body soap in my bathroom that smells like all sorts of delicious things. This way my hands smell awesome when I’m applying my makeup. Kind of a little thing, I know, but it works for me!
Over-doing it with blush/bronzer
Why?We can just assume you aren’t going for clown chic.
Fix it: The most common reason for this problem is not having proper lighting in the area you apply your makeup. It is not well lit and thus you think you need more color on your cheeks until you step out into natural light and realize you’re 85% “Tickled Pink.” Either find a place with great lighting to apply your makeup or consider getting a lit mirror like this simplehuman wall mounted mirror to use to apply your makeup.
Using dirty brushes
Why? I’m pretty sure I’ve said bacteria, acne, dermatitis, and germs enough already in today’s post for you to get the drift.
Fix it: It’s honestly a hard habit to get into and probably one of those beauty habits most of us struggle with. Really, cleaning in general is a hard habit…being a grown up in hard. My trick? Find a schedule. What I try to do is commit to washing my brushes every other week. I plan an extras 10 minutes into my morning and do it after I’ve applied my makeup for that day so they have a good 24-hours to dry before I need them again. I also have this little cleansing mat from Real Techniques that makes the entire process about 5x faster. Don’t forget your beauty blender should get washed a lot more…like every day. I have gotten in a good habit with my blender and wash it after every use. Once you get into the schedule and habit, it becomes a lot easier.
Alright friends, there you have it. 8 bad beauty habits you really should try to break! I hope this post didn’t freak you out TOO much. I think if we’re going to use makeup on our faces we should be diligent about doing it right. Our skin is ours for our whole lives and we want to take good care of it!
