5 Bad Beauty Habits to Break Up With in 2017
Jan 08, 2017
The year is fresh, and that means aiming for New Year’s resolutions that will revamp your look. Maybe that means shooting for cleaner eating or smarter sweating, but let’s not forget the power of a bangin’ new beauty regimen. As with every habit overhaul, though, the first step is kicking bad routines to the curb. Here are five skin and hair habits your stylist and facialist wish you’d break up with already. They’re all easy enough to commit to, so here’s to your best beauty year yet (and there’s not even a crazy juice cleanse involved)!
Never Cleaning Your Hair Tools
We totally get it. Between getting to work on time and all the gazillion other things on your TDL, cleaning out your hair dryer is probably not even on your radar. However, George Gonzalez, celebrity stylist and owner of George the Salon in Chicago, says lint and hair can build up, blocking airflow. That means you’re using more heat than necessary on your delicate locks, and you probably didn’t even know it! Time to clean that puppy. Give some love to your curling iron and straightener while you’re at it. For even shorter QT with your dryer, try out this Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer ($195). Your rehabbed hair can thank us later.
Re-Styling Dry Hair
If you’re guilty of this one, you’re def not alone. There’s only so many hours in the week to devote to styling your hair from start to finish. Plus, dry shampoo was invented for a reason, amiright? Unfortunately, Gonzalez says that constantly going over your dry hair with a straightener or curling iron is exactly what we can thank for some of those bad hair days. Oops. If one part of your hair is messed up (hello, bedhead!) make sure to re-wet it with a handy sprayer like this Bed Bath & Beyond 8 oz. Spray Bottle ($2) before styling, or it will only get worse. Noted.
Not Using SPF in Your Hair
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are hopefully devoted to daily SPF for your skin. But who knew that our locks were desperate for sun protection too? Yeah, not us. Luckily, Gonzalez set us straight. Not using hair products with SPF is equivalent to turning your gloriously juicy locks into a dry raisin. Sad face. This doesn’t mean wearing your fave floppy beach hat 24/7, though. Just scoop up some products with built-in UV protection, like Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil ($28) and say sayonara to a sun-scorched do.
Over-Using Scrubs and Exfoliants
Exfoliating your face on the daily is going to give you the softest skin in all the land, right? Actually, it might be best to put down your fave Fresh Sugar Face Polish ($62) and step away for a sec, says Dr. Ben Johnson, founder of Osmosis Skincare. “Everyone thinks their skin needs help to turn over, but the truth is, your skin manages dead skin removal in perfect timing, according to its level of nutrition.” You can still exfoliate once in a while, but Dr. Johnson also recommends eating healthily and taking internal supplements to help correct any dermal imbalances. Letting your skin do its thing FTW.
Using Artificial Sunscreens Every Morning
Your beloved moisturizer + SPF combo might not be up to snuff. Dr. Johnson says that if your sunscreen doesn’t contain zinc and titanium, it might actually cause inflammation. Yuck, why would we want that?! Look for a zinc-oxide based sunscreen, like a tube of Osmosis Protect Ultra Sheer Sunscreen ($30) instead, for long-lasting coverage without the swelling. Phew!
