You wake up in the morning, check your phone, brush your teeth… everybody has a routine of repeated behaviours that have become automatic. These are known as habits. There are some we want to stick with and others we often find hard to say goodbye to. For instance, according to Statista, in the UK, the bad habits that stand out the most are drinking too much alcohol and poor eating choices.

Just like in any other part of your life, you can’t avoid good as well as bad habits being present in your beauty routine. The good news is you can take responsibility for tracking these and take steps to change them, similar to the areas often associated with bad habits, such as alcohol or gambling, as you can read on this website. Read on to find out what practices you might have adopted without even knowing they bring you no good.

1. Saving money on a shampoo


Did you know that the word shampoo comes from Indian champoo, which means to press or to massage? Indeed, when we wash our hair, we massage our scalp to clean the oily, dirty roots. While dermatologists say there’s no right or wrong whether you do that daily or once in a week, they agree that it depends on the individual hair type.

When walking down the shampoo aisle in a drugstore, tons of attractive products try to get into your shopping trolley. It can be challenging to pick one, and therefore tempting to buy the cheapest option. However, you will never get that perfect, healthy hair saving money on a shampoo. Even if you wash your locks every day.

Based on your hair type, you might need a moisturising, strengthening, or a volumising shampoo. So, when you run out of the current bottle, don’t pinch pennies and treat your hair as it deserves to be treated.

2. Not removing your makeup properly


While you might not mind spending time on creating the perfect makeup look, removing it can be annoying. Even though a lot of people don’t pay attention to the cleansing process after using makeup, it’s greatly important.

The biggest enemies you face when it comes to makeup are your pores. Makeup clogs them, which can lead to problems such as skin breakouts. What is more, if you spend more time with your makeup on, your skin can get irritated and inflamed. So, imagine how much your skin suffers if you don’t remove your makeup properly overnight and then put on more in the morning!

3. Getting your nails done too often


Reading the headline, you might think, 'but my natural nails look really bad, I need frequent manicures.' Have you ever wondered your frequent visits to the nail salon could be just the reason?
Neither acrylic nor gel polish nails themselves damage your original nails. What matters are the circumstances under which you apply and remove these.

Let’s first look at the application process. To get acrylic nails, your original nails have to be filed so that the new ones stick. This process makes your nails thin and weak. Talking about gel nails, UV exposure increases the risk of skin cancer and premature aging of the skin.

Secondly, acetone, often used during the gel nail removal process, can dehydrate your nails as well as the skin around them. To remove artificial nails, you need to either soak them in it, or file them off, which is not ideal for your natural nail, either.

Even the British Association of Dermatologists encourages people to be aware of the danger associated with artificial nail products. Because of the risks that come with manicures, it’s not recommended to get your nails done very often.

4. Not changing your razor blades often enough


A razor blade was first invented in 1901 when King C. Gillette got an idea of how men could shave their beards from the comfort of their homes. Shaving soon became an essential part of men’s as well as women’s lives. In the Western world, a vast majority of women still shave on a regular basis.

The concern is that while the razor handle can be used for several years, once the blade gets blunt, it can cause undesired skin irritation. Furthermore, rusty blades can transmit bacterial as well as fungal infections. It is essential to store your razors in a dry place to prevent these and, of course, change them regularly.

So, how frequently should you replace them? Gillette recommends switching the razor blade every 20 shaves in case of 3-blade razors and 15 shaves when using 5-blade razors.

However, remember that the lifespan of your razor blade can differ depending on factors such as the blade quality, your skin and hair, or your shaving routine. For information about these, consider reading The English Shaving Company’s article.

5. Over-exfoliation


The human body constantly restores. The cells in our body grow and die. The dead cells exfoliate naturally thanks to the so-called desquamation process which, however, slows down as we age. That’s where exfoliation tools can really come into play.

To scrub your dead cells off your skin, you can choose either mechanical or chemical exfoliation products. Choosing the exfoliation method can be challenging, as each skin type needs something else. Luckily, the American Academy of Dermatology Association’s article will help you identify your skin type, and provide you with some useful tips on how to exfoliate safely.

One may feel inclined to remove as much skin debris as possible. However, you can’t stretch it too far. If you have the habit of exfoliating daily, you might feel symptoms such as redness, burning, peeling, or irritated skin.

So, how do you know how much exfoliation is not too much exfoliation? If you have oily or combination skin, you should scrub 2 to 3 times per week. Dry skin types will only need to exfoliate once or twice a week, and sensitive types should be very careful, adjusting the number of exfoliation sessions a week according to the reaction of their skin.

Hair, nails, skin – they all form part of our self-care routine. Often, we adopt habits in good faith. However, if you want to shine with beauty AND health, perhaps it’s time to stay away from your 'old but not gold' beauty practices.