How the environment affects your skin

Skin care is and should be a part of the general health care. Skin is the biggest organ on human body and should be treated with great importance since it quite literally protects the body. There are many factors that affect the health of our skin such as the food and drinks we consume, what skin care products we use, the amount of sleep we get, and so on. However, many people fail to acknowledge some of the most important external and environmental factors that have a lot of impact on the health of our skin. These are some of the most important ones. 

Pillowcases and mattress

The materials on which we lay during the night stay in contact with our skin for hours. It makes perfect sense for it to leave marks and affect our skin and its health. That is why it’s important to regularly wash the pillowcases and mattresses that we sleep on. First of all, they get dirty after a while. Secondly, our skin regenerates and sheds itself during the night. All of the dead skin cells end up piling up on the pillowcase overnight. Also, while asleep we tend to drool, snore and cough and all of that gets stuck on the pillowcase too. You don’t want any of that stuff touching your face since it can cause skin damage such as acne breakouts. 

Towels

Another thing that gets in contact with your skin a lot is the towel which you use to wipe your face. It tends to get dirty easily so it’s important to switch face towels regularly enough. Another important factor is how you use the towel to dry your face. Most towels tend to be a bit harsh for the face and the last thing you want is to drag the towel across your face when you dry it. This can be very irritating for the skin and it can damage it. Instead, you want to use the light tapping motions with the towel to lightly dry your face. 

Some people even choose not to dry their face with the towel. You can let the skin soak in the water in a minute and use the leftover hydration on the skin as a great base for your skin care products that soak perfectly great into the damp skin. Some products such as hyaluronic acid are even meant to be applied on damp skin because this is how you unlock their full potential of locking in moisture and hydrating your face.  

Germs, bacteria and pests

Germs and all sorts of bacteria can gather around the house in lots of different places. Whether they are caused by moist or dirt that accidentally gets into the house or by water leaks, these germs and bacteria can cause so many issues for your living area. You need to make sure your house is always clean and germ-free. The kinds of conditions caused by this can end up causing bigger issues such as having pests in the house and the last thing you want is having pests in the house that damage your overall living conditions and therefore cause problems to your health which includes your skin health as well. So make sure to get a proper pest control service to ensure you don’t have any pests in the house. 

Sun exposure

One of the biggest causes of skin damage is the sun exposure. It causes premature aging and skin cancer. Despite popular belief, we are actually exposed to sun and its damage 24/7 and during all four seasons. It doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter or even if it’s sunny or cloudy outside. So whether you are out or inside the house, make sure to always wear sun protection on exposed skin and if it’s summer protects your head with light scarfs or hats. It’s important that you get a 30 or above SPF cream that you will be reapplying on your skin every two to three hours to prevent sun damage.  

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several external factors that are affecting the health of your skin on a daily. Some of them include the sun exposure, bacteria, germs, pests potentially living in your house, the cleanliness of your pillowcases, and so on. So try to protect yourself from the sun damage and make sure the environment you live in is clean and healthy.