Drinking Through a Straw and Other Mistakes That Are Aging You

As is the case with most habits, a problem occurs when it’s chronic. The issue with rubbing your eyes all the time is the sensitivity of the skin around them. It’s one of the places where aging signs first appear. The pressure applied to the skin can break small blood vessels, leading to the formation of dark circles and drooping eyelids.

Being in a chronic unforgiving mood causes the body to release more cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” while diminishing levels of oxytocin, also known as “the love hormone.” Too much cortisol over a long period of time has been linked to depression, which has been shown to weaken collagen.

Washing your face with lukewarm water in the morning and at night (and after sweating) is enough, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Harsh soaps, as well as hot water, only dry the skin. Washing your face often, or taking a bath or showering often or for too long, will dry the skin by removing natural oils, making it itchy and prone to breakouts.

Going to bed with makeup on can wreak havoc on your skin overnight. The skin is basically blocked and can’t breathe because the pores are clogged. The skin cannot recover from all the oxidative stress, including from air pollution, accumulated during the day. The resulting free radicals damage the skin’s collagen, causing wrinkles over time.

Like drinking through a straw, not wearing sunglasses when the sun is out causes repetitive facial motions that can eventually lead to fine lines. Squinting basically means the skin cells are squeezed thousands of times from all the facial muscles moving. This leads to loosening of the skin, and eventually to wrinkles in the corners of your eyes.