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PICK OFF nail varnish, squeeze a pot, or go to bed with a face full of make-up. We’ve all committed beauty sins, but how bad are they really?
1. Crash dieting
Which sounds more appealing? Slow and steady, sensible weight loss via exercise and a bit of moderate calorie control, or a miraculous ‘lose 7lbs in seven days!’ regime?
The semi-starvation routine of the latter might sound extreme, but if it’ll get the job done, and most importantly, do it pronto, then what’s the harm? The more often you crash diet, the more you slow your metabolism. If you keep dieting in this way, eventually the pounds just won’t budge any more. Then, even eating almost nothing won’t work. A few days of black coffee and grapefruit (or similar fad diet-food combos) will make you skinnier, but it’s water, not fat that you’ll have dropped. As soon as you eat normally again, it’ll go straight back on. You might even gain the pounds back in a week. Therefore, a sensible, lower-fat diet that focuses on lean protein, vegetables and some fruit, avoiding the metabolic slump that occurs with drastic calorie slashing, is best.
If you have to lose weight fast, then this is infinitely preferable to starving yourself.
ON THE SIN SCALE: 5/5. If you repeatedly hardcore diet, you’ll get fatter and age your whole system in the long-run. A regular dieter will have drier skin, eye bags and more wrinkles than other people. A 1/5 for two-weeks super-low ‘carbing (lots of lean protein, greens, some fruits, a few nuts oils and little else)’.
2. Peeling off your nail varnish
A chipped ‘mani’ is no good. Until you start the strangely satisfying task of prising the polish off, that is. But while picking away may be fun, it’s certainly not good, clean, or harmless. Along with the varnish, you peel away one of your nail’s five layers. This takes with it the natural oils that keep them strong and supple. Post peeled nails look rather matte, and that’s not surprising news. Stripping dries, and exposing this vulnerable under-layer doesn’t make for happy nails. They become more brittle, making them more likely to split and snap. Then, as they grow out, they’ll be soft and start peeling.
Avoid temptation by choosing glossy colours over more matte polishes, as they’re harder to pick off. If there’s a little oil on the top of the colour before you shake the varnish bottle, it’s likely to peel. Oil-based varnishes are the glossiest and last longer. So what’s to help a hand already weakened by picking? Apply base and top coats; then leave well alone.
I found a product called Nailtiques Protein Formula 2, which is great for helping to repair the damage while protecting the fragile nail as it grows out.
ON THE SIN SCALE: 5/5. This tops nail nibbling in the digit-damaging stakes (since you’re harming the whole thing, not just the ends). Peel off your polish, and your nails will start to peel away too.
3. Squeezing spots
Like good old fashioned ice cream, spots are tempting. Faced with a white-head in a magnifying mirror, who, really, can resist? Not many. But we really must. Pus stretches the follicle of the infected pore like a balloon, making the walls thinner as it gets bigger. If you squeeze these walls, they break, releasing their toxic contents into the surrounding skin. This sends immune bodies out to mop up the damage and these immune bodies also attack collagen fibres in the dermis, leaving skin weak and with dents in the collagen, which is why acne (‘pitting’) occurs. The breakdown of collagen causes little dimples and scar tissues. Plus, most people dig their fingernails into the skin and squeeze a spot until it bleeds, typically resulting in bruising, bleeding, and nail marks. But if you leave it alone and apply a five per cent benzoyl peroxide cream to dry the spot and kill the bacteria, the spot should disappear in two days.
ON THE SIN SCALE: 4/5 for self-squeezing. Blackheads get 2/5. But on soft exfoliated, steamed skin, using fingernails parallel to each other wrapped in tissue, it’s permissible.
4. Unearthing below-the-skin brow stubble
If hairs are below the skin’s surface, they’re just not tweezeable. Ironically, trying to pluck out those too-short hairs actually causes the little black specks of stubble you’re trying to rid yourself of. Why? Hairs are more likely to break if you try to pull them from under the skin. You should never try to dig into the skin to get the hair — you can damage skin cells and cause red marks, scabs and infections. Leave the hair for a few days and then try again. Always use slanted, not pointed, tweezers. Also, avoid breakage by stretching the surrounding skin taut with your fingers when you tweeze. Or, try a different method. Experts advocate getting ‘threaded (an ancient technique that uses cotton to pull out hairs)’ by a pro, which gives slower and sparser regrowth.
ON THE SIN SCALE: 5/5. Eyebrow digging is only going to lead to problems. Put the tweezers down and cover the bitty brows with a creamy concealer stick until they are long enough to pluck or thread.
5. Washing your hair with shower gel
Looks the same; smells the same; feels the same. Surely, it’s fine to lather your locks with shower gel once in a while? No!!! Due to the alkaline formulation in shower gels, they will dry hair out immediately, leaving a residue on it and making it difficult to comb. Good shampoos have a more acidic pH of 3.5 to 5.5. So they promote healthier hair. If needs be, and you do have to use shower gel on your head, the damage will not be irreversible, but make sure you use an intensive hair conditioner as soon as possible, or your hair will become very dull, dry, and coarse.
ON THE SIN SCALE: 1/5. A one-off shampoo with shower gel won’t ruin the condition of your hair, but if you’re out of conditioner too, forget it. You’ll only struggle to get a brush through it. Long-term, it’s bad: 4/5. This could result in snapping and breakage of the ends, as well as an overall dull, dry look. Not to mention the likelihood of an irritated scalp.
6. Washing your face with soap
Nothing removes dirt and oil like a good soap but, apparently, there are women out there who really wash their faces with washing-up liquid meant for doing the dishes. Newsflash to the guilty! If you treat your skin like an old griddle pan, don’t be surprised if it also looks old, ridged, and damaged. The only soap that should come near your face is one that is specifically designed for facial cleansing. Regular soaps strip away all the skin’s natural oils and leave behind a drying residue. If your skin is oily, the over-cleansing sends your sebaceous glands into overdrive, while drier skin could be left irritated and taut. But you have nothing to fear if you use facial soap made by cosmetic companies. These soaps have a very low lather for easy rinsing and leave no residue.
ON THE SIN SCALE: 2/5. For hand soap, a sure-fire way to dry skin. 5/, plus an appointment with a self-esteem coach if you’re washing your face along with the dirty crockery. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
7. Going to bed with your make-up on.
Wearing make-up to bed will make a mess of the pillowcase, so what’s it doing to your skin? Leaving it on can aggravate acne, as bacteria and pore-clogging products are left on your face. Eye make-up can cause puffiness and sensitive eyes, but loose powder is the worst, as it clings to pores, absorbs moisture, and dries skin. While this won’t damage your skin, it prevents it from repairing itself overnight. If waterproof mascara isn’t removed, it can cause lashes to become brittle and snap. The damage is made worse as we usually slack off on cleansing after a night out when our skin has also been exposed to smoke and alcohol that dehydrates the skin and releases free radicals. Cleansing and moisturising is important to stimulate repair mechanisms.
ON THE SIN SCALE: 2/5. You’re not doing your skin any favours, but you’re unlikely to develop acne or wrinkles if you fail to wash every so often.
