11 surprising things you didn't realize are damaging your skin

woman with acne
Sleeping in your makeup and exfoliating too much can lead to acne.
Sarah Schmalbruch/INSIDER

You probably know that to maintain a perfect complexion, you should use sunscreen at the beach and avoid picking at your pimples.

You likely didn't know, however, that everything from allergy medicine to your morning shower could be taking a toll on your glow.

Here are some surprising daily habits and environmental factors that could be secretly damaging your skin.

Doing laps at the pool could be harming your skin.

Woman pool swimming diving
Rinse off after swimming.

Slathering on sunscreen might protect your skin while you're lounging poolside, but it won't save you from the effects of the chlorinated water.

The chlorine added to pool water to keep it bacteria-free can also strip your hair and skin of the natural oils it needs to stay protected and moist, leaving your complexion itchy and sensitive, dermatologist Laura Ploch told Allure.

Keep your skin happy by limiting time in chlorinated water and giving yourself a thorough rinse after hanging out in the pool.

Sleeping on one side can lead to wrinkles.

sleeping asleep bracelets hammock pillow sleepy sleep
Try alternating sides.

It may sound like an old wives' tale, but dermatologists say this one is true — sleeping on your side can actually lead to wrinkles and permanently creased skin.

"Side sleepers often see deeper wrinkles or creases on the side of their face that they naturally turn to each night, as well as vertical creases down their cheeks and chin," dermatologist Joel Schlessinger told Self.

Sleeping on your back or alternating which side you sleep on are good ways to limit this kind of sneaky skin damage.

Your allergy medication might be causing you to break out.

Talk to your doctor about the best way to treat allergies and protect your skin.
Getty Images

Surprisingly, certain allergy medications can lead to troubled skin.

Steroid sprays in particular "can lead to trouble in certain acne or rosacea-prone people," dermatology professor Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi explained to Bustle.

If you notice that your skin flares up around the same time as your allergies do, it could be a side effect of the medication you're using to treat those sniffles. Talk to your doctor about an alternative treatment if you're concerned.

Your sweet tooth could be aging you prematurely.

eating cake
What you eat affects your skin.

Taking too many trips to the cookie jar could be adding years to the appearance of your skin.

"Sugar causes hormonal changes in the body, similar to things that happen when you're under stress, which damages your collagen and elastin fibers," dermatologist Melissa Piliang related to HuffPost. 

Emerging research is suggesting that excessive sugar consumption could lead to skin brittleness and loss of elasticity, spelling trouble for your visage.


Smoking damages more than just your lungs.

Woman Smoking Cigarette
Smoking can loosen your skin.
Jose Luiz Gonzalez/Reuters

Everyone knows that smoking causes a host of health problems such as cancer and heart disease, but you might not be aware of the havoc it can wreak on your skin.

In an interview with Bustle, demonologist Dr. Hadley King said that smoking is "one of the worst things you can do to prematurely age your skin."

Smoking can cause everything from the loose skin under the eyes to uneven skin tone and wrinkles, according to WebMD.

Setting your makeup with hairspray is a terrible idea.

Stick to products meant for your face.

This beauty hack might keep your smokey eye in place, but it will damage your skin in the long term.

"Hairspray has repellants in it that could irritate your skin, leaving it itchy, red and bumpy," skin-care expert Amanda Von Dem Hagen revealed to Glamour.

Hairspray also contains alcohol and lacquers that can dry out your skin and make you look older. Stick to a real makeup setting product and keep your skin shielded when applying hairspray to your locks.

Sleeping in your makeup can lead to a poor complexion.

woman sleeping
Wash your face before bed.
Gengwit Wattakawigran/Shutterstock

Is it really that bad to fall asleep without washing your face? The answer is yes – leaving on last night's makeup can spell trouble for your skin in the morning.

"Makeup can trap environmental pollutants and free radicals that can damage skin cells, including collagen, leading to premature skin aging," dermatologist Matthew Knight told The List.

The List also revealed that going to bed without washing off your makeup can lead to clogged pores, irritated eyes, and dry skin.

Your daily shower could be messing with your skin.

woman showering
Stay away from super hot water.

If your daily shower is long and hot, that is.

According to the Baylor College of Medicine, showering in hot water causes dryness and can even damage the surface of your skin. This can lead to symptoms like redness, flaking, itching, or even increased eczema.

The solution? Don't crank up the heat when you're in the shower and apply a moisturizer after you're finished.

Not wearing the right glasses could cause wrinkles.

Squinting can lead to wrinkles.
Flickr/Erich Ferdinand

Avoiding the eye doctor could lead you to look older than your age.

Dermatologist Melissa Piliang told HuffPost that chronic squinting and other facial movements can cause wrinkles. When you're chronically straining to see or squinting to shield your eyes from the sun, you're causing the creases around your eyes to become deeper and fixed.

Get the right glasses prescription and invest in a good pair of shades to prevent this kind of skin damage.

Exfoliating too much isn't doing your skin any favors.

face scrub woman in shower
Scrub at your own risk.
Volodymyr Nik/Shutterstock

Step away from the drugstore apricot scrub. Exfoliating your skin too often or too roughly can cause significant damage.

"People use physical exfoliants for too long, or they press too hard, and they exfoliate their skin away. That's like giving yourself a first or second-degree burn," dermatologist Neal Schultz told Reader's Digest.

Using a physical exfoliant like a sugar or coffee scrub can leave you with sensitive skin and even broken blood vessels. Apply gentle pressure when using physical exfoliants, or skip them entirely and use a mild chemical exfoliant.

Picking the window seat on an airplane could leave you with damaged skin.

airplane seat
Wear sunscreen next time you get on a plane.
Getty Images

You probably remembered to pack sunscreen for your beach vacation, but would you think to apply some for the plane ride? It turns out that sitting near the window on a plane can result in surprise skin damage.

"When you're in a plane the UVB radiation, most associated with sunburn is blocked by the windows of the plane, but the UVA radiation is not. As you are much closer to the ozone layer the sun's rays are much more harmful," Matt Gass, a spokesperson for the British Association of Dermatologists, told Telegraph Travel.

This means that the sun's UVA rays are able to penetrate the window glass and affect your skin. Make sure you apply sunscreen before settling into a window seat for a long flight.

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