It's bad enough that our parents lecture us but there are posters and billboards EVERYWHERE telling us to do this, don't do that! Be healthy, don't get old! Ugh, it drives me crazy! You should use the ad space for other things, perhaps a little positive reinforcement? Why not tell people they're awesome and perfect the way they are? Throw some Dove on that shit.
Anyway, there are a few things that you should avoid doing if you're a model or want to be. These are mostly based on what they'll do to your skin over the years. These couple of things age your skin much faster and while you may not see it at first, you will eventually notice a difference and by that time it's way too late!
#1 Alcohol: Yes, we all like to drink and party but most models don't actually do these things. Sure, they go out, but they'll usually drink water or juice. Alcohol dehydrates your skin and most people don't rehydrate themselves fast enough to prevent damage. I've been told that for every alcoholic beverage you should drink one glass of water but I'm inclined to double that and that's no way to get drunk (which is the point of drinking, right? To FEEL the buzz?). Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun but avoid drinking the night before a shoot!
#2 Smokes: These, like alcohol, aren't really good for you in general anyway (I know, "Yes mom!") but they're especially bad for your skin and will speed the aging process. And this isn't just about actually puffing on a cigarette, being in a room full of smoke or an area with large amounts of smoke will also dry out and hurt your skin. The toxins of cigarettes do all kinds of things to your body but the skin on your face, particularly your eyes, is thin and delicate and it's difficult to completely "fix" or restore this skin so be careful!
#3 Sleep: No, I don't mean sleep is BAD for your skin, it's really good for it! Especially your eyes. The tissue is thin and works hard all day keeping your eyes open. You need enough sleep to let it recover, recuperate. Lack of sleep leads to swelling or puffiness and dark circles (this is because the skin under your eyes thins, as explained above, and the veins come closer to the surface or more visible.). So get enough sleep! And if you can't sleep for whatever reason: cucumber is a girl's best friend! It's super hydrating and because you typically keep cucumbers in the fridge they're cold and will reduce the swelling around your eyes!
#4 Sun: Those of you that know me know I'm about as white as I can be without bleaching my skin and that's because I'm terrified of the sun. UVA rays are what age your skin the most while UVB rays are what give you a sunburn. The two are incredibly damaging and not all sunscreens are made equal. SPF only protects again UVB rays so you need sunscreen with PA for UVA protection, so be sure to read the labels and make sure you're protected against both. I know, some of you LOVE tanning and being golden but there's a better way to do it. Well, two actually. You can use a fake tanning method such as spray tan or heaps of bronzer or, if you can't live without sun, be smart about it. Use a mild sunscreen and build it up over time while maintaining your skin. Tanning oils are a way to basically turn yourself into a piece of fried chicken (human). And another thing: the moon reflects light from the sun, that's why we can see it glowing brightly at night. Do you know what else to moon does? It reflects the light back onto us, how else would you see it? You have to wear sunscreen 24/7 if you want to be properly protected (sounds tedious, I know but there are really awesome mist sunscreens that take two seconds to apply and you'll look kind of like Sailor Moon while doing it...). So slap some of that stuff on! (If you do get some sun and want to help reduce the color you should cut a piece of aloe and apply it. It will help reduce the color and repair/hydrate the skin!)
#5 Caffeine: Caffeine dries out your skin, like alcohol and it's really only a temporary fix for that sluggishness you feel in the morning. Try eating some berries as soon as you wake up or having a glass of juice. The natural (healthy) sugars will help give your system a jolt. Follow up by eating something protein-y like almonds or yogurt. Green or white teas are also good alternatives to drinking coffee and they have a much lower caffeine count. Green and white teas also have anti-oxidants in them which will help your skin bounce back from daily damage. You should also avoid using products like under-eye creams that have caffeine in them because in the long run, they'll worse the condition of the fragile skin around your eyes. Instead: use cucumber! It really is magical and natural.
That's about it from me and this isn't meant to be judgemental as I'm guilty of doing a few of these on occasion (except the sun... I've got that one down to a T), it's really meant as more of guideline to help you treat your skin better. Try to incorporate these things into your daily life slowly, make them a part of regimen and soon you'll do them all the time!
Here's my "tutorial" video for this post. It's another by Michelle Phan and it's about sunscreen! She explains the differences in UVA and UVB, what to look for in a product and what SPF/PA really mean.
Be safe, be S-M-A-R-T, be awesome!
-Nicola Sasky
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