You wear sunscreen every day, exfoliate regularly, and never go to sleep with your makeup on. Still seeing troubled skin? It’s true: some healthy skin habits are too much of a good thing.

Taking good care of your skin and using healthy products is key in maintaining beautiful skin. But overdoing it can damage skin, cause irritation and blemishes, and speed up aging.

Let’s take a look at the top healthy skin care habits women tend to overdo.

6 Healthy Skin Habits You May Be ODing On

1. Over-cleansing: Didn’t know you could get skin too clean? Using a foaming cleanser has definite benefits, but using this product on skin that is dry or sensitive leads to dryness, irritation, and even breakouts. Curb your sudsing by washing skin only when it actually needs it (post workout, when it feels greasy…) and use a cream or oil cleanser the rest of the time.

2. Over-exfoliating: Another skin care technique that tends to get overused is exfoliation. We’ve all heard that this step helps with acne, and keeps skin fresh and glowing. More than once per week (twice if skin is not sensitive) is overkill, and can irritate and damage skin. The best way to exfoliate the face is with non-abrasive fruit acids, which remove dead cells without abrasive granules.

3. Using the wrong healthy skincare: Yes, going nontoxic with your skincare is the healthiest choice. But if you are using skincare that is wrong for your skin type it can be causing problems. If you are experiencing dryness, zits, irritation, or excessive oiliness, chances are you are using the wrong skin care products. Choose skin care designed for your skin type.

4. Going oil-free: For those who battle oily skin, steering clear of excess oil is essential in keeping the complexion clear. But did you know drying out the skin leads to breakouts too? That dry, flaky layer traps the oil your skin creates naturally and causes pimples. Choose products made with healthy natural oils that are formulated for oily and acne prone skin types, and skip the super drying potions.

5. Sticking with your tried and true: So you’ve found the skin care products you love and they love your skin right back. Great! Do you find they don’t work quite as well some months as others? To keep skin balanced and happy year ‘round, switch up your routine for the seasons. It doesn’t have to be a drastic overhaul, but a bit more moisture in the winter and lighter products in summer make all the difference.

6. Using chemical sunscreen: Wear sunscreen daily. We’ve all heard this precaution a thousand times. And you are applying your moisturizer with SPF every day like a good girl. But if that product is made with nasty chemical sunscreens you are doing more harm than good. Opt for a safe mineral sunscreen for face. You can even use a tinted moisturizer and ditch your foundation.

Related on EcoSalon:

Are Your pH Levels Causing Acne or Wrinkles?

Why Fruit Oils Are Your Skin’s New Jam

6 Microbead-Free Exfoliating Body Scrubs for Rough Winter Skin

Image of woman looking in mirror via Shutterstock

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Masturbating is healthy—so why don’t we treat it like the rest of our healthy habits?

There are plenty of healthy habits we work hard to achieve—eating better food, getting more exercise, sleep, and downtime. We talk about them fondly, and often. And even though masturbating is as healthy for your bod as anything else, it doesn’t get as much airplay. On a to-do list, we place it in that microscopic footnote section we pretend isn’t there, like side effects to a medication.

Even though most women masturbate a minimum of once a week, we’re all hush-hush about it like there’s something wrong with us. No, you don’t have to dish on the exact play-by-play, but why get all uncomfortable if it comes up in conversation?

Here are 7 reasons you should (proudly!) enjoy a little menage a moi:

1. It’s a happiness booster

Word is orgasms release endorphins—specifically, dopamine and oxytocin—which can boost your mood and create a natural high.

2. It can improve your self-esteem

Studies have shown young women who masturbate on the regular view their sexuality in a positive light—especially when able to talk openly and honestly about it in a way that emphasizes the normalcy of giving yourself a hand.

3. It can relieve menstrual pain

This is not a drill: Masturbating releases certain hormones that can relieve menstrual pain. It also helps relax the muscles that are causing those icky cramps of yours. Cha. Ching.

4. It eases tension

If it’s been a while or you’ve had a particularly brutal day (or both), it’s a great way to satisfy your libido while relieving stress. Really, it’s multitasking at its finest.

5. It helps you sleep

If you suck at the whole sleep thing, you should for reals consider using masturbation as a sleep aid. Post-orgasm, your blood pressure lowers, your body relaxes and your mind clears—better than any sedative!

6. It improves your sex life

How are you going to have amazing sex with a partner if you have no idea what your likes and dislikes are? (As we already know, guys aren’t exactly mind readers.) If you don’t know how to turn yourself on, your love life’s going to turn into a really bad rom-com trying to find someone who can.

7. Uh, orgasms

What’s not to love about masturbating? As far as healthy habits go, it’s definitely the most fun. You won’t get pregnant. You can’t get an STD. You don’t have to deal with someone else’s needs. You don’t have to snuggle afterward. You can just get to the point and mosey on with your fabulously busy life.

Do you treat masturbating differently than the rest of your healthy habits?

Related on EcoSalon

19 Hilarious(ly Embarrassing) Things That Happen During Drunk Sex

Produce Clean Energy with Pornhub’s ‘Wankband’ by Getting Dirty

Self Pleasure 2.0: 32 Funny Places Women Have Masturbated

Woman in bed image via Shutterstock

The post 7 Reasons Why Your Healthy Habits Should Include Masturbating appeared first on EcoSalon.