7 Personal Care Mistakes That Can Harm Your Health

The personal care and hygiene habits that we repeat every day are important to maintain our good appearance and protect our health. However, many times, thinking that we are doing the right thing, we make mistakes that can harm our health and instead of favoring us, they are harming us.

7 common self-care mistakes

Next, we will review some habits and bad practices that, although it may not seem like it, can affect our health.

1. Cutting your nails the wrong way

It is common for us to use scissors to cut our nails. However, we must bear in mind that the structure of these is of different layers placed as tiles.

Thus, when using scissors, the structure of the nail deforms, flakes and becomes brittle. To avoid damaging your nails, use a nail clipper, which makes smooth cuts so that you can later shape it with a file.

2. Clean your nose with your fingers

It is a very harmful habit because there are many microbes on the fingers  and, when they come into contact with the lining of the nose, they can cause inflammation. The best way to clean your nose is to use a jar with warm salt water.

The procedure would be as follows:

• Tilt your head and slowly pour water through one of the holes.
• Let the liquid flow out of the other.
• Alternate.

• After the procedure, cover one of the nostrils, exhale hard and repeat on the other side.
• In this way, you will expel residues with the water and you will clean your nose avoiding nasal congestion, allergies or sinusitis.

3. Use scented soaps and gels in the shower

It is essential for our personal care to shower every day, but we must take into account what type of soaps we use for it. By using bath gels and scented soaps in excess, we destroy the natural barrier that our body has against germs.

The skin becomes more vulnerable to different diseases and becomes dry.

• Choose soaps that are fragrance-free or have glycerin: they are free of synthetics and keep the skin moisturized.
• Avoid soaps with high acid content or a high pH value.

4. Bathe and wash our hair with very hot water

Very hot showers can damage your skin’s natural moisture. The perfect temperature for a bath is 44ºC or less to remove dirt and bacteria. If you use water above that temperature, you remove the natural oil barrier, which is important for the skin to stay hydrated and smooth.

Hair is also damaged if you wash it with very hot water, as it increases porosity, becomes brittle, loses natural oils and becomes dull and dull.

5. Incorrect dental hygiene

To keep our personal care impeccable, a correct, healthy and well-brushed teeth are essential.

• It is advisable to brush your teeth in the morning, after lunch and before bed.
• The problem lies in how we brush our teeth and how much toothpaste we use.
• Proper brushing is from top to bottom. If you do it with too much energy and with movements from left to right, it can lead to gum injuries.

Likewise, we must wash from the inside out to remove all the tartar and use dental floss to remove the remains of food that are deposited and contribute to the appearance of microorganisms.

Too much toothpaste on the toothbrush causes the bristles to slide too far across the surface of the teeth and inappropriate brushing. The recommended amount is a small ball the size of a pea.

6. Wash hair excessively

Excess conditioner, even on dry hair, can stick to your hair and leave a residue that will make it look dirty and lifeless. Also, if the product passes to the scalp, the pores become clogged, which causes slower growth.

• The optimal amount of conditioner is a dime-sized drop. Apply the product only to dry ends.
• Washing your hair daily can remove natural oil, leaving it dry and susceptible to breakage.

7. Cover your mouth with your hand

We have always been told to put your hand in your mouth when sneezing or coughing. Most viruses are transmitted through the air, and their best route of spread is sneezing and coughing.

Covering your mouth with your hands is not the best option, since the viruses found in saliva from coughs or sneezes have their best allies in their hands. The best option is to cover your mouth with a tissue, and after coughing or sneezing, throw it away.

If you don’t have a tissue handy, cover your mouth with your arm. That way you can avoid causing inflammation or infection in the eyelids or face, if you rub them with your hands.

If you eliminate these mistakes when doing your personal care, your body will thank you. Are you ready to change your habits?