You may think of your skin in ways to make it beautiful. We strive for a glowing, smooth and flawless complexion. While obsessing over skin care products, you may be skipping the most important element to healthy skin: personal life habits.

For tips on how to maintain gorgeous, healthy skin, Largo Patch interviewed Brandi Broughton, physician assistant, of Bay Dermatology in Largo on the five worst habits for your skin.

1. Smoking

Smoking tops the list of bad habits. It affects overall health and leads to (or worsens) many skin conditions.

“Smoking is one of the worst," Broughton said.  

"It dilates the blood vessles. It causes a lot of the little, red veins that you get, like those associated with rosacea. It can also cause discoloration of the skin,” Broughton said.

2. Ignoring Uncontrolled Stress

Stress-reducing techniques are often recommended for good mental and emotional health. But uncontrolled stress can cause a variety of problems, including those related to your skin.

"A lot of people don't realize how bad it [physical and emotional stress] is on the body. It has a lot of different effects. It does cause the aging process to progress a lot quicker. It causes different problems, like breakouts and acne. It can instigate other conditions, like eczema and psoriasis."

Underlying stress also makes skin issues more difficult to treat. If your body is under continuous strain, you may find your skin responds slower to treatments.

3. Poor Diet And Insufficient Water

The foods you eat are directly related to the health of your skin. If your diet is comprised of pizza, corn chips and diet soda, you’re not giving your skin the vitamins it needs to stay healthy.

“We always promote a diet rich in antioxidants ... fruit and vegetables rather than unhealthy choices,” Broughton said.

In the midst of specialty coffees, sodas and other beverages, water isn’t always our first choice. But your skin needs the hydration from water.

“Drink lots of water. A lot of people don't drink enough water, and their skin dries out. That causes dehydration of the skin, as well.”

4. Zero Sun Protection

Many people think sun protection is only important during the summer months.

"People don't realize how much sun we get like through glass in the car. I have a lot of people that have involvement of skin cancers on the left side of their skin," Broughton said.

Sun exposure can cause lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation of the skin. It can also lead to more serious problems, like skin cancer.

Going without sun protection in Florida is a death sentence for beautiful skin.

"We have high melanoma rates,” said Broughton.

Most people skip sun protection because they think it takes up too much time to apply it and underestimate the consequences.  

“Skin cancer kills people, if it’s not caught early enough,” Broughton said.

5. Excessive Skin Care Routine

When it comes to washing, more is not necessarily better. Washing your skin several times per day can damage your skin and pores.

“Wash your face twice a day. We recommend in the morning and at nighttime,” Broughton said.

Don’t try to clear skin problems by scrubbing your face too harshly, or aggressively cleaning your face with an abrasive scrub or washcloth. You can actually damage your pores, rather than simply clean them.

It can be confusing to decide what type of skin care products to use. The good news is you don't have to spend a lot of money to receive good results.

"There are many over-the-counter skin care products that are inexpensive," Broughton said.

"Look for products with certain components. Glycolic acid is great for exfoliatation, and it tends to not dry out the skin too much."

For moisturizers, skip products with alcohol, parabens and fragrance. If you need an anti-aging product, look for ones with peptide, Vitamin C or Retin A, Broughton suggests.

If you have several skin problems, it's best to find a dermatologist to help guide you on what types of products are best for your skin type.

"Sometimes, people overmedicate their skin. Especially for people with sensitive skin, and who have acne, they shouldn't use salicylic acid. It's great for acne ... but on someone with rosacea, it can cause redness, burning and drying of the skin," Broughton said.

One of the biggest problems with maintaining healthy skin is that most people don’t realize our skin is the largest organ of the body, Broughton said.

“People abuse their skin the most. They’ll visit the cardiologist for their heart. But they don’t visit their dermatologist for their skin."

For more information on skin care, call Bay Dermatology in Largo at (727) 585-8591.