7 Everyday habits that can make your skin look older

Fine lines often stand out more when your skin is dry. Irritation leaves it looking patchy, and too little sleep shows in your face. Some of these changes improve once you adjust your routine. Others, including damage from years of sun exposure or smoking, take longer to address and won't simply disappear with a new cream.

It helps to know which habits are contributing to the changes you see. Start with the ones that sound familiar, whether that's forgetting sunscreen during the week or using several exfoliating products without realising it.

You probably remember sunscreen for a day by the sea. The walk to work and an hour at an outdoor café are easier to overlook. In Lisbon, those everyday outings add up to considerable time in the sun over a year.

UV exposure gradually damages the structures that keep skin firm and elastic. Pigmentation becomes less even, and wrinkles develop earlier. This happens with repeated exposure, including days when you don't burn.

Make sunscreen part of getting ready in the morning. Look for an SPF of at least 30 and protection against both UVA and UVB. Cover exposed skin beyond your face, especially your neck, chest and hands. When you're outside for longer periods, reapply about every two hours, and after swimming or heavy sweating. A hat and shade help too.

Texture matters when choosing a sunscreen: you're more likely to use one that sits comfortably under makeup or doesn't leave your face feeling greasy. If you keep avoiding yours, try a different formulation.

Smoking contributes to earlier wrinkles and a dull, sallow complexion. Its effects reach beyond the familiar lines around the lips: studies have linked smoking with more pronounced lines across several areas of the face.

Quitting removes tobacco smoke from the factors damaging your skin. Established wrinkles won't necessarily fade, but you've stopped adding that particular source of damage. There's no cream that makes continued smoking harmless to your complexion.

If you've tried to quit and found it difficult, ask your GP or pharmacist about support. You don't have to rely on willpower alone.

An occasional late night is familiar to most people. The habit to pay attention to is getting too little rest week after week, especially if you're regularly waking up tired.

Research has associated poor sleep with more visible ageing and slower recovery of the skin's protective barrier. The evidence doesn't establish exactly how much of an individual's skin ageing is caused by sleep, but it supports taking a persistent sleep problem seriously.

Look at what's keeping you up. A late bedtime has a different solution from lying awake for hours or repeatedly waking during the night. Give yourself enough time to sleep and aim for a consistent schedule. If you're struggling despite that, discuss it with a healthcare professional.

Judge changes over a few weeks. Examining your face after every bad night is unlikely to tell you much, and it adds pressure to something you're already finding difficult.

You might notice more puffiness or flushing after drinking. If it happens regularly, it's worth looking at how much and how often you drink, including what has become an automatic part of the evening.

Studies have found an association between heavier drinking and certain signs of facial ageing. They describe patterns across groups of people; they don't tell us what a single glass will do to someone's face.

If alcohol has become a regular habit, cutting back is a sensible place to start. Notice whether your skin's appearance changes along with that pattern. When it feels uncomfortable, keep skincare gentle and avoid trying several new products to fix it overnight.

That squeaky-clean feeling after washing isn't a useful goal. Tightness, stinging or an immediate need to reach for cream are signs to review your cleanser and washing habits.

Hot water and repeated scrubbing strip away oils that help keep the surface comfortable. Dry patches then become more obvious, and foundation settles into fine lines. Trying to scrub off the flakes usually makes the irritation worse.

Use your fingertips and warm water, then dry your face with a soft towel, without rubbing. Choose a cleanser that removes your makeup and sunscreen without leaving you uncomfortable. If you use more than one cleansing product, pay attention to the combined effect, especially on your cheeks and around your mouth.

One useful check is how your face feels just after rinsing. Persistent tightness deserves attention even if a rich cream later disguises it.

An exfoliating wash in the morning, an acid toner at night, retinol and a weekend peel: it's easy to build a strong routine one purchase at a time. Each product looks reasonable on its own. Together, they may leave you with redness and peeling instead of the smoother skin you wanted.

Read the labels on what you already own before adding anything else. Some cleansers and toners contain exfoliating acids even when you don't think of them as treatments. Consider frequency as well as the number of products.

If your skin is sore, pause the non-prescription products that seem to be irritating it. Keep cleansing and moisturising simple while it settles. For prescription skincare, ask the clinician who prescribed it how to adjust use. Persistent or worsening irritation needs professional advice.

Once your skin is comfortable, reintroduce products gradually, giving yourself time to judge each one. A routine you tolerate consistently is easier to maintain than repeated cycles of intensive treatment and recovery.

It's understandable to hesitate over moisturiser when your forehead already looks shiny. Yet oily skin still loses water, and the cheeks or mouth area might feel dry even when the centre of the face is greasy.

If you recognise that combination, try a light lotion labelled non-comedogenic. You don't have to use the same amount everywhere. Drier cheeks might need a richer cream, while a small amount of a lighter product is enough elsewhere.

Regular moisturising helps dry surface lines look softer and reduces the roughness that makes makeup sit unevenly. Deep folds won't disappear, but a comfortable, well-moisturised surface often looks smoother.

Give the product a chance to fit into your day. If it pills under sunscreen or feels too heavy, change the texture or amount. If it stings or leaves you persistently uncomfortable, review the formulation with a specialist.

These habits give us useful context when you visit Pause. Someone concerned about “new wrinkles” might also have flaking after starting retinol. Another guest might be unhappy with their complexion after years of unprotected sun exposure. Those appointments call for different advice.

We begin by looking at your skin and asking what has changed. Tell us about recent procedures as well as everyday products, including anything you've stopped because it caused a reaction. This helps us decide whether to focus on hydration, work on texture or recommend a medical assessment first.

For dry, uncomfortable skin, Dermadrop offers a focused moisturising treatment without injections. The formulation is chosen for the concern we're addressing. Softness and relief from tightness are useful things to look for afterwards; improvements in dry surface lines will vary.

Biologique Recherche gives us scope to adjust the facial as we work through different areas of the face. For example, a guest with an oily forehead and reactive cheeks needs careful product selection rather than the same intensity throughout. Cleansing, masks and other skincare steps are selected accordingly.

Massage is particularly relevant if you hold tension in your jaw or notice puffiness. It helps the face relax and often leaves it looking more rested. Facial System includes this manual work before the skincare portion of the appointment, allowing us to spend time on both tension and the skin itself.

When rough texture is the main complaint, we assess whether a professional peel is appropriate. Your home exfoliants and retinoids are part of that decision. Ask which products to set aside before treatment and when to resume them. If your skin is irritated, we'll discuss whether to postpone exfoliation. A rash that persists or a spot that's changing belongs with a dermatologist.

Sometimes the main difficulty is deciding where to begin. You've collected products with overlapping claims, tried a few treatments and still aren't sure what's helping.

Our 30-minute consultation with Liliya Subgani, Pause's Chief Cosmetologist, is designed to help you work through that. Alongside a skin assessment, you'll discuss what's bothering you, review your current products and receive advice on daily skincare and suitable studio procedures.

Bring a list or photos of your products. Include the ones you use only occasionally: a weekly peel matters as much as a daily serum when planning exfoliation. Let Liliya know how much time you're willing to spend on skincare and which steps you find difficult to keep up with.

You should leave knowing what to keep, what to reconsider and which concern to address first. That might involve simplifying your routine before a treatment, or choosing a facial while keeping the products that already suit you. There's little value in a plan that's too complicated to follow.