How Bad Is It Really?

How Bad Is It Really? sets the record straight on all the habits and behaviors you’ve heard might be unhealthy. Keep scrolling to learn what you should avoid and what you can officially stop worrying about.

By Marygrace Taylor
an illustration of a person sleeping in bed with their bra strap showing
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With a Bra On?
Health
By Madeleine H. Burry
custom graphic showing eggs in skillet cooking on a gas stove
How Bad Is It Really to Use a Gas Stove?
Nutrition
By Taayoo Murray
an illustration of a piece of gum in a stomach on a dark pink background
How Bad Is It Really to Swallow Gum?
Health
By Bojana Galic
an illustration of a person cutting their cuticles
How Bad Is It Really to Cut Your Cuticles?
Health
By Jaime Osnato
an illustration of a person cleaning their dirty bathroom
How Bad Is It Really to Never Deep Clean Your Bathroom?
Health
By Jaime Osnato
illustration of a dirty washing machine that needs to be cleaned in a light blue room
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Washing Machine?
Health
By Jaime Osnato
custom illustration of a person eating while standing
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Standing Up?
Nutrition
By Taayoo Murray
an illustration of a bathroom with a dinner plate in the foreground and shower in the background, to represent showering after eating
How Bad Is It Really to Shower After Eating?
Health
By Jaime Osnato
an illustration of a dirty dishwasher that needs to be cleaned
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Dishwasher?
Health
By Marygrace Taylor
illustration of a person picking a scab on their arm
How Bad Is It Really to Pick a Scab?
Health
By Tiffany Ayuda
custom illustration of sausages on a charcoal grill
How Bad Is It Really to Cook on a Charcoal Grill?
Nutrition
By Taayoo Murray
iIllustration of a person putting on sunscreen at night in a green bathroom
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With Sunscreen On?
Health
By Gabrielle Kassel
Illustration of someone doing a squat workout two days in a row
How Bad Is It Really to Work the Same Muscle Two Days in a Row?
Fitness
By Tiffany Ayuda
custom illustration showing hand with chopsticks reaching for raw fish sushi with beef tartare on plate
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Raw Fish and Meat?
Nutrition
By Madeleine H. Burry
illustration of a person talking to their doctor with fingers crossed behind their back to show they're lying
How Bad Is It Really to Fib to Your Doctor?
Health
By Kayla Hui
an illustration of a person sleeping in bed with wet hair
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With Wet Hair?
Health
By Jaime Osnato
custom illustration showing person drinking espresso with saucer in hand
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Espresso?
Nutrition
By Marygrace Taylor
An illustration of a pair of airpods that are covered in dirt and earwax, against a light blue background
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Earbuds?
Health
By Jaime Osnato
An illustration of a package of open baby wipes on the back of a toilet , in a bathroom with peach tile
How Bad Is It Really to Use Baby Wipes Down There?
Health
By Marygrace Taylor
Illustration of a window AC unit covered in cobwebs because it hasn't been cleaned
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Window AC Unit?
Health
By Marygrace Taylor
illustration of a person with brown hair plucking one gray hair, against a dark gray background
How Bad Is It Really to Pull Out a Gray Hair?
Health
By Molly Triffin
custom graphic showing two hands clinking glasses one with clear liquor and one with dark liquor
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Dark Liquors Over Clear Liquors?
Nutrition
By Marygrace Taylor
An illustration of a pillowcase stained with makeup, to represent sleeping in makeup
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With Makeup On?
Health
By Lacey Muinos
custom graphic of boiling carrots in a pot over the stove
How Bad Is It Really to Boil Vegetables?
Nutrition
By Kayla Hui
Illustration of a hamburger in a plastic container in the microwave, to represent the dangers of microwaving plastic
How Bad Is It Really to Microwave Plastic?
Health
By Lacey Muinos
custom image of hand pouring hot water into a mug with a teabag in it.
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Teapot?
Nutrition
By Jessica Migala
an illustration of a person wearing glasses and squinting because they're wearing the wrong prescription glasses
How Bad Is It Really to Wear Glasses With an Old Prescription?
Health
By Madeleine H. Burry
Illustration of a person sleeping in bed and hitting the snooze button on their alarm
How Bad Is It Really to Keep Hitting the Snooze Button?
Health
By Tiffany Ayuda
custom graphic showing martini and coffee
How Bad Is It Really to Mix Caffeine and Alcohol?
Nutrition
By Jaime Osnato
custom illustration showing handing pouring instant coffee into mug
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Instant Coffee?
Nutrition
By Jaime Osnato
An illustration of a person squeezing blackheads on their nose
How Bad Is It Really to Squeeze Out Blackheads?
Health
By Kayla Hui
An illustration of a person holding a pack of wet wipes in the bathroom, wondering if wet wipes are bad for you
How Bad Is It Really to Use Wet Wipes?
Health
By Marygrace Taylor
Illustration of a person holding in a sneeze
How Bad Is It Really to Hold in a Sneeze?
Health
By Madeleine H. Burry
An illustration of a person multitasking by working on a laptop, looking at their phone and listening to music
How Bad Is It Really to Multitask?
Health
By Bojana Galic
Illustration of a person sleeping in bed with a white noise machine on their nightstand
How Bad Is It Really to Use White Noise for Sleep?
Health
By Lacey Muinos
graphic of a hand pouring cream into a green mug of black coffee
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Coffee With Cream?
Nutrition
By Jaime Osnato
illustration of a magnifying glass showing bacteria on a dirty yoga mat
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Yoga Mat?
Fitness
By Jessica Migala
illustration of two different hands holding a bar of soap, to represent sharing a bar of soap
How Bad Is It Really to Share a Bar of Soap?
Health
By Jessica Migala
Illustration of a dirty pink loofah on a blue background
How Bad Is It Really to Use the Same Loofah Forever?
Health
By Anthea Levi
custom image showing artifically flavored coffees with whipped cream on top
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Artificially Flavored Coffee Every Day?
Nutrition
By Jaime Osnato
illustration of a person sleeping in bed with a fan blowing on them
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With a Fan On?
Health
By Jaime Osnato
custom graphic showing hand holding cup of coffee with alarm clock reading 3pm
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Coffee in the Afternoon?
Nutrition
By Marygrace Taylor
an illustration of a microwave with a filter on the bottom
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Microwave Filters?
Health
By Marygrace Taylor
an illustration on a dark red background of someone picking their nose
How Bad Is It Really to Pick Your Nose?
Health
By Kelsey Casselbury
custom graphic showing hand pouring wine and martini
How Bad Is It Really to Mix Different Types of Alcohol?
Nutrition
By Tiffany Ayuda
custom graphic of a tea detox or "teatox". persons arm pouring tea from a kettle into a cup next to a box that says "teatox"
How Bad Is It Really to Try a Teatox?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
illustration showing dish soap next to dirty sponge
How Bad Is It Really to Never Replace Your Kitchen Sponge?
Nutrition
By Jaime Osnato
Illustration of a person sleeping in bed with the TV on
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With the TV On?
Health
By Tiffany Ayuda
illustration showing salmon cooking in cast iron pan
How Bad Is It Really to Cook in Cast-Iron Pans?
Nutrition
By Lacey Muinos
custom illustration showing hand putting sugar cubes in coffee
How Bad Is It Really to Add Sugar to Your Coffee?
Nutrition
By Madeleine H. Burry
Illustration of a person sleeping in bed with their dog
How Bad Is It Really to Let Your Pet Sleep in Your Bed?
Health
By Madeleine H. Burry
Illustration of a person going barefoot at home while working, sitting on the couch and cleaning
How Bad Is It Really to Always Go Barefoot at Home?
Health
By Jaime Osnato
illustration showing hand pouring french press coffee into mug
How Bad Is It Really to Drink French Press Coffee?
Nutrition
By Tiffany Ayuda
custom graphic showing calendar with different cheese every day
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Cheese Every Day?
Nutrition
By Jaime Osnato
Illustration of a person popping a pimple on their face
How Bad Is It Really to Pop a Pimple?
Health
By Tiffany Ayuda
custom illustration showing bagel with smoked salmon and grilled bacon
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Grilled or Smoked Fish and Meats?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
custom graphic showing dirty oven
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Oven?
Nutrition
By Jaime Osnato
Illustration of a person wearing gloves and cleaning their shower
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Shower?
Health
By Caroline Juster
illustration of a person doing a knees over toes squat
How Bad Is It Really if Your Knees Go Over Your Toes During Squats and Lunges?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a pack of birth control pills
How Bad Is It Really to Take Hormonal Birth Control?
Health
By Renée Onque
illustration of a man using an elliptical with a do not sign over it
How Bad Is It Really to Never Do Cardio?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of someone drinking alcohol and pushing away a plate of food, as a concept of alcohol on an empty stomach
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Alcohol on an Empty Stomach?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of an underwire bra
How Bad Is It Really to Wear an Underwire Bra?
Health
By Kelsey Kloss
Custom graphic showing calendar with different types of meat
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Meat Every Day?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person sleeping with earplugs
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep With Earplugs Every Night?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a pile of cleaning products covered in cobwebs, to illustrate never deep cleaning your house
How Bad Is It Really to Never Deep Clean Your House?
Health
By Anthea Levi
illustration showing hands gesturing no to fish on plate
How Bad Is It Really to Never Eat Fish?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of someone skipping their annual physical exam
How Bad Is It Really to Not Get an Annual Checkup?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of dirty hair and makeup brushes
How Bad Is It Really to Never Wash Your Hair and Makeup Brushes?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a can of DEET being sprayed on mosquitos
How Bad Is It Really to Use DEET?
Health
By Cara Stevens
Illustration of someone running on a treadmill, holding on to the railings
How Bad Is It Really to Hold on to the Treadmill Railings?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person making the bed with dirty sheets
How Bad Is It Really to Rarely Wash Your Sheets?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a hand holding a mug of coffee and another hand saying no to breakfast, to represent drinking coffee on an empty stomach
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Coffee on an Empty Stomach?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a dirty pillow
How Bad Is It Really to Never Change Your Pillow?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person cracking their back
How Bad Is It Really to Crack Your Back Every Day?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person putting on antiperspirant and wondering if antiperspirant is bad for you
How Bad Is It Really to Use Antiperspirant?
Health
By Tiffany Ayuda
custom graphic showing hands holding fork and knife with salmon on plate
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Farm-Raised Salmon?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a calendar and a toothbrush to represent how often to change your toothbrush
How Bad Is It Really to Use the Same Toothbrush Forever?
Health
By Bojana Galic
Illustration of someone sitting on a couch in sweaty workout clothes scrolling on a smartphone
How Bad Is It Really to Sit Around in Sweaty Workout Clothes?
Fitness
By Kate Bratskeir
An illustration of tilapia on a plate with hands holding a fork and knife in the foreground
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Tilapia?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a bucket of disinfectant products
How Bad Is It Really to Use Disinfectant All the Time?
Health
By Lauren Bedosky
Illustration of a person doing push-ups every day
How Bad Is It Really to Do Push-Ups Every Day?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
kettlebell with a line through it on a pink background
How Bad Is It Really to Never Strength Train?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person using a cotton swab in her ears
How Bad Is It Really to Use Q-Tips in Your Ears?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person snoring while sleeping in bed
How Bad Is It Really to Snore?
Health
By Anthea Levi
graphic showing a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs on bed at night
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Carbs Before Bed?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
Custom graphic showing person next to weights walking away from protein shake
How Bad Is It Really to Skip Protein After a Workout?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a tampon and a clock, representing how long you can wear a tampon
How Bad Is It Really to Wear a Tampon for Longer Than 8 Hours?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person sleeping in on the weekend
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep Late on the Weekends?
Health
By Molly Triffin
illustration of a woman stretching with a line through it
How Bad Is It Really to Never Stretch?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
illustration showing calendar with pill bottle depicting taking painkillers regularly
How Bad Is It Really to Take OTC Painkillers Regularly?
Health
By Molly Triffin
illustration of a toothbrush with a checkmark and a container of floss with an X depicting skipping flossing
How Bad Is It Really to Not Floss?
Health
By Amy Marturana Winderl
illustration of person putting on smelly exercise shirt with hamper on teal background
How Bad Is It Really to Re-Wear Dirty Workout Clothes?
Fitness
By Bojana Galic
Illustration of a person in bed who has an inconsistent sleep schedule
How Bad Is It Really to Follow an Inconsistent Sleep Schedule?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person in green shirt cracking their knuckles with purple background
How Bad Is It Really to Crack Your Knuckles?
Health
By Sara Coughlin
illustration of person bouncing legs doing ballistic butterfly stretch
How Bad Is It Really to Bounce When You Stretch?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person walking away from the toilet, not washing their hands after using the bathroom
How Bad Is It Really to Skip Washing Your Hands After Using the Bathroom?
Health
By Brittany Risher
illustration of person in yellow top on navy background stretching to cool down after a workout
How Bad Is It Really to Skip a Cooldown?
Fitness
By Tiffany Ayuda
Illustration of a pregnant person resting during workout on mat with dumbbells
How Bad Is It Really to Do Planks When You’re Pregnant?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a person refilling a plastic water bottle for this article about plastic bottles and negative things about plastic
How Bad Is It Really to Reuse a Plastic Water Bottle?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration depicting not wearing sunscreen indoors with sun and overhead lamp over SPF 30 bottle
How Bad Is It Really to Not Wear Sunscreen Indoors?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a tired person with laptop and coffee who has gotten fewer than 7 hours of sleep
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep Fewer Than 7 Hours a Night?
Health
By Madeleine H. Burry
illustration showing burger in glass container on countertop with clock overhead
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Food That's Been Out for Hours?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of packing list with sunscreen crossed out on yellow background
How Bad Is It Really to Skip Sunscreen if You 'Never' Burn?
Health
By Kelsey Kloss
illustration showing person picking up a pretzel off the floor and eating it
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Food That Fell on the Floor?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of 4 empty coffee cups and 1 full with straws to demonstrate drinking too much caffeine
How Bad Is It Really to Drink More Than the Daily Recommended Amount of Coffee?
Health
By Molly Triffin
Illustration of a calendar with a dessert for each day
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Dessert Every Day?
Weight Management
By Anthea Levi
illustration showing scale weighing two apples with different price tags
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Non-Organic Foods to Save Money?
Nutrition
By Molly Triffin
illustration of person wearing shower cap in the shower not washing hair
How Bad Is It Really to Not Wash Your Hair After Every Single Workout?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
illustration of martini glass on nightstand next to bed with moon and stars out the window
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Alcohol Before Bed?
Health
By Jeff Tomko
illustration of person in purple shirt stretching quad to warm up before exercise
How Bad Is It Really to Skip a Warm-Up?
Fitness
By Amanda Gardner
illustration of hand pulling disinfectant wipe from container with green background
How Bad Is It Really to Use Disinfecting Wipes on Your Hands if You Don’t Have Sanitizer?
Health
By Molly Triffin
illustration of person leaning over with hands on knees feeling tired during high-intensity workout with dumbbells
How Bad Is It Really to Do a High-Intensity Workout While You're on Your Period?
Fitness
By Marygrace Taylor
close up illustration ofperson biting nails with red lipstick and red-orange background
How Bad Is It Really to Bite Your Nails?
Health
By Bojana Galic
Illustration of smart phone next to bed depicting blue light before sleep
How Bad Is It Really to Use Blue Light Before Bed?
Health
By Molly Triffin
illustration of hands squeezing blue bottle of hand sanitizer on tan background
How Bad Is It Really to Use Hand Sanitizer All the Time?
Health
By Molly Triffin
illustration of expired over-the-counter medications in medicine cabinet on blue tile bathroom wall
How Bad Is It Really to Take Expired Over-the-Counter Medicine?
Health
By Alison Kotch
illustration of runner tying laces of old running shoe with hole and scuff marks
How Bad Is It Really to Run in Old Sneakers?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
illustration of woman with wine bottle on video chat during coronavirus pandemic lockdown
How Bad Is It Really That You're Drinking More During Lockdown?
Health
By Kate Bratskeir
illustration of sports bra with red circle with line through it indicating not wearing a sports bra
How Bad Is It Really to Work Out Without a Bra?
Health
By Gabrielle Kassel
illustration of 7 20-pound kettlebells for every day of the week on orange background
How Bad Is It Really to Do the Same Workout Every Single Day?
Fitness
By Molly Triffin
illustration of person's lower body with legs crossed wearing red sneakers on teal background
How Bad Is It Really to Sit With Your Legs Crossed?
Health
By Sara Lindberg
illustration showing one arm with red circle and lightning bolts signifying pain lifting a blue dumbbell
How Bad Is It Really to Work Out With Sore Muscles?
Fitness
By Moira Lawler
illustration of expired milk, eggs and cereal box on orange background
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Expired Food?
Nutrition
By Lindsay Tigar
game board illustration of concept of skipping breakfast
How Bad Is It Really to Skip Breakfast?
Nutrition
By Jenn Sinrich
illustration of glass of red wine and dumbbells with yellow background
How Bad Is It Really to Drink Alcohol After a Workout?
Health
By Leah Groth
Illustration of a kettlebell on a bed at nighttime, representing the concept of working out before bed
How Bad Is It Really to Work Out Right Before Bed?
Health
By Isadora Baum
Illustration of a blue water bottle with words wash me on yellow background
How Bad Is It Really to Never Clean Your Water Bottle?
Health
By Maya Feller
An illustration of a green pepper with the words "wash me" written on the side, to represent unwashed fruits and vegetables
How Bad Is It Really to Eat Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables?
Nutrition
By Jenn Sinrich
Illustration of nightshade vegetables with flames above them that cause inflammation
How Bad Is It Really That Nightshade Fruits and Veggies Cause Inflammation?
Nutrition
By Emily Abbate, CPT
Graphic illustrating a to-do list that skips showering after a workout
How Bad Is It Really to Not Shower After a Workout?
Fitness
By Christine Mugnolo
illustration of pizza box on bed with blue comforter in gray bedroom with window showing moon and stars
How Bad Is It Really to Sleep Right After You Eat?
Weight Management