20 skincare rules everyone should follow

Moisturizer is a vital step in your skincare routine. If you're using only one product, let it be moisturizer. A moisturizer keeps your skin hydrated, youthful, and glowing. Beyond its aesthetic purposes, it keeps your skin healthy, which is ultimately most important. 

You've probably heard this hundreds of times, but if you haven't (or you just need a reminder), don't sleep in your makeup. It clogs your pores, ages it prematurely, and will wreak havoc on your pillowcases. If you're too tired at night to do your full skincare routine, at the very least, remove your makeup.

Water is good for your body for countless reasons, including your skin's health. Staying hydrated will improve your skin's look and function and help prevent wrinkles, flakiness, discoloration, and more. You'll have to pee more, but it's a worthwhile trade-off. 

Eating healthy also has many benefits for your body, including better skin. Good skincare starts from within, so make sure you’re fueling with nutritious options that promote healthy skin. Don’t deprive yourself of treats, but work to make sure the bulk of your diet is good for you.

No matter who you are or where you live, you need to be applying sunscreen to your face every day. Even if you're curled up inside for days on end in the dead of winter, you're still exposed to rays that can damage your skin. Don't skip the sunscreen. 

Everybody has a different skin type, and knowing which type you have will help you choose the best products for you. It's important to know whether you have dry, oily, or combination skin. The better you take care of your skin, the more you'll know about its health, which will help you understand your skin type. 

Not all skin products are meant for all people. For instance, adolescents can actually harm their skin by using harsh retinoids that aren’t meant for them. Which products are appropriate for you will depend on your age, lifestyle, skin type, and skin goals, and some skincare options won’t be suited for you. If you have questions about specific products, ask a dermatologist. 

Touching your face is bad for your skin for so many reasons. It clogs pores, promotes acne, and can cause infections. Sure, there are times when you have to touch your face, like when you’re cleansing or applying makeup, but if you’re not actively working with your face, keep your hands down. 

It's well-known by now that tanning beds are bad for your skin. They're drying, they age your skin prematurely, and, worst of all, they can cause cancer. It's much easier to prevent damage than it is to reverse it, so do yourself a favor and find alternative ways to get that bronzy glow. 

To keep your skin as healthy as possible, make sure you're checking in with it regularly. And not just your face, but your entire body. Check on blemishes, moles, discoloration, and more, and have a dermatologist complete a yearly check for places you can’t see well. Many skin issues can be treated, but they need to be known about to be treated. 

The water temperature you use when washing your face is almost as important as the product you use. If the water is too hot, it can burn your skin and remove the natural oils that keep your skin bouncy and youthful. If you can, use cold water; if not, keep it lukewarm. 

Exfoliation is important for good skin, but it can be harmful if done too often. You should exfoliate your skin three times a week at the most, and that goes for chemical and physical exfoliants. If an exfoliating product is recommended for daily usage, throw it away. 

Picking at your blemishes is so tempting, but it's really bad for your skin. It can actually cause more blemishes to appear nearby, and if you're too aggressive, you can cause long-term damage to your skin. Invest in hydrocolloid patches or talk to a dermatologist about your options if you can't resist. 

The skin around your eyes is incredibly sensitive, so you must be, too. Use either your ring fingers or pinkies to apply product around your eyes, as those are the gentlest fingers, and only use products in that area that are meant to be used there. 

Skincare routines are called routines for a reason. They're meant to be stuck to. For the best results, you need to follow your routine with fidelity. Buying efficacious products is only half the battle. You've got to use them consistently, too. 

Check in with your skin at the beginning of each season to see if anything needs to change. When winter approaches, you may need to switch to a heavier moisturizer to accommodate the dryness. When the weather warms up, you might want to double cleanse at night to get off all the outdoor debris. 

Exfoliators are not the only products that are tempting to overuse. Oils, retinoids, and cleansers can all be overused, too. Read the directions carefully and listen to your dermatologist and your skin when they tell you to scale back on product usage. 

A good night's sleep is as important as any product you use. When we're asleep, our bodies are repairing and regenerating. You can have the best skincare products in the world, but if you don’t sleep well, you might as well have not used a thing.

Make sure you're using your products in the right order, too. A basic order is cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen, and there's wiggle room for oils, serums, and toners. Read product labels carefully to know where in your skincare you should be using it for the best results. 

Your neck is an important part of your skin, and as such, it deserves those same products. Not everything needs to be taken on your neck, like products meant to address acne (unless there is acne on your neck), but basics like moisturizer and sunscreen should absolutely be applied there.