1. Thou shalt foam cleanser in thy hands first.
2. Thou shalt take eye makeup off with remover.
3. Thou shalt wash thy face only twice a day.
4. Thou shalt baby thy under-eye area.
5. Thou shalt use products in the right order.
6. Thou shalt protect hands, neck, and chest.
7. Thou shalt avoid using too-hot water.
8. Thou shalt sleep on thy back.
Why: If you dab cleanser onto your face and then massage it into a foam, it'll sit on your face for too long and dry it out. Plus, it won't work as well. The foam is what helps break down makeup, so cleanser that's already frothy is more effective
So... Splash your face with tepid water and squeeze nickel-sized dollop of cleanser onto your fingertips. Add water and rub for about 30 seconds to lather, then massage over your face in small circles (do it for about a minute). Splash with water until your face feels bubble-free -- but not tight (about 10 to 20 times).
Why: Soap can't break down mascara or liner, so you'll end up tugging the fragile skin around your eyes (which can lead to wrinkles) and drying it out (the eye area barely has any oil glands, and soap can strip away what little moisture is there).
So... Saturate a cotton square with remover and pat your top lid, outside to inside. Repeat on the bottom. Moisten a new square, fold it in half, and gently run your lashes between the fold to remove mascara.
Why: Cleansing more often doesn't allow your glands to replenish the oil you've washed away. That causes your skin to dry out, and you'll end up overproducing oil to try to combat the dryness. Hello, shine and breakouts!
So... Wash your face morning and night. Follow your a.m. cleansing with an oil-free moisturizer with SPF 15. If you must wash again during the day (because you play sports or excercise), that's okay -- but moisturize again so you don't dry out your skin.
Why: Under-eye skin is much thinner than the skin on your cheeks, and it doesn't have as many oil glands to keep it smooth and supple. Too much pulling, stretching, or rubbing can cause wrinkles to show up sooner (as early as your twenties!)
So... Never, ever rub your eyes. When applying a product like concealer, pat it on with your ring finger (it's weaker than your index finger, so it puts less pressure on your skin). Dab on eye gel (use that ring finger!) every night before bed to hydrate thirsty under-eye skin.
Why: Acne medication can't penetrate your pores and kill breakout-causing bacteria if you put it on after moisturizer or makeup. Those products can act like a barrier, leaving medication sitting on your skin instead of sinking into it.
So... Use this trick to remember the right order: meds, moisture, makeup. Always pply acne medication first (to freshly cleansed skin), wait five minutes, and then pat on a light moisturizer with sunblock. Last, apply whatever makeup you normally wear.
Why: About 75 percent of sun damage in your life happens by the time you're 18 years old. And your hands, neck, and chest are the first areas (beside your face) where signs of damage -- like wrinkles and sun spots -- will appear.
So... It's never too early to guard against UVA and UVB rays. Every morning, pat two quarter-sized dollops of moisturizer with sunblock onto your neck and chest. Rub the rest into the backs of your hands. Reapply lotion with SPF to your hands every time you wash them.
Why: Contrary to what you may have heard, using hot water to open up your pores doesn't work -- because pores don't actually open and close. What hot water does do is dry out your skin and promote broken capillaries (little blood vessels that, when they break, leave red, spidery marks behind that don't fade). Abandon the myth!
So... Always run water over your wrist to test it out first (the skin on your wrist is more sensitive to temperature than the tougher skin on the palms of your hands). Water should be tepid -- somewhere between warm and cool.
Why: Bacteria (from oil and dead skin cells) can get trapped in your pillowcase, so sleeping with your face smooshed on the pillow can cause breakouts. And since skin loses it elasticity (its ability to spring back into shape) as you age, the "wrinkles" you get from sleeping on your stomach could eventually become permanent.
So... Sleep on your back to reduce pillow-to-face contact, and wash the case once a week. If you do toss and turn, use a satin pillowcase -- your face will glide gently across it instead of stayin in a pimple- or crease-causing position.
