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Taking your skin for granted is bad. Just like many other parts of your body, it needs special care, too. Do you have a specific skincare routine, or do you only do something when your skin has an issue? Whatever your habits, here are five helpful dos and don’ts when caring for your skin.

Skin Care Dos

There are plenty of things you can do to promote healthy, glowing skin. Here are some to consider.

Hydrate

One of the secrets of people with glowing, healthy skin is that they drink plenty of water. Water helps your body flush out toxins while keeping you and your skin hydrated. While you may hear varying advice on how much water to drink per day, such as a minimum of eight, eight-ounce glasses, it really depends on your specific situation. If you drink water regularly, don’t feel thirsty and your urine is pale yellow or colorless, you’re probably getting enough water.

Protect Your Skin From the Sun

Sun exposure without proper protection can really wreak havoc on your skin, and it doesn’t matter what the weather or season. Every day, you should use a moisturizer or makeup with SPF protection built in to combat the damaging effect of UVA and UVB rays. You can also mix sunscreen with your moisturizer if it doesn’t contain SPF.

Eat Antioxidants

Antioxidants combat free radicals that can lead to premature aging of your skin. You can gain the benefit of antioxidants through your diet. A diet without vegetables and fruits, however, is a diet that’s likely sorely lacking in antioxidants. If you gag when you try to eat salad, broccoli or cauliflower, then turn to fruits. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, grapes, apples and coconut are all high in antioxidants.

Moisturize Daily

Dry skin is not only unattractive, it can lead to dull, scaly skin. To keep your skin hydrated, glowing and healthy, make sure to moisturize your skin daily. A great time to apply moisturizer after cleansing your face and body.

Exfoliate As Needed

Speaking of dull, scaly skin, if you have it, you’ll need to exfoliate that layer of dead skin cells before you moisturize. Otherwise, you’ll be moisturizing a layer of skin that will eventually slough off. Exfoliation can be quite harsh to your skin. So, if you have sensitive skin, you may want to do it sparingly, such as once a month, or avoid it altogether. If your skin is not sensitive, then you can exfoliate as much as once per week.

Skin Care Don’ts

Now that you have an idea of what you should be doing for healthy skin, here are some precautions you should keep in mind.

Don’t Ignore Your Skin Type

Skin types are not one-size-fits-all. People who have dry skin have different skin care needs than people who have oily or combination skin. For example, dry skin and oily skin will react differently to exfoliation. Sensitive skin will react to many products, so those people must be very careful about the products they use and apply. Also, you’ll need to choose a moisturizer that matches your skin type. A heavy, rich cream isn’t suitable for someone with oily skin, for example.

Don’t Experiment on Your Skin

Tons of skin care products exist, but that doesn’t mean you should try whatever strikes your fancy. Again, you need to know what type of skin you have and choose products accordingly. Additionally, for the most part, avoid do-it-yourself skin masks and treatments that you find instructions for online — especially those that contain questionable ingredients, such as vinegar or hydrogen peroxide.

Don’t Try Everything at Once

Even though you want to choose the correct products for your skin type, you don’t want to overdo it. Not only will buying and using a ton of skincare products likely prove expensive, it also may cause problems for your skin. Instead, select a few products that are suitable for your skin type and use them routinely. Some products, such as lotion P50, will serve your skin in multiple ways, which will reduce the need to buy a slew of products.

Don’t Ditch Water

You might think that drinking other beverages besides water will hydrate your skin, but they won’t. Water is the best way to hydrate your skin. Coffee, tea, juices, soda and alcohol are fine in moderation, but water should be your beverage go-to most of the time.

Don’t Pick at Your Face

If you have blemish-prone skin, keep your hands away. The more you pick at or touch your face, the more likely you are to contaminate those areas that are blemished. Plus, if you pick at those areas enough, it can result in facial scarring.