Rules to Live By: The 10 Commandments of Clear Skin

Everyone wants clear skin—and if they already have clear skin, they want to keep it that way. However, maintaining clear skin can be hard to do when our lives revolve around breakout culprits like our cell phones, lifestyle habits, and the environment—just to name a few. Adopting these 10 habits can help you achieve or maintain clear skin!

1. Sanitize your cell phone

Smartphones are practically breeding grounds for bacteria. This can be particularly disgusting when you think about how often your skin comes into contact with your phone. To help prevent cell phone-related breakouts, clean your cell phone regularly—a gentle cleanser or rubbing alcohol should do the trick.

2. Use a vitamin C serum

The daily use of a vitamin C serum, like SkinCeuticals’ C E Ferulic, can help brighten the overall appearance of the skin’s surface and may even protect the skin from the oxidizing effects of pollutants and debris that can come into contact with your skin on a daily basis.

3. Wear sunscreen

We can’t remind you enough: Whether it’s cold or sweltering hot, a cloudy day or clear blue skies as far as the eye can see—the sun doesn’t take a break and neither should you when it comes to sunscreen. Wearing a broad-spectrum SPF—and reapplying—every day is necessary if you want clear, protected skin!

4. Clean your makeup brushes and blenders

Dirty makeup brushes and sponges can spread oil and dirt right back onto your skin—so regularly cleaning your makeup brushes and blenders can help you avoid unnecessary breakouts and maintain a clearer complexion.

5. Get enough sleep

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, sleep “gives your body time to refresh and renew itself” and lack of beauty sleep can start to show through signs of aging. As if we needed another reason to hit that snooze button!

6. Never fall asleep with your makeup on

This is a given. Just like you should be wearing sunscreen every day, you should be washing your makeup off every night. Washing your face each night—and gently exfoliating at least once a week—can help rid the skin’s surface of not only makeup, but other impurities like dirt and dead skin cells that can lead to clogged pores and breakouts.   

7. Eat a well-balanced diet

A well-balanced diet is important for healthy-looking skin. Eating an excess of sugar, processed foods, and salt should be avoided. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can provide your skin—and your body—with the nutrients it needs to function properly.      

8. Drink water

Keeping your body regularly hydrated helps it to flush out toxins and carry nutrients to your cells, which can promote healthy, hydrated skin.

9. Moisturize

If you don’t already, it’s time to make moisturizing—from head to toe—a part of your daily skin care routine. It’s important to moisturize your body while it’s still damp after you shower and to use a cream after cleansing your face in order to avoid dry skin.

10. Don’t touch your face

Hands down! Touching your face—and picking at your skin—can transfer oil, dirt, and other grime that our hands come into contact with each day to our face, which in turn, can cause breakouts.