We live and breathe skin care because, well, it’s our job. Over the years, we’ve gained a lot more in depth knowledge of how to take care of our skin and keep it as youthful as possible, and we want to share our trade secrets with you. I think you’ll find keeping your skin looking young is really a lot more simple than it sounds!

The most important factor is being consistent and keeping up with your good skin care habits. A lot of us will get on a big kick with our beauty routines but they only last a week or so before dying off. We really need to make sure we’re sticking to these core steps in taking care of our aging skin. Think of them as preventative measures so our skin doesn’t age faster than it should!

1. The sun will age your skin faster than anything else.

We’ve been told our whole lives to wear sunscreen when out in the sun, but most of us only apply it when we’re laying out on the beach or poolside.

We should be applying sunscreen on a daily basis – when we’re at our kid’s ball games, when we take a walk outside, at the park, at an outdoor mall – these are all places we are outside for more than a few minutes. Still, we are often busy in our daily lives and don’t think about applying sunscreen before these basic activities.

In addition to applying a good SPF, you can also shield the sun by wearing sunglasses and a hat. They’re trendy, summery, and cute – plus they provide cover to some of our most delicate skin. Since our face ages more quickly than other areas of our body, it’s important to keep it shaded and protected as much as possible.

2. You can’t over-moisturize.

Layer on the moisturizer morning, noon and night if you must, but never let your skin go dry! If it’s well moisturized, then it will look brighter and more plump, which always brings a youthful glow.

Many people with oily skin will completely skip this step because they feel like it will just add to their greasy dilemma – but that couldn’t be more false! Oily, combination, and normal skin all need a good daily moisturizer just the same. Don’t ever skip out on this very basic skin care step.

3. Don’t forget your neck.

Most of us completely forget to take care of our necks with good skin care products like we do with our face. Use your fancy serums, moisturizers and masks down your neck and décolleté to keep it looking extra firm.

Once your neck starts aging, it can be hard to reverse and disguise, so use preventative measures now and reap the benefits later.

4. Always tap on your eye cream.

Be extra careful when applying products to your face. You never want to rub or pull at skin too harshly, so be gentle!

When you’re applying your eye cream in particular, just use your fingertips to dab the product around your eye. Never press too hard or put any extra stress on this area as the skin here is very thin and delicate.

Also, whenever I’m done, I always use any leftover cream in my smile lines and forehead lines. My attitude is, if the cream is potent and effective for the skin around my eyes, then it must be good for other fine lines on my face as well!