1) Not using a moisturiser – daily.
Many women confess to not using a moisturiser.  Some feel their skin is good and they don’t need to moisturise, others forget and/or don’t make the time.   Fact: your skin won’t always look good.  As you age signs of neglect will become obvious.

2) Going to bed with your makeup on.
I’ve been guilty of this.  It gets to the end of a long day and I lounge on the couch and tell myself I’ll clean my face later.  Next thing I know I’ve gone to bed and neglected to clean my face.  Ooops.  Fact: going to bed with makeup on is a major cause of breakouts and blemishes and premature ageing.  It stops the skin being able to breathe.

3) Not drinking enough water/green herbal teas.
Tea, coffee, alcohol and soft drink are popular beverages and all of them dehydrate the body and skin.  Fact: your body will take moisture from the skin to hydrate internal organs.  This damage is very hard to undo so it’s crucial to drink plenty of hydrating drinks daily.

4) Using other people’s makeup i.e. mascara, lip stick, compact.
Even with products loaded with preservatives bacteria can hang around on the surface and contaminate products.  When others use these products that bacteria can transfer from product to person.  Fact: you can get conjunctivitis and cold sores from sharing products.

5) Not using toner.
There is a little bit of debate going on in the beauty industry.  Once upon a time toner was necessary because facial cleansers contained alcohol and the toner was used to cleans that away.  These day cleanser can range from zero to lots of alcohol.  Some beauticians feel that pores cannot be opened, closed or shrunk while others swear they can be.  Fact: Toner removes residue of the cleanser and bits of dirt, grime and makeup that may have been left behind after cleansing.

6) Not cleansing daily.
Cleansing daily removes dirt and grime (and makeup if you’re wearing any).  If you neglect to cleans your skin you can suffer breakouts, blemishes and a build up of blackheads.  Fact: having a daily cleansing routine can reduce blemishes within a week and keep skin clean and clear.

7) Not exfoliating.
Dead skin cells are shed every single day and without exfoliating they build up on top of your skin leaving skin looking dull and lifeless.  Removing these dead skin cells exposes the new cells underneath, your skin will look more radiant and youthful.  Fact: as you age it becomes harder and harder for your body to remove dead skin cells.

8) Not using an eye cream, or using a heavy moisturiser as an eye cream.
The area around the eyes is more delicate and thin and requires a special cream to plump up the skin and to hydrate.  Even if you’ve no fine lines or wrinkles yet, it is important to moisturise the eye area because it’s one of those areas that can age badly if not looked after.  Fact: dark circles are a sign of dehydration and collagen reduction.

9) Using soap on your face.
It might surprise you to know soap, even natural soap, is a very drying product.  You might have experienced a tightness on your skin after washing with soap.  If you’re going to use soap avoid using it on your face.  Fact: using a nourishing liquid cleanser is more beneficial for your face (and body).

10) Keeping old products.
We’re all guilty of this – keeping that old hot pink lipstick from years ago or that water proof mascara you never wear because it doesn’t actually work.  Going back to #4 bacteria builds up on the surface of makeup and beauty products, even products loaded with preservatives.  It is wise to follow product directions, use products often, use them within the required time and discard them if they’re old.  If you have a moisturiser you’ve not touched in months chances are you didn’t like it much or you forgot to do #1.  Fact: the average shelf life of a product is around 12months.