My number one rule for any beauty routine is to keep it simple. I've seen skin care sets that consist of six steps, twice daily (not including sunscreen, more on this to come)! I don't know about you, but four steps is seriously pushing the limit when it comes to skin care for me, sunscreen included. Skin care is important because your skin is your body's first defense against, well, almost anything that's not supposed to be inside of you (for example, flu causing bacteria). So, here are some tips on how show some love for your largest organ.

1. Drink lots of water. If you don't drink enough water, toxins build up inside of you (yuck!) and it can show in the condition of your skin. So, drink at least 2 liters of water per day to help your body flush out those nasty toxins. Your body will thank you for it.

2. "If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience?I will dispense this advice now". Baz Luhrmann was right on the money with this tip (it's also a great song). Sunscreen protects your skin from the damaging rays of the sun. It's not just for summer anymore either, the sun can still show up on a seemingly cloudy day. Doctors say SPF 15 is enough, but the sun is pretty harsh here in La La Land. So, I use an SPF 45; my favorite is Coppertone Ultra Sheer Suncreen. It's non-greasy, doesn't smell funny, and doesn't seep into your eyes, making them sting like crazy.

3. Wash your face in the morning and at night. Washing in the morning cleans away icky bacteria from the the night (your pillow's got a lot of junk on it, changing it every 2-3 weeks helps keep pore clogging bacteria to a minimum). Washing at night cleans away all of the junk your skin attracted during the day.

4. Unless you want to wake up with a bunch of zits the size of Texas, remove ALL make up before going to sleep. Sleeping with make up can seriously clog your pores and it's just gross, period. Don't believe me? Try it and see what happens.

5. Always moisturize. People with dry skin aren't the only ones who need moisture, oily skin needs it too. Apply a body lotion right when you get out of the shower/bath. Apply a facial moisutrizer right after washing your face with a gentle cleanser.

6. A day cream is a night cream and a night cream is a day cream. Just because the jar/bottle says it's a day cream doesn't mean it won't work at night and vice versa. Night creams tend to have more emollient ingredients though.

7. Do your homework. Learn what the ingredients inside of your products are. Most online stores list product ingredients; just use Google to search for the function of each ingredient. This takes time, but it helps to know what you're putting on your skin. Come on, haven't you ever wondered what dimethicone is?