Your skin is one of the most important parts of your body. It protects you from harsh elements, offers a canvas for makeup artistry, and helps regulate your body temperature. But if you’re not taking good care of your skin, you could run into some problems. Want to learn how to take better care of your skin? Here are a few essential tips.

Wear Sunscreen Every Day

Yes, every day. The sun doesn’t magically go away when it’s cloudy out or when the weather gets colder. In fact, UVA and UVB rays can still damage your skin through the clouds. Not only that, but UV radiation from the sun has been directly linked to the development of skin cancer. And when you consider that an estimated one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the time they turn 70, wearing sunscreen daily becomes much less of an inconvenience. If you’re planning on going outside at all, make sure any exposed skin has sunscreen on it. For best sun protection results, use the following tips.

• • Use sunscreen with at least SPF 30.

• • Apply more than one coat of sunscreen.

• • Apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before you go outside.

• • Wear Protective clothing in addition to wearing sunscreen.

• • Rub in spray-on sunscreen just like regular sunscreen.

In addition, you should aim to have SPF in your daily moisturizer. While some foundations do have SPF in them, there’s not enough to actually protect your face from sun damage without a base layer of SPF moisturizer. Keep your skin looking healthy and young!

Keep an Eye on Expiration Dates

Unfortunately, skincare products don’t last forever. In fact, every skincare product you use has an expiration date on it that you need to pay attention to! While using expired skincare products might not actively harm your skin at first, it certainly won’t give you as many of the benefits of an unexpired product. In fact, some pharmacy-brand skincare products lose up to 50% of their antioxidant capabilities after just six months. So when you have a moisturizer or cleanser you really love, but you notice the expiration date is coming up, make plans to buy a replacement as soon as possible. In a worst-case scenario, you could end up using an expired product and breaking out in a rash if you’re not careful. When it comes to your skin, it’s better to be safe than sorry. This goes for makeup, too! No matter how much you don’t want to buy a new foundation, it’s important to take the health of your skin into account. Don’t put your skin at risk with expired products.

Pay Attention to Ingredients

One of the best things you can do for your skin is to pay attention to the ingredients in your skincare products. If you have oily skin and you don’t see a non-comedogenic label on your cleanser or moisturizer, you might want to rethink what you’re putting on your face. First and foremost, you need to shop for skincare that’s appropriate for your skin type. If you have oily skin, you want to look for oil-free products. But if you have dry skin, you want to look for oil-based products. The best ingredients for your skin are going to be largely dependent on your skin type. If you’re not sure what your skin type is, it’s time to have a talk with your dermatologist to figure that out. In addition, it’s better for your skin to use natural, non-synthetic skincare products when possible. An estimated 42% of women over 18 said they would prefer natural beauty products in their daily routines, anyway. If you count yourself among them, there are plenty of natural options available. Be prepared to spend a little more money on these products, though! Consider it an investment in your skincare instead of an expense.

While these tips just scratch the surface of good skincare habits, they’re a great starting point if you want to start taking better care of your skin. Stay healthy!