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Your skin is your body’s largest organ and one that works around the clock keeping you healthy and safe from foreign elements. In spite of your best efforts, some of your regular habits, beauty treatments, and the way you do them may very well be damaging your skin. Below you will find 10 common mistakes that can age or damage your skin.

1. Sleeping with Your Makeup On

Leaving makeup on overnight clogs pores and oil glands and makes them appear larger. This change in size may even become permanent after collagen production levels start to decrease around the age of 20. Without enough collagen, your pores are unable to snap back to their original form as easily. Clogged pores also lead to inflammation and prevent the skin’s nightly regeneration process from working effectively.

2. Not Cleansing Properly

The act of cleansing itself is very important, but the cleanser used also makes a difference. Quality ingredients are an integral part of effective beauty treatments. When buying a cleanser, look for antioxidants for protection, salicylic acid for a deeper clean, and witch hazel to minimize pores and gently remove excess oil.

3. Sleeping on a Cotton Pillowcase

Sleeping on a silk or satin pillowcase can help to minimize various complexion issues and hinder the development of future ones. Pressing your face into a cotton pillowcase on a nightly basis causes trauma to the skin and can cause wrinkles, especially if your collagen levels are on the decline.

4. Exfoliating Away Oily Skin

Skin exfoliation may seem like one of many necessary beauty treatments to do on a daily basis. But buffing away too much skin, too often, damages the skin. When you exfoliate the top layer of the skin, you are removing the last shield from outside toxins and sun damage.

Over-exfoliation can also cause dry skin as well as premature aging. Exfoliate two times a week at a maximum if you have oily skin and only once a week if you have dry skin. Also keep in mind that if you exfoliate too much, your skin wants to repair itself by producing more oil for protection.

5. Not Moisturizing Oily Skin

Whether you have dry or oily skin, moisturizing is one of the most effective (and simple) beauty treatments on the market. Contrary to what you may think, moisturizing the skin only adds hydration, not oil. Skin that is lacking hydration will overcompensate in oil production, leading to breakouts and an uneven skin tone.

6. Not Applying Products in the Correct Order

Irrespective of ingredients, lighter formulas should be applied first, followed by heavier and thicker formulas. If you layer lighter formulas over thicker ones, it is almost impossible for the light ones to penetrate the skin and deliver the full treatment.

7. Face Washing with Bar Soap

Healthy skin has a pH level around 5.0, according to a 2006 study. But, many bar soaps are much less acidic with pH levels going as high as 11. This, close to alkaline pH level, can strip the skin of natural hydrators that not even the best moisturizers can replace. The skin may produce more oil in order to counteract the cleanser and restore the skin’s normal pH level.

8. Face Wiping with Shower Towels

Using the same towel to dry both your face and body is not great for the complexion. A used body-towel introduces your face to new bacteria as well as chemical products unsuitable for the face.

9. Forcibly Extracting Pimples

Forcibly extracting pimples or other imperfections causes harm to the complexion.  When you attempt to drain imperfections, you may be applying pressure from the sides which can cause the infection to go deeper inside the pore. Popping pimples with your hands can also introduce even more toxins and bacteria that enlarge the pimple. Trying to extract a pimple before it is ready can leave permanent scars. Instead, wait until the pimple can be extracted just by washing your face with a warm cloth.

10. Not Getting Enough Sleep

When you lack sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In extreme amounts, cortisol can break down collagen causing premature aging. Without collagen, your skin appears less hydrated and appears duller. Therefore, a good night’s sleep is incredibly important for achieving a healthy looking complexion.

Correcting these ten skin care mistakes can cause vast improvements in both the feel and appearance of your skin. After all, the secret to great skin is being aware of how you handle your skin and making consistent behavioral improvements, just like these.