Have you ever wondered how some people have such beautiful, soft, and radiant skin? Well, they all have a few things in common. While genetics can play a role in your skin (making you acne prone, oily skin, etc.), your skincare regimen and overall lifestyle determines how your skin ultimately looks and feels. Keep reading to discover 5 habits of people with great skin

1. They Drink LOTS of Water (The 8×8 Rule)

This one may be obvious, but it is SO important! Drinking 8 eight ounce glasses of water each day helps skin maintain its elasticity, and show fewer fine lines and wrinkles. It also flushes toxins that clog small pores, preventing pimples and acne. The more hydrated your skin is, the less your pores will clog. Hydration is also one of the secrets to dewy, glowing skin.

2. They Don’t Over Exfoliate

You definitely should be exfoliating, but ONLY 1-3 times a week. This includes chemical exfoliation (AHAs, BHAs, salicylic acid) and manual exfoliation like face brushes and products with exfoliation beads. And you definitely don’t want to do both in one day! Signs of over exfoliation include redness, inflammation, uneven skin tone, dryness, and irritation.

3. They Moisturize

Some people with oily skin mistakenly think they don’t need to moisturize, but this simply isn’t true. There is a difference between oil and hydration. Oily skin is caused by excess sebum (an oily substance). Hydration comes from water. Therefore, you CAN have oily, dehydrated skin! And if you’re using acne products, you DEFINITELY need to be moisturizing. For oily skin, you should use an oil-free, non-comedogenic moisturizer like Neutrogena Hydro Boost gel-cream or CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion. For dry skin, you’ll want a thicker, cream consistency like Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream or Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion.

4. They Dermaplane

Dermaplaning is an exfoliating treatment that uses a sharp, single blade to scrape away dead skin and fine hair you didn’t even know you had! The results are immediate and include smoother, brighter skin. Dermaplaning also allows for deeper product penetration, making your skin care routine more effective.

5. They Use Retinol

Retinol is known as the gold standard for beautiful skin, and dermatologists recommend you begin incorporating it into your skin care routine in your mid-20s. It’s an exfoliant that stimulates collagen and increases skin cell turnover rate. This increased turnover rate sloughs off dead skin cells sooner, revealing the healthy new skin underneath. Skin will be soft, smooth, bright, radiant and clear with continued use. Although Retinol is considered the holy grail of anti-aging skincare, you should start using it in your 20s for best results.

I didn’t include the obvious ones like gently washing your face everyday with a cleanser instead of soap, and getting enough sleep, but they are equally as important. So is using a CLEAN cloth to pat your face dry everyday instead of reusing one – bacteria builds up and can cause breakouts.