I have to admit, I’m rather un-religious. Full of hope and optimism – yes; just not in the kind of way that’s stemmed from years of Church going. You see, my saviours are the pretty packaged, sweet smelling, vanity-dwelling goodies that line my bathroom. But like any religion, good skincare has commandments that should be followed. It requires dedication, hard-work, and a passion for products. Follow these commandments and we guarantee that you’ll be going straight to skincare heaven.

Thou Shalt Always…

1. Cleanse thy face morning and night. Cleansing in the morning removes any residue that has built up while you slept, and excess product from the night before. It also means that you’ve got a clean canvas for applying your day cream, allowing your skin to reap the full benefits. Cleansing at night is equally essential to allow your skin to rejuvenate during sleep, which it can’t do coated under a day’s dirt and make-up. Fact: face wipes will do the job if it’s 3am and are much better than sleeping in make-up.

Neutrogena Fresh Facial Cleanser $8.95 at Chemistdirect.com.au, Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes $6,95 a Westfield.com.au

2. Apply a day cream with SPF. Daily moisturising is essential for keeping your skin youthful, as is sunscreen. So when combined together, it’s a super easy, time saving option. Fact: even If you don’t love this idea, don’t skip sunscreen all together – you can still apply it before or after make-up.

L’oreal Paris Revitalift Total Repair 10 $35.95 at Beautyheaven.com.au, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen $13.95 at Chemistdirect.com.au

3. Apply a night cream. Night creams are specially formulated to work with your skin whilst you sleep, and there’s sure to be one suited to your skin type. Even if you’re in your early 20’s, an anti-ageing night cream is excellent for combating fine lines and sun damage. Just make sure you’re using one suited for youthful skin – not mature skin.

Garnier Youthful Radience Multi Action Night Cream $13.95 at Beautyheaven.com.au, QV Face Nurturing Night Cream $18.99 at Beautyheaven.com.au

4. Treat thy face, neck, and hands all as equals. Yes – you read that right! These are the places when you’re most likely to show signs of ageing as it’s where your skin is the most delicate. When apply your day/night cream, blend it onto your neck and down to your décolletage. Sun protection is essential for the backs of your hands, and will stop wrinkles, sun spots, and pigmentation developing. Tip: Invest in a hand cream that has SPF in it so you get two benefits in one.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Hand Cream $4.20 at Beautyheaven.com.au

5. Protect thy lips. A nourishing lip balm – as we all know – keeps your lips looking and feeling great. However, a lip scrub should also be added to your routine. They gently scrub away rough patches and are the perfect lip-pick-me-up! Your lipstick/lip gloss is guaranteed to go on more evenly and stay on for longer.

Elizabeth Arden Sheer Lip Tint Protectant $35.00 at Beautyheaven.com.au, Nivea Essential Care Lip Balm $2.95 at Beautyheaven.com.au, Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub $9.95 at Beautyheaven.com.au