[I wrote this for Associated Content and thought I would share.]

We all know that you should take care of your skin. But you should also take especially care of your skin if you usually wear makeup. If you didn’t already know, makeup isn’t necessarily good for your skin. It’s not really bad for your skin either, unless you are allergic, but here are some general tips on preparing before you put your makeup on.

1. Drink plenty of water. Drinking water hydrates your body, including your skin. It actually contributes to giving you a youthful look. It also prevents dry skin and acne.

2. Eat healthily. Make sure you are getting enough fruits and vegetables. This has a similar effect as water. It helps purify your body and your skin. Oily foods causes clogged arteries. Clogged arteries means bad blood flow which causes bad skin.

3. Change your pillow. This is something you might not even think about, but oil collects on your pillow after you sleep on it night after night. That is often a reason why when you wake up that your face and hair feels greasy.

4. Wash your face. You should wash your face twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. If you are prone to acne, use a wash that specifically fights it. You might have you try out a few different kinds of facial cleansers to find the type that works best.

5. Moisturize after washing. Some people get really dry skin after taking a hot shower so make sure you use a moisturizer right after your wash your face. Lotions are moisturizers are different. Lotions often have oils while moisturizers don’t so make sure you aren’t using just any lotion.