Remember when you were a teenager and you couldn’t wait to grow up, because then you’d have great skin? And then you got to your mid twenties (or thirties) and realised that this so-called great skin was a complete lie, and you were probably destined to be fighting adult acne for the rest of your life? Good times.

If you’re looking for ways to fix your skin, you’re going to have to prepare to sacrifice. And it may get better before it gets worse. Some of these tips will be more relevant to you than others, and while some will give you much better looking skin, when it comes to skincare, there is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution.

Here are some tips for beautiful, glowing skin:

Keep it Clean

It may seem obvious, but some people refuse to wash their face, as they’re worried they’ll strip it of its “natural oils”. As long as the cleanser you’re using isn’t too harsh, this shouldn’t be a problem and you need to wash your face to prevent clogged pores, and get rid of a day of makeup, pollution and sweat which is lingering on your face. Ewww.

And during the day, you need to keep your hands off. That means no stroking your chin, no picking your pimples, or lingering over that bump that you can feel growing by the minute. Keep your hands clean and away from your face.

Check your hormones

If you’re no longer a teenager and you’re still dealing with terrible skin, a trip to the doctor can help. You may have hormones that are out of wack, and bad skin can be a sign of deeper problems like PCOS. If you find that you have bad PMS and your breakouts are worse around that time of the month, ask your doctor which birth control they recommend and you’ll be surprised at how fast your skin clears up.

Moisturise

Our mothers tell us about the importance of a good moisturiser, but for some reason we never listen. Even if you have oily skin, moisturiser is crucial for all skin types. Check out the Dermalogica skin care range, and be sure to try the Dermalogica Active Moist which is great for problem skin.

Get enough sleep

If you’re burning the candle at both ends, it’s unlikely that you’re going to get all rejuvenating benefits of sleep. We usually need more sleep than we think, so turn off the TV, ditch the phone, and get yourself tucked up into bed at a reasonable time. While each person needs a different amount of sleep, aim for somewhere between 7 and 9 hours and see how you feel the next day.

Stay Hydrated

In order to flush all the gross toxins out of our skin, we need to be drinking enough water. That means somewhere in the region of 8-10 glasses per day. If that sounds scary, consider how much other stuff you drink. You probably have multiple cups of coffee, bottles of soda and glasses of juice, so swap most of these out for water and eventually you won’t even notice the difference (but your skin sure will).