On most nights, nothing sounds more unappealing than washing your face. It’s another one of those things your mom told you a million times that went in one ear and out the other (like only buying things on sale or something — we don’t know, we never listened). Protect your canvas as the temperatures change with our guide to skincare do’s and don’ts.

Do’s

Tone. Not sure what toning can do for you? Picture this — after washing your face, you’ve removed all the dirt, oil or makeup that’s sat on top. But you haven’t taken care of dead skin cells. An acid treatment (like salicylic acid, or lactic acid) turns over the old cells, which allows for skin to look brighter and healthier. We recommend the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($30) as a glycolic acid treatment after using a mild cleanser.

Change your attitude on skincare. If there’s two things college students neglect, it’s their livers and skin care routine. It’s there forever! Turn one night a week into a spa night for yourself. Take a hot shower, exfoliate with a DIY mixture of brown sugar, honey and lemon, light candles and enjoy the process. It feels good taking care of yourself.

Read the fine print. Ingredients in your skin care are listed in most abundant to least. Neuropeptides? Retinol? SPF? Yes! Alcohol? Mineral oil? DEAs? No. We want moisture, radiance and wrinkle-protectors! Not hormone-disrupting pore cloggers.

Don’ts

Spend all of your cash trying to cover it up. If you wear makeup, you get it — trying to drown your face in concealer and foundation after a massive breakout isn’t cute. It’s best to slow it down with the expensive makeup products used to conceal imperfections and pick a few items in your skincare that you’d like to invest in instead. Tata Harper’s Purifying Mask ($65) can clear up any blemish overnight. Skip spending big bucks on your cleansers. Something mild, like Cetaphil’s Daily Facial Cleanser ($9) does the job.

Think more is more. When it comes to your natural facial oils, leave it alone! Those oils are there for a reason and maintain the elasticity in your face. That means putting off wrinkles: One cleanse in the morning followed by a moisturizer and another cleanse at night is good. Find what works for your skin type — we recommend something light in the morning, and more exfoliating at night.

Forget about your diet. The biggest influencer in your skin’s glow factor is directly linked to drinking enough water in a day. Vitamin C is an amazing antioxidant that prevents blotchiness or unevenness in skin tones. Sipping green tea and eating blueberries are a great way to calm any redness. And dark chocolate saves the day, again. Its flavonols help protect against the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays.