Other than maybe a killer suit, your face is the first thing anyone will notice about you. Yet every day, from the moment you wake up until your head hits the pillow at night—plus while you’re unconscious, for that matter—it’s taking a beating.

Grease, oil, the weather, even your own sleep cycles are conspiring 24/7 to ensure that your mug looks less than its best when you need it to. (That is, always.) Which is we’ve gone through the trouble of compiling an hour-by-hour record of everything your face, well, faces throughout the day—it’s only by knowing what you’re up against that you’ll have any chance of putting up a fight. Have a look, and by the time you’re through, you’ll want to treat your face to something special so that in twenty years, it doesn’t look like thirty have passed for your skin.

7:30 AM Good morning! Hope you slept well, because according to a study at Cleveland’s University Hospitals Case Medical Center, unless you’re getting a solid seven hours of shut-eye, you’re doing your face a disservice. It turns out, sleep-deprived skin ages quicker than its well-rested counterparts, plus it’s unable to repair itself from stressors, like sunburn, as efficiently. So, basically, if you’re not sleeping enough: get on that. Otherwise your face is already starting the day in the red.

7:45 AM We get it: a hot shower might seem like a great way to start your day. But if the water’s too hot, you’re actually drying out you skin. (Doubly so if you’re using cheap soap.) Go with sensibly warm instead, which might not be as relaxing but brings the moisture.

8:00 AM Let’s talk shaving. Since you’re essentially holding your face at knifepoint, it should come as no surprise that your razor is doing some damage. This destruction can be especially bad if you’ve delayed replacing your blades too long. Expired blades lead to more irritation and ingrown hairs, not to mention more frequent nicks and cuts. Don’t let it come to that by swapping out your blades every month or so, regardless of how they feel.

8:45 AM Sun. Wind. Rain. Snow. Heat. Your walk to work is the first time you encounter the elements on a daily basis, which isn’t great—being that your pores might still be open after your shower. Try aftershave or toner, like this one from Kiehl’s to help solve that problem, sealing your post-shower-n-shave skin so that the harsh outside world can’t make its way in. (A touch of SPF can help here too.)

11:00 AM Ever had a horrible zit pop up right before a big meeting? Well, that sure as hell ain’t coincidence—the first place stress rears its ugly head is on the front of yours. Short of a less intense profession, a good face wash is the best ammo you've got.

12:00 PM It’s frankly insane how much of an effect your diet has on the way your face will age. As much as it pains us to say it, forgoing Chipotle for lunch in favor of foods rich in fiber, healthy fats and antioxidants, like avocados, whole grains and, ugh, kale might actually help skin from getting saggy too fast. For starters, go for the bowl instead of the burrito. Baby steps.

3:00 PM If it’s more than halfway through the day and you haven’t had a sip of water since breakfast, you’re doing it wrong. Dehydration affects the skin of the face over anywhere else. So drink up.

5:30 PM All day you’ve been looking forward to your post-work workout. (Or, uh, not. For the sake of argument, let’s pretend.) Which is awesome, because exercise helps with skin elasticity, keeping you looking younger for longer. But once again, that means exposing your open-pored skin to dirt, pollution and a whole range of other environmental stressors. Make sure to use an exfoliating scrub after to wash it all away.

8:00 PM So you got the memo at lunch and decided to eat a little healthier for dinner. Well, don’t swing too far towards fat-free, because turns out, that’s actually bad for your skin, too. Go figure.

10:00 PM After a long day, you thought you might end it with a cold one? That’s nice. Except for the fact that booze dehydrates you and messes with your sleep, keeping you from those facially-restorative REM cycles.

Which means we’re right back where we started. So rest up, and put your best face forward tomorrow.

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