Like most women, you probably wash your face and pat on some obligatory moisturizer in the morning, and then dutifully remove your makeup and cleanse at night. But if that's all you're doing, you're missing out on many opportunities to boost your beauty potential throughout the day.

Morning

Moisture gets sucked out of your skin and lips when you're sleeping, and what's left hanging around tends to pool in the most unfortunate of places--around your eyes, where skin is thinner and more delicate. Around 4 a.m., your temperature, blood pressure, and hormone levels begin to rise, kicking your skin's ratio of oiliness to dullness up a notch. This adds a bit of hydration, but you still need to help your skin along by taking the following steps:

Even if you rest your face on a freshly laundered pillowcase, your skin still gets "dirty" overnight. Washing with a moisturizing, nonfoaming cleanser will remove the impurities that result from natural cell metabolism and hydrate your skin.

Sprinkle baking soda on a toothbrush and gently buff your lips to remove dry flaky skin and reveal smooth kissable lips.

About 20 minutes before you head out the door, slather a grape-size blob of moisturizer with SPF 30 (or more) onto your face. Look for a product that contains moisturizers such as glycerin or ceramides, which help trap moisture in skin cells and keep their structure strong, and antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, green tea, or lycopene, which studies show increase the effectiveness of sunblock.

Noon

The hormones that start cooking in the early a.m. hit their peak between noon and 4 p.m. One in particular, cortisol, can turn your T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) into an oil slick. Also, your rising basal body temperature can make you look flushed or cause conditions like rosacea or eczema to become more pronounced around lunchtime.

Late Afternoon

Your body starts slowly shifting gears again around 4 p.m. Body temperature cools and blood pressure lowers, causing you (and your skin) to look drained and sleepy.To breathe life back into your complexion, spritz on a light moisturizing face spray; the cooling blast of hydration will be energizing

Night

While you're getting your beauty sleep, your body is hard at work, repairing weakened muscle fibers and regenerating skin cells. Increased blood circulation to your skin helps it to release impurities and accept nutrients. Because night is your body's prime recovery time, a big chunk of your 24-hour routine should be focused here.

Use a night cream with glycerin or hyaluronic acid (to protect against moisture loss) and peptides. Spread the cream between your hands, then gently massage it onto your face.

Once a week, apply a nutrient-rich moisture mask to your hands and feet, and wear cotton gloves and socks overnight

While You Were Sleeping

The best thing you can do for your skin is to get a solid eight hours of shut-eye a night. These tricks will encourage a sound slumber.

Sniff lavender essential oil or spray some onto your pillow. Studies show the scent induces relaxation and helps you nod off.

Place a cool-mist humidifier in your bedroom. Not only will the soothing noise lull you to sleep, but it will also increase the humidity in the air, so your skin will absorb it and become more hydrated.