The Fail: Of course you never go to bed with your makeup on. No matter how long and grueling that day of working/traveling/partying, you pride yourself on the fact that -- at a minimum -- you'll sweep the layers of foundation and eye gunk off with those handy makeup-removing wipes. Right? Unfortunately, those wipes can do far more harm than good. Wipes push makeup further into pores, leaving you with a dirtier face than when you started.

The Fix: The good news? You don't have to toss the 50-pack of wipes you just bought. The bad? Grin and bear it, because no matter how tired you are, you've got to muster the strength to wash your entire face the old fashioned way: over the sink and with a cleanser. Then use makeup remover wipes afterward to take off lingering makeup residue before you hit the hay. Annoying, yes. But your face will thank you.

The Fail: Showers have become the unofficial home of contemplating your life, unwinding, and belting out your personal best rendition of "Call Me Maybe." The perfect shower is all of the above, plus steamy-hot water (the steamier, the better), your favorite body wash lathered up on a loofah, and at least once a day , or twice if you went to the gym or need to wash the day's anxieties away. This combo might make you feel squeaky clean and relaxed, but it's actually wrecking your epidermis and making you more susceptible to disease. Why? showering doesn't exactly kill bacteria and microorganisms so much as move them around and strip your skin's protective layer in the process.

The Fix: If you're not open to skipping a few showers here and there to give your skin time to rest and repair, cool down the water temperature and learn how to cope with warm or cool showers instead of the usual, piping-hot ones. Use a mild soap (if any), like Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Liquid Soap, or Dove's Sensitive Skin Unscented Beauty Bar, and slather on lotion (Aveeno's Daily Moisturizing one is a good place to start) to rehydrate the protective layer of skin post-shower. To keep that moisture locked in, skip all that vigorous towel drying and stick to light blotting or even air-drying when possible.

The Fail: Water, soap, rinse -- how hard can it be, right? Unfortunately, that quick little routine you perform after exiting the stall and before you use a paper towel to open the bathroom door is basically just for appearances. A recent study found that only 5 percent of public restroom users wash their hands correctly ... and if you're only lathering for a few seconds, congratulations, you're in that 95 percent of bathroom users doing it all wrong.

The Fix: The CDC recommends 20 seconds of hand-lathering, which comes out to singing the Happy Birthday song from beginning to end twice. Don't want "Happy Birthday" stuck in your head until the end of time? Check out a whole batch of alternative tunes that will measure ample hand cleaning time.

The Fail: For as long as we stopped believing in the Tooth Fairy, we've been told to brush our teeth after every meal. But dentists in the UK report that brushing immediately after meals can actually be bad for your teeth. Turns out the acidity in the food and drinks we consume softens tooth enamel, and scrubbing them with a toothbrush immediately after actually strips the enamel from our teeth, leaving them susceptible to cavities.

The Fix: If you can't bear the thought of not brushing after every meal, focus your oral efforts into flossing. Studies show that flossing is more important than brushing because it removes the bacteria between your teeth without stripping layers of enamel off. And don't neglect your tongue! Again, forget brushing your tongue clean (it merely spreads the germs around) and invest in a good tongue scraper, like the neat, portable Supersmile Flexible Tongue Cleaner.

The Fail: Props on taking the time to wash your face! But if your hands aren't clean, you're probably making your face even dirtier in the process. According to Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, MD, assistant clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine, you're basically transferring all of the bacteria on your hands to your face.

The Fix:Click back to slide #3 and start singing the "Happy Birthday" song before you reach for your facial cleanser. And be sure to thoroughly moisten your face before you smear that cleanser all over. Most cleansers are too harsh and need to be diluted with water before being applied to your face.