Nina Dobrev Details How Her Beauty Routine Has Changed — and a Mistake She Used to Make Before Bed (Exclusive)

'The Vampire Diaries' actress has learned the importance of washing her face and using SPF as she's gotten older

Nina Dobrev has grown wiser with age.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE at the Shiseido Blue Project's fourth annual beach clean-up event, the actress, 35, opens up about how her beauty routine has evolved over the years and the one mistake she made each night before bed.

"I wash my face a lot more," Dobrev says. "I used to sleep with my makeup on when I was in my early 20s."

"In my 30s, I've obviously gotten a lot more strict about making sure to wash my face and taking off my makeup every night, using amazing products, like Shiseido, and just keeping the moisture in the skin," she adds. "That's the biggest one, probably."

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Using SPF to protect her skin from the sun is another thing that Dobrev has made sure to stay on top of as the years have gone by.

"When I was younger, I definitely was not as aware [of using SPF] because I have an olive complexion and I don't burn that easily," she explains.

Detailing that her friends "are very fair-skinned" and "would burn so quick" while sitting out in the sun, The Vampire Diaries alum says she noticed that they started to use SPF as "part of their routine at a much younger age," which prompted her to take action to protect her own skin.

"As I've gotten older, I [use SPF] for vanity reasons, for cancer reasons, for all kinds of reasons," Dobrev says. "I always put SPF on. It's the first thing I do after my moisturizer, and then I apply my makeup on, and sometimes I even use a sunscreen spray afterward, throughout the day."

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Last year, Dobrev opened up to PEOPLE about how, like her beauty routine, her style has also changed throughout the years.

"My style's definitely evolved, I would hope," she said. "Fashion and function, that's sort of always been my thing, but I think it's been elevated a little bit over the years."

Dobrev also said that she has a style MO that is important to her — putting comfort over everything.

"I think it's really important to be comfortable while also looking cool," she explained. "Just more functional and comfortable."

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