The best skin care routine for busy women
Does the thought of a 12-step skin care routine bring a smile to your face? Not because you can’t wait to indulge in a lengthy beauty routine, but because you can’t help but laugh at the thought of devoting 30 minutes just to cleansing your face. We get it-you’re constantly on the go, with a giant to-do list and probably only have a small window of time to devote to your face. You need a skin care routine that’s quick yet effective.
If you’re a woman on the go, follow these simple steps for a healthy, beautiful face even if you didn’t spend all day pampering it.
Step 1: Get Organized
The first step in keeping things super short in the bathroom is knowing exactly where everything is. Toss out any half-used products that haven’t seen the dawn of the day because chances are you probably won’t use them and they are just cluttering your beauty closet. Keep the products you need in your routine close by and have a freshly washed towel on hand.
Step 2: Keep it Quick in the Morning
Simplify your morning beauty routine to two steps: cleanse and moisturize. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water to remove impurities and sweat from the night before. Try to avoid harsh soap as this can strip your skin. Next moisturize your face and neck and apply SPF. For an even speedier finish, use a moisturizer with SPF. Use at least SPF 15 and make sure it has both UVA and UVB broad-spectrum protection.
Step 3: Have an Effective Routine at Night
We’re still on team simple skin care, but at night we add one additional element to your routine — anti-aging in the form of aa serum. First, wash your face with a gentle cleanser (if you have dry or sensitive skin try a cream-based, non-rinse cleansing milk.) Now that your skin is clean, we move on to the next step – a serum. Apply a retinol/pro-retinoid or other antioxidant (examples: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, reservatrol, etc.).
If you have very oily skin you can potentially end your bedtime skin care routine at this step. For all other skin types, make sure to lock in the antioxidant goodness you just applied to your skin with an extra layer of cream. If you have dry skin, you can slather on something nourishing to add moisture to your parched skin. Normal, combination and sensitive skin should use something hydrating, but not greasy, so that your skin can breathe and you won’t wake up with excessive shine or breakouts.
Step 5: Be Mindful of Your Nutrition
If you don’t have a lot of time to devote to your skin care routine, try to get beautiful skin by drinking lots of water and eating food that’s skin approved. Look for foods that contain antioxidants such as leafy greens (spinach, kale, broccoli), fruits (citrus fruit, berries and pineapple), and fish. Stock up and chow down on healthy foods to help make your face look its best.
Step 6: Keep All-in-1 Products on Hand For “Emergencies”
So we’ve kept your routine to a minimum but there will be days where even the minimum seems like too much. For those days with absolutely no time to spare, keep easy skin care products on hand such as skin wipes or all-in-1 moisturizers. You’ll be able to cleanse make-up or dirt off your face in no time and the moisturizer will hydrate your skin while performing other tasks (brightening, lifting and restoring). Consider this your mini beauty fire drill package for the days when you truly can’t muster a beauty routine. Maybe say something about SPF here.
Hopefully after reading our tips your skin care routine will seem less daunting. With a little organization, a streamlined amount of products, healthy nutrition and emergency kit your skin will be cleansed, hydrated and ready to go no matter how crazy your schedule.
