The Skincare + Self-Care Routine for Your Busy Lifestyle

Whether you’ve got kids bouncing off the walls, a demanding job or a little bit of both, lounging can definitely take precedence over an easy skincare routine. When you plop down on the couch after a long day, you’re probably grabbing for the remote, versus your retinol. Depending on your stress levels, mustering up the energy to even get into a bubble bath can feel daunting. 

As you balance the demands of our fast-paced world, we know it can be challenging to incorporate daily self-care, or provide your skin with the TLC it needs. But any action is better than no action. Here are a few simple tips to help calm your mind and give your skin some love, even when your busy schedule takes priority.

Consistent, Simple Skincare Is Key 

Some people live for an extravagant, eight-step skincare routine. But rest assured, that’s a leisure—it’s not a necessity. A basic skincare routine is all you need to maintain that beautiful face of yours. If you have commitment issues over the sink, follow our pointers below so you can get the bare—yet effective—minimum. 

Cleanse

If washing your face isn’t a habit, you may initially feel like it’s a tedious task, comparable to brushing your teeth. But much like the latter, you’ll feel so much better once it’s complete. And let’s not forget the most important reason why cleansing is so imperative: Sleeping with makeup on will clog your pores, and can result in breakouts or other skin issues. Also, not cleaning your face before wearing makeup in the morning will trap impurities for the whole day. Your skin will be healthier in the long run as a result of taking those quick three minutes at night to give your face a good rinse.

Tone

While often neglected, toning your face elevates your routine in a major way (plus there’s something kind of satisfying about seeing all the remaining grime appear on that cotton ball). Toning removes impurities that your cleanser missed, while restoring the pH balance of your skin, giving you a more even skin tone and a healthier glow.

Moisturize

There’s absolutely no excuse not to moisturize your skin. You can do it sitting, standing—heck,  hanging from chandeliers. It requires basically no effort, and it feels amazing on your skin. Whatever your skin type, moisture is necessary for healthy skin. Supple, firm skin that allows for cell renewal and supports proteins, collagen and elastin requires the right balance of water content. Over time, well-moisturized skin is less likely to develop wrinkles and other outward indications of aging.

Use Sunscreen

Much like moisturizer, applying sunscreen (at least to the face!) requires basically no effort. We don’t understand why it’s an often-overlooked step. The most frequent cause of early aging signs is exposure to UV rays from the sun. If you’re truly pressed for time, make this the step that doesn’t miss. Your skin and overall health is worth two minutes a day.

Skincare Tips For A Busy Lifestyle

For the busy woman on-the-go, a simple skincare routine is all you need. Here are some helpful tips to get you going, whether you’ve got two hours or two minutes!

Use Overnight Treatments

If you haven’t stuck to your routine throughout the day, we have a little nighttime magic to bring into your view. A one-step overnight skincare treatment can do all its work while you sleep. Little effort is required from you, while the innovative products restore your skin. Yes, it really is that simple. Swooping up one of these saviors allows you to wake up with bright and radiant skin without it costing you extra time.

Make It A Bedtime Ritual

If you’re not a morning person (when it comes to skincare, that is), rest assured you have the entire evening to get up to speed. A simple face routine is all you need right before bed, allowing you to wash away your stressful day in just five minutes. Feed your skin with moisturizer, serum or a night cream, and slip under your sheets feeling radiant and refreshed.  

Do The Basics

We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again, a little goes a long way with skincare. Those eight-step routines you see on social media are about relaxation, not necessity. Stick to the most straightforward regimen and you should be set. A cleanser, moisturizer and SPF are the only mandatory products, while a toner and a treatment serum like Vitamin C or retinol can certainly amplify your routine. 

Self-Care Tips For A Busy Lifestyle

It’s all about the little things! When your to-do list is longer than your last grocery receipt, self-care is likely the last thing on your mind. That’s why you slip some self-care 101 into your daily routine. You can basically do the following things without thinking, and they won’t interfere with your serious priorities. 

Stay Hydrated

Surprise, surprise—water consumption is on our list! Proper hydration lends itself to a variety of health benefits, from supporting your body’s natural detoxification systems to contributing to high-quality sleep. In fact, your normal skin physiology functions best the more you hydrate. 

The more water you consume, the more your skin generates that natural glow-from-within. Staying hydrated from the inside out is key to boosting overall skin health and is easy to integrate into your busy schedule. So, basically go online, find the cutest water bottle and start sipping!

Eat A Balanced Diet

We can tell you firsthand that the food you put in your body is like the fuel you put in a car. You just can’t settle for the cheap gunk. While it may serve a purpose in a pinch, in the long-run, it’ll only do harm.

Committing to a balanced diet can work wonders on both your skin and your mood. A generous blend of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fatty fish (or alternative proteins) packs essential nutrients that nurture a vibrant, healthy-looking complexion.

Practice Mindfulness

You know that saying, “Stop and smell the roses?” It’s so true! We get so wrapped up in our families and careers (and yes, rightfully so) that we forget to take a moment for ourselves and enjoy the little things. 

We’re only human, which means stress is an inherent part of our lives.

Taking time to reflect and decompress not only relieves mental tension but also offers an array of beauty benefits. Taking a solo moment to just breathe, or listening to a five-minute guided meditation can do wonders for your well-being. Practicing mindfulness helps regulate stress hormones that can trigger flare-ups and breakouts, ultimately paving the way toward clear skin and a calm mind

Massage Your Temples

Did you know you can practice self-care simply by sitting at your desk? Massaging your temples with an active serum (our Morning Cocktail Vitamin C Serum does wonders) can alleviate muscle tension, reduce puffiness and provide a moment of needed relief from a stressful day. 

You can dab the serum on your fingertips and delicately apply pressure to your temples in a J-shaped circular motion. Begin with a light stroke and increase to a firmer press that you can hold for a few seconds at the end of the movement. Enhance the massage by beginning the motion between your brows. 

Move Your Body

We get it—sometimes just the very thought of working out is stressful enough, let alone actually doing it when you’ve already had a day. But moving your body at some capacity is important because it gets your blood pumping by releasing endorphins which help regulate your mood.  

If you can’t make it to the gym or that spin class you’ve been promising your friend, simply take a quick walk around the block or to a park during your lunch break.

If you can muster up the strength for a workout, a low impact class like yoga is more than enough to get your juices flowing. These gentler exercises not only can improve flexibility and reduce soreness, but they’re also helpful ways to calm your mind, release tension and increase your energy. So you’re improving your mental health while also burning calories. 

Great Skin, Without the Stress

So, what’s the bottom line here? Simple: Even with a hectic lifestyle, you can maintain an effective skincare routine. We’ve provided the tools to help you develop a quick, efficient regimen that’s simple to maintain by prioritizing your skincare needs and swooping up what’s most suitable for your skin type.

Just remember, when prioritizing in a pinch, the key necessities are cleanser, moisturizer and SPF.

Skincare also goes hand-in-hand with nutrition. A balanced diet, frequent exercise, adequate sleep, and staying hydrated are additional factors that can support healthy skin.