So here’s the real-deal: I wake up super early, and while I really do genuinely enjoy my job, I’m not exactly bursting out of bed every morning with excitement to get up. My alarm goes off at promptly 5:00 a.m., and I prefer to be out the door before 6:00, so I’m all about saving a minute here and a minute there in the morning. Something that has taken me a bit of time to figure out is a skincare routine that works for me, because as much as I want to take time to take care of my skin, I refuse to get up any earlier than 5:00. How am I supposed to do one of those perfect 15-step skincare routines that guarantee you’ll never age when I’m already barely getting my shoes on before I step out of my apartment? Well, I don’t.
During weekends and breaks from school, I enjoy taking my time and indulging in a little extra TLC for my skin, but this isn’t normally the case when it comes to getting ready in the morning. My secret is this: The majority of my skincare routine happens at night before I go to bed.
My time before bed is really sacred to me. I like to put my phone away for at least 30 minutes prior to going to sleep, and my lights are dimmed and I have a candle going. In order for me to feel completely zen, I need to go through my super simple, yet super effective, skincare routine.
I shower every night (like I said, I’m all about saving time in the morning), and recently I’ve been using a 3-step skincare system by Clean & Clear. I wash my face in the shower with the cleanser, apply the toner immediately when I get out of the shower, and then slather my face and neck with the moisturizer directly after that.
Then, the magic happens. The 2 products that I credit as the reasons why my skin looks healthy & glowy despite waking up at 5 a.m. and not getting my desired number of hours of sleep are the following: Coconut Oil & Wild Rose Brightening Oil by KORRES. I don’t use both of these products each night, just 1. Whichever one I use, I usually apply about 10 minutes after I put moisturizer on my face. The product I choose to use each night usually depends on how I feel and how my skin is looking.
Coconut Oil: To me, coconut oil is about as close as you can get to a magic potion. I use it for so many different things, but I think my face has got to be my favorite place to use it. After my moisturizer is absorbed, I massage coconut oil all over my face and neck. I probably use this product on my face 4-5 nights out of the week. Coconut oil is loaded with vitamin E and healthy fats, which makes it the ideal moisturizer. It also has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Do you see why I’m so obsessed? You might be wondering- Why use coconut oil if you already used a moisturizer? It’s because my face never feels quite as soft and moisturized if I don’t, and only use a regular moisturizer. Especially in the winter when skin is prone to drying out! This is my go-to nighttime product because of all the previously stated benefits, but if you still aren’t sold, it also smells amazing (a lovely scent to fall asleep to), and it is pretty inexpensive unlike many high-end skin products. I’ve used a few different brands of coconut oil, but I picked up a couple jars during my last Trader Joe’s haul so I’ve been using that brand recently!
Wild Rose Brightening Oil: This stuff is my secret weapon. When my skin just looks blah (you know that look I’m talking about, right?) or if I haven’t slept well or enough, this stuff brightens up my face almost instantly. I apply it at night after my moisturizer, and when I wake up in the morning, I’m like a new human. I actually got this product as a birthday gift from a friend not knowing what in the world it was, and after the first time I tried it, I was absolutely hooked. The product is oil that is infused with rose petals. It is loaded with vitamin C and just brightens and evens everything out. While I use it at night, you can also mix a little into your foundation for an extra pop. I usually use this 2 nights a week, but if I’m extra busy or travelling, it makes more frequent appearances.
After I apply my products, I chill out and enjoy my time before bed. Then, lights are out and I sleep peacefully on my silk pillowcases (much easier on the skin & hair than cotton), and when I wake up, I’m basically ready to quickly apply some makeup and go. I don’t cleanse my face in the morning because if I do, it dries out my face. I change my pillowcases often, so I feel like my face is still pretty clean when I wake up. Sometimes I’ll splash a little water on my face if I really need to wake up, or if it’s been extra windy or cold, I’ll put on a little more moisturizer. The point is, the bulk of the work happens the night before.
How do you save time in the morning?
Xo LR
