THE LAZY GIRL’S GUIDE TO GREAT SKIN
Do you ever have those days where getting ready for bed just seems SO HARD? I do. Like, almost every night. In our culture, we have been trained to go, go, go all the time; always moving fast, always doing more, always cramming on an extra task in the day. Maybe you’re a college student, maybe a busy professional, maybe a mom, or maybe you have a new puppy like our girl, KC. No matter the underlying reason, the result is the same… a super exhausted, worn-out body and mind, far too lazy to go through a 20-minute skincare routine when you can hardly even manage a makeup remover wipe. Girlfriend, I hear you. And that’s why I’m sharing with you my little secrets on how to have amazing skin and be a lazy lady all the same time.
GO FOR THE 2-IN-1
Remember when you discovered 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner and realized the days of trying to rinse the conditioner out of your hair for 10 minutes were over? Maybe that’s just me, but the point is the same… finding products that have more than one function in one easy step is the simplest, most efficient way to maximize your time and money spent on skincare.
The first 2-in-1 product to find is a cleanser and exfoliant in one. This is NOT the same thing as using a cleansing scrub every day. Using a scrub every day can be very detrimental and damaging to the skin’s protective barrier layer, causing irritation, dryness, redness, or even the opposite… more pimples. What you need is a daily exfoliating cleanser that is gentle enough to use twice a day due to the exfoliating properties being so mild. They’ll do the exfoliating work so you don’t have to have a separate scrub to remember to use 3x a week, but they aren’t powerful enough to damage that protective barrier. A great choice for this type of cleanser would be the iS Clinical Cleansing Complex. It’s gentle, unscented, removes makeup, is great for shaving, and has sources of glycolic acid and salicylic acid in it for gentle exfoliation and a deep cleanse. Oh, and did I mention it’s also a toner? So technically, this one is 3-in-1. What’s not to love?
The other obvious 2-in-1 product would be a moisturizer with added SPF protection. This one is a big one because most people will skip the SPF on lazy days. But the truth is, the sun is responsible for an alarming estimate of 90% of the damage done to the skin. That is way too big of a percentage to skip on sunscreen. So do yourself a favor and make it impossible to skip by choosing a moisturizer with SPF protection in it, like the Glo Skin Beauty Moisturizing Tint SPF 30+. It’s dewy, hydrating, and leaves a natural glow on the skin for the days you don’t want to worry about makeup (but also don’t want to look like you were up all night studying/with a baby/taking a puppy out/enter the reason for looking dead here).
FORGET SERUM LAYERING
This tip comes from the same idea of choosing 2-in-1 products, but it involves the specific treatment products we use to prevent and correct issues in the skin. Most of the time, these treatments are in the form of a serum. Traditionally, you layer the serums you have from those with the thinnest consistency first, to thickest consistency last. Maybe you have a serum for brown spots, one for fine lines and wrinkles, one for breakouts, etc. Instead of applying your serum, waiting for it to absorb, applying another, waiting for it to absorb, and so on and so forth, why not choose a serum that targets all your concerns in one bottle? Choosing a serum with multiple functions not only saves time, but it saves money. One of mine and KC’s favorite serums is the iS Clinical Active Serum. It helps even out pigmentation, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and reduces the appearance of acne. One step, three skin issues. Boom, done.
MAKE THE SHOWER YOUR FRIEND
Instead of trying to carve out extra time in your week to sit and apply a face mask, utilize the time you are already spending in the shower. It’s simple. As soon as you hop in, make the first step washing your face. Next, immediately apply your face mask of choice. The typical length of time a mask is meant to be left on varies depending on the type to mask, but it’s usually anywhere from 5-20 minutes. That’s about the length of a girl’s shower, depending on if she’s shaving or not (let’s be real). After applying the mask, continue with your normal shower routine. Right before getting out, make the very last step rinsing the mask off. Hopefully, you’re regularly showering, so now you have no excuse to not treat your skin to some TLC during the week to help it be its healthiest, happiest, prettiest self.
KEEP IT CLEAN
…Wait, what?
You would be absolutely disgusted to know how many breakouts are due to not changing pillowcases enough, not washing makeup brushes as often as we should, and from the bacteria that live on our cell-phones. And you’d be shocked to know how much of your skin is reacting due to your diet. So keep it clean. Your environment, your diet, all of it. Wash your pillow cases and makeup brushes once a week, wipe down your phone with an antibacterial wipe every day, and keep your diet as clean as possible (learn more about that here!) Making these teeny adjustments can keep lots of potential breakouts away that you would otherwise have to put extra energy into healing through special products, treatments, and services.
BE SMART
The last piece of advice I’ll give you is… just be smart! What do I mean by that? I mean, do something. Don’t skip taking off your makeup because you’re tired. It ages your skin tremendously. Don’t skip exfoliating. Your skin will look dull and be more prone to breakouts. Don’t skip the sunblock. Your skin is an organ that lives on the outside of your body, so you have to choose to protect it. Just do something. Anything is better than nothing on the days you’re overwhelmingly busy or tired. Because the truth is, correcting skin damage is so much harder than it is to prevent it. If you struggle to do the basics now, you’ll really struggle with paying for the damage later with dermatology visits, facials, expensive products, laser treatments, surgeries, etc. It simply isn’t worth it.