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As moms, we all know time to ourselves is, well, nearly nonexistent.
If we’re lucky, we have a few minutes to spare in the morning/before bed to complete our hygiene necessities.
These necessities may include (but are not limited to) teeth brushing, showering, tweezing, popping, fixing our hair, and throwing on some makeup if there is time to spare.
I know you don’t need one more thing, but, one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself is add a skin care routine to this mix.
And I know, none of us wants a laundry list of creams to use multiple times a day.
Quite frankly, I don’t have time for that and you probably don’t either.
The good news is, you don’t have to use a ton of products to take care of your skin!
Below I have put together some essentials for us busy moms that will add no more than a minute to your daily routine!
1. Cleanser
While all of the skin care products I’m going to mention are important, your cleanser is arguably the MOST important.
Starting the day with fresh skin and cleaning off all of the dirt/grime at the end of the day is a crucial part of your skincare routine.
After all, you have to have a good base before you add other products, or else you may as well just be throwing money down the drain.
Let’s also touch on why you should be using a cleanser and NOT soap!
Cleansers are designed to hydrate the skin and remove dirt/toxins.
Most soaps actually do the opposite!
They remove your natural moisture which can leave your skin dry, irritated, and susceptible to premature aging.
*Gasp*!
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into how we should choose the right cleanser.
There are SO many cleansers to choose from, so which one is right for you?
The long and the short of it is, it depends on your skin type!
You may have oily, dry, sensitive, normal, or combination skin (some dry areas, some oily areas).
I personally have combination skin.
My all-time fave is Special Cleansing Gel by Dermalogica which is good for a few different skin types actually!
It is a gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip your natural moisture, is soap-free, helps to clean pores, and evens out skin tone.
Dermalogica is a great brand that I have been using for many years.
I have occasionally strayed to try new things just to see if there’s anything even better out there and I have always come running back.
Dermalogica has a few different cleansers to choose from based on your skin type.
You can click here to learn more about their different cleansers.
2. Retinol Cream/Serum
This is something I have recently added to my skincare routine.
This is an amazing way to jumpstart the prevention of premature aging.
Retinol products help to minimize fine lines/wrinkles, improve skin texture/tone, and shrink pores!
It does these things by exfoliating, neutralizing free radicals, and boosting the production of collagen and elastin (woohoo!).
I am using retinol to help prevent fine lines/wrinkles and also to minimize breakouts that I have from
time to time.
I have tried a couple of different brands but my favorite is currently TruSkin Retinol Serum.
It is cost-effective and works really well!
I have seen a huge difference in my skin texture, fine lines, and breakouts.
One tip for this one is to make sure you use it on your neck and chest too!
Aging also happens in these areas and they are often forgotten about.
Typically, retinol is a product you use once a day at night (unless otherwise stated).
Sometimes when you start using retinol, it can make you a little dry.
For this reason, a lot of times brands recommend starting slow (like using 2-3 times a week at first) to make sure it jives well with your skin and doesn’t leave you feeling dry.
Once you know everything is working well for you, you can bump it up to using once a day!
3. Vitamin C serum
Vitamin C is another anti-aging product that boosts collagen production, reduces fine lines/wrinkles, evens/brightens skin tone, and reduces dark spots/circles.
Vitamin C also helps protect the skin from free radicals/environmental factors.
This is an AMAZING product to add to your skincare routine, it will give you vibrant, glowy skin!
Using retinol and vitamin C together at the same time could cause irritated skin so if you are using 
retinol, you should be using vitamin C the morning after.
I have noticed a huge difference in my skin since adding the Vitamin C serum to my skincare regimen.
I use the TruSkin Vitamin C facial serum (the same brand as the retinol I use).
And actually, you can purchase them together as a powerhouse duo on Amazon, which is what I do, and get great bang for your buck!
We love to see it.
4. Eye Cream
Being a mom can be, well, you know, completely and utterly exhausting.
BUT, you don’t have to look it!!
Having a great eye cream is half of the battle with the other half being, well, fully rested of course.
But who has time for that?!
However, finding the right eye cream can be quite difficult.
You may have concerns such as – dark circles, puffiness, fine lines (or maybe all of the above).
And there are many different eye creams for each of these specifically, but also combined.
For me personally, most of my issues are dark-circle related, but I like to prevent fine lines as well.
After the myriad of eye creams I have tried, my favorite thus far is Dongyu 5% caffeine serum.
I use it twice a day, and it’s different from any other eye cream/serum I have used in the fact that it has a metal roller which you use to apply the serum.
This is meant to help reduce puffiness by cooling the area.
I have to admit, this is a nice touch.
It feels very soothing and just overall great in the under-eye area.
I am always on the hunt for the best eye cream and I would absolutely love to hear suggestions from you.
6. Moisturizer
Last but certainly not least, I would definitely add moisturizer to your daily routine.
Moisturizer helps to reduce excess dryness but also oiliness as well.
I use this product differently depending on the time of year.
I live in a place where there are seasons, so in the warmer months, I use moisturizer only once a day, but in the colder months, I bump it up to twice a day.
I currently use First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, which is a great moisturizer but may be too heavy for people who have an oily skin type.
I would say this product is more for people who have dry or combination skin type. If you’re looking for a light weight moisturizer, try the CeraVe Ultra-Light moisturizing gel which will leave you soft and silky without feeling heavy.
Moisturizer is a great product to finish off your busy mom skin care regimen and leave your skin feeling silky smooth!
7. SPF
Protecting your skin from UVA/UVB rays is super important!
Not only does it protect you from burning, but also decreases your chances of skin cancer, and also prevents premature aging!
This is something you should be wearing all year round, even on cloudy or rainy days.
Those pesky UVA/UVB rays can get you even on the cloudiest day!
Many makeup products like foundations and powders have SPF in them now a days – which is great!
But, also make sure you are adding your own to be safe.
John Hopkins Medicine recommends using at least an SPF 30 every morning.
Also make sure you are using one that is for the face – no one needs the added stress of clogged pores!
A great, inexpensive option that I swear by and use every day is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Moisturizing Face Serum with SPF 60. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Well there you have it, my busy mom skin care regimen.
Sure, it may seem like a lot all written down with everything spelled out, but as I promised above, it won’t even add a minute to your daily routine!
As a little quick recap, I want to write down exactly what to use and when to use it!
Morning
Cleanser, Vitamin C, Eye Cream/Serum, Moisturizer, SPF
Evening
Cleanser, Retinol (follow instructions for frequency), Eye cream/Serum, Moisturizer (depending on skin type/season)
See, not too bad at all!
Preventing aging is the name of the game and something you SHOULD be thinking about!
This and treating your current skin conditions are things that should be at the top of your skincare priority list.
This is absolutely not a complete list of things that are great for you to use, but just a busy mom’s guide to simple skincare!
I am ALWAYS trying to up my skincare game, so I would love to hear some of your all-time favorites!
XOXO,
Katie
