A few days before my 29th birthday my occasionally observant husband spotted my first gray hair. Honestly, he could’ve kept the news to himself but I digress. Anyway, in that moment I felt two things: betrayal (towards my hair, not my husband. Promise!) and impending doom. 2020 is the year us 1990 babies finally turn 30. Thirty. THERR-TEA!
Once I calmed down (lol), I realized that there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it (other than coloring my hair). I’m going to turn 30, and get more grays and become an old fart, whether I want to or not. BUT! I do not have to look like one! So for the new year I have decided that I have to start taking care of myself despite my children and demanding life. I, like most moms, have a lot of excuses to not indulge in self care. At any point of the day I’m exhausted, including just after waking up, so a long skincare routine is out of the question.
Not too long ago I had a completely different routine. I would sit in front of a vanity for an hour and apply makeup and lashes before commuting to work and then another hour in the evening removing the makeup and moisturizing. Now I brush my teeth and not much else. There has to be a middle ground!
Once I became determined to do this I purchased a few products that I could use quickly after the shower before bed and after washing my face in the mornings. Honestly this has reminded me how much I really do love skin care products and my skin does look considerably less haggard and bumpy.
I’m going to let you know what I’m using and how it’s working so far. Obviously I am no esthetician so anything you use, please do your own research first! But I still think you’ll find something helpful here, even if you aren’t a mom on the go. This is just a quick little something any busy person can do.
Skincare Basics
So our skincare goal as we continue to age is to prevent premature signs of aging and to remain as youthful and beautiful as possible. Our skincare goals as moms who are continuing to age is to do that, but as quickly as possible. Staying hydrated, eating well and taking vitamins are things that will of course help you. Make sure you are at least drinking your water and taking a multivitamin if you don’t have the time for a full blown spa treatment a few times a week. Sleeping on a satin pillow case is also a great way to improve you skin’s appearance. I purchased a pillow case years ago to help retain the moisture in my hair on says when my bonnet or satin scarf slipped off during the night, but these pillow cases also help prevent wrinkles!
Those few things will help your skin out greatly and are already built into your day. No need to make any drastic changes. If you are looking to kick things up a bit, try a few of these products. I think many of us discover products to try via advertisements or googling a specific problem we are facing. I found most of these by watching youtubers like Jackie Aina and Alyssa Ashley do skincare before and after applying makeup.
Skincare Products for Busy Moms
I personally have always had well behaved skin but a few things are contributing to my demise. 1. stress 2. living in a dry environment and 3. being lazy with moisturizing.
I hope that these products actually do help but if nothing else they allow my to have a few moments a day when I can just relax and do something small for myself.
SPF Moisturizer – No matter the weather outside or the season you need to be using the SPF. As far as your skin is concerned, the sun’s rays are in constant attack mode. Whether its 5 degrees in Chicago or 105 in Arizona, you need to protect your skin from the sun! If you don’t do anything else, start moisturizing with an SPF that is made for your face. Here is the one I have used for years and I love it. Using natural oils like sweet Almond and coconut are also great moisturizers for your skin. I use them in my hair too! Check out this link to see some other great oils for your skin and hair.
Hyaluronic Acid – This product helps with reducing the appearance of wrinkles and redness in your face. I have a lot of redness around my nose and mouth so think really helps! The Hyaluronic acid I use also has 5% caffeine added. I use this specifically under my eyes to help with puffiness and brighten under eye circles. Us lighter skinned folks can get raccoon eyes, don’t let it be you sis!
Vitamin C Serum – This is one of the newer products I’ve tried. So far I love it! This magic serum does a few things that really help you continue to look like a MILF. 1. It provides an extra layer of sun protection 2. It stimulates collagen growth, which keeps you looking younger 3. Helps even out your skin tone! I purchased mine at Marshalls but you can get them from Amazon and Target too.
Toner – Toner is one of the first products I started using when I got interested in skincare. I’ve used a few but my favorite is the Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic toner from Target. I’ve also used the Marios Badescu Aloe toner from Ulta. Both are really nice! Toner’s main job is to remove excess dirt, protect and balance out your skin’s PH.
Rose Water facial spray – One of my favorite products to use is rose water facial spray, just because I love the cool feeling of the mist lightly falling over my skin. This product is another great moisturizer for the skin, but what sets it apart is the rose ingredient. Rose oil and rosehips are used in a lot of beauty products because of their antiseptic and antiinflammatory properties. The beautiful smell of rose also aids in relaxation through aromatherapy. There are many more benefits I could detail but I won’t because then this post would be 10 years long lol there have been many interesting scientific studies done so make sure you check out more of the benefits.
Rose quartz Facial roller – This is my new favorite toy! I got it at Ulta but I recently found a few for sale at a local minerals store. This can either look like a completely foolish waste of time or something way too luxurious for us regular folk but I’m telling you, if nothing else it makes me feel amazing to use this. I think the name explains what is does, you use it by rolling it on your face. There are specific ways to use it, mainly starting at the center of your face and rolling out with each pass. The purpose is really to give you face a nice massage. This lymphatic draining, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, and most importantly, aids in relieving stress and anxiety. It is super relaxing! Rose quartz is also a crystal that is said to attract love and promotes calmness. I know we ALL need some of that!
Skincare Routine
I spend the most time caring for my skin right before bed. After using a foaming cleanser in the shower, I apply my toner, then serums and hyaluronic acid first. I’ve read that doing this helps the serums absorb into the skin the best. After that I apply my rose facial spray and SPF moisturizer. I make sure I lightly massage the products into my skin one at a time using light pressure. Never pull on your skin! I use the rose quartz facial roller at different points in the routine but this is also a nice way to stimulate your skin and relax. Remember, do all of these treatments to your face AND neck!
In the morning, I’m usually busy so I spend the least amount of time. I wash my face and add a few spray of rose water and ad on my SPF moisturizer. Then I’m gone! I feel that my skin has had less breakouts and is considerably softer after consistently giving it TLC this month. You should do the same! Love on yourself a little, even when you think you don’t have the time!
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