Being a mum is rewarding and definitely one of the most beautiful experiences of life. But it’s certainly not the easiest and definitely not the best when it comes to your skin! Being a mum means being super busy and if you’re juggling work while raising your little one, your skincare is probably out the window. Who has the time to follow the cleanse-tone-moisturise-protect routine with eye-creams and exfoliating masks and scrubs and serums and what-not!
Here are some simple skin care hacks that can reduce the overwhelm and save you a good deal of time. Being a mum can mean being busy but you can be busy with healthy, glowing skin nonetheless!
Get the most out of your shower
Forget exfoliating face masks and scrubs, there may be times when you don’t even have the time or you may simply forget to apply your moisturiser after showering. Here are some simple tips you can easily incorporate in your shower to serve as quick steps of skin care.
Make your shower a steam sauna
Hot water is bad for the skin but you can definitely use it to steam up your bathroom for a short and sweet sauna experience while showering! Let the hot water run while you soap your body and let your face take in some steam.
Cleanse your face after your shower when the steam has opened up your pores. Your cleansing will be much more effective, getting you rid of the dirt and grime from clogged pores.
Make your bath an exfoliating bath with oatmeal
Simply stir in a cup of ground oatmeal to your bathwater and you’ll have a quick and easy exfoliating routine once every week. Oatmeal helps slough off dead skin that tends to flake out and clog the pores. Another advantage is that it is an anti-inflammatory so it soothes the skin. This tip is excellent if you’re troubled with dry, itchy skin from all those poor skincare days when you skipped the moisturiser.
Add a few drops of essential oil to your bathwater
Bathing washes off a lot of the natural oils produced by our skin to make it dry and dehydrated. This is why it’s so crucial to moisturise right after! But let’s accept it, being a mum is an easy excuse for skipping it.
Add 4-5 drops of a botanical oil like tea tree oil, witch hazel, eucalyptus oil, sandalwood oil or clary sage oil to your bath water. While this isn’t a substitute for moisturizer, it will help protect the natural moisture of the skin and keep it from drying out.
Besides hydrating the skin, these essential oils also come with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that protect and soothe the skin. And of course, the relaxing aroma is something that’ll add a de-stressing touch to your quick bath.
Make your products multi-task like you do
Minimal should be the skin care motto for busy mums. Using a dozen products to serve specific purposes is great but definitely the worst for someone who has very little time and mental space. Get the most out of a few to make sure you’re not overwhelmed.
Use dual-function moisturisers
Look for sunscreens that also serve as moisturisers or vice versa. Both sunscreen and moisturiser are essential elements of skin care and if it comes down to picking one between the two, simply choose one that has both! Many high SPF sunscreens and sunblock come reinforced with hydrating ingredients like shea butter, honey, essential oils and even probiotics.
Some moisturisers also double up as makeup primers to nourish and protect the skin at the same time. They give the skin an even tone and long-lasting makeup finish while also preventing makeup from clogging the pores. You save yourself some extra time without compromising on your skin care.
Use all-in-one serums and creams
Instead of using different serums and creams to nourish the skin – one to fight dryness, another for anti-pigmentation, skin repair, anti-acne and yet another for anti-aging, look for serums that give you all these benefits in one.
It might even be worth it spending a little extra for that one product. It’ll probably prove to be cheaper than the total of the ten different products it replaces so it’s definitely worth considering, penny-wise!
Make the most of your sleep
One sure thing about motherhood is that sleep is elusive. You can forget about all those skin care tips about getting enough sleep to allow your skin to rest and regenerate. What you can do though, is to enhance whatever little time of sleep you get to benefit your skin, in the simplest ways.
Use overnight face masks
Whether it’s an overnight sheet mask from your trusted brand or a simple home-made recipe, wearing an overnight mask can help the skin-cell renewal process by increasing skin metabolism. The active ingredients are slowly absorbed letting the goodness work more effectively. They also form a protective coating around the skin to prevent dust and dirt from settling on the skin.
Take care of eye bags and dark circles
The worst side effects of those long, sleepless nights are eye bags and dark circles. They stand out, making you look tired and old. They also definitely contribute to premature aging manifesting as wrinkles around the eyes.
One simple tip to deal with eye bags is to use your used green tea bags. Every time you drink your green tea, instead of throwing away the used bags, simply freeze them. Use these frozen bags to press on your eye bags gently. When you have the luxury of a few minutes of nap, just leave them under your eyes.
Green tea is rich in antioxidants that brighten the skin by healing damaged cells. It is also a strong anti-inflammatory because of which it calms the skin and reduces swelling and puffiness around the eyes. It promotes blood circulation making your eyes look awake and your skin feel rejuvenated.
Your handy tip
Keep facial paper or pads handy
It’s almost impossible to make sure you cleanse your face twice or thrice a day every single day. At the same time, your skin can collect a lot of dirt, grime and sweat with all the busyness of the day. To top it off, if you’re cursed with oily, acne-prone skin…
Facial paper can be quite handy to wipe off all the grime every once in a while so it doesn’t clog up your pores. Some wipes come pre-soaked with a cleanser so a wipe will suffice as an alternative to a full-cleansing routine. They also make you look and feel refreshed to take on more challenges of the day.
