3 skincare routines for minimalists

Let’s be real — everyone wants a morning routine that lets them get as much sleep as possible. No matter how good you are at your skincare ritual, most of us don’t have the time, money, or — frankly — stamina to do 10 skincare steps at home on a daily basis. Thankfully, skincare can be simple with minimalist routines and multi-tasking products.

The 1 minute skincare routine

There are always going to be days when you run out of time for a skincare routine — and that’s totally fine. If you can steal a couple of seconds, you can sneak a multi-tasking product to boost skin protection.

AM: apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30.

If you only have time to apply one skincare product in the morning, use one with SPF! A moisturizer with SPF is a good option because it will hydrate your skin while protecting it from sun damage; I use CeraVe AM Moisturizer with SPF 30. Keep in mind that chemical sunscreens (as opposed to physical sunscreens) need time to absorb into your skin — drink your coffee while you wait!

PM: cleanse with micellar water.

Everyone needs a night off from their nighttime skin treatments now and then. At the end of a long day (or night), you can use micellar water (like Garnier SkinActive) to cleanse, moisturize, and remove makeup — then just hit the hay.

The 5 minute skincare routine

If you’re short on time but want to invest in a skincare routine that addresses concerns like acne, it can be done! You can use these 4 products in a total of 5 minutes, max.

AM: cleanse, apply moisturizer with SPF.

You’ll want to reach for a gentle, hydrating cleanser without harsh soaps or alcohols (Curology makes one — I also like this one by CeraVe). Pat your skin dry and apply your moisturizing sunscreen while your skin is still damp to seal in a little extra hydration.

PM: micellar water, apply Curology cream.

Just cleanse, remove makeup, and moisturize your skin with micellar water. Your skin will be prepped for your custom skin treatment. Curology medication has a lightly moisturizing base, too, so these two products might pack all the skin hydration you need.

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The 10 minute skincare routine

If you have 10 minutes, you have time to layer a couple different products together.

AM:

• Cleanse. It will help prep your skin for the next couple products. Use a gentle cleanser or micellar water — whatever you prefer!

• Caffeine eye cream. Caffeine brightens up eyes by temporarily constricting the blood vessels that cause dark circles. Quickly dabbing a cream around the contour of your eye is like drinking a cup of joe (for your skin). The Inkey List makes one with a light formula that absorbs quickly for on-the-go.

• Vitamin C serum. A vitamin C serum will boost your protection against UV rays, so it’s the perfect sidekick to your sunscreen. Plus, it can help improve the appearance of skin damage like dark spots and fine lines. If you’re looking for the best drugstore vitamin C serum, I like Eb5 Vitamin C Serum Concentrate because it uses a super stable form of vitamin C for a better shelf life.

• Apply sunscreen. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s the single most important thing you can do to protect your skin.

PM:

• Cleanse with whatever works best for you — with micellar water to remove makeup, a gentle cleanser to prep your skin, or both.

• Curology cream. You’ll want to wait a minute or two for your skin to dry before applying. If you’re still adjusting to your cream, you should wait for 10–20 minutes — otherwise, a minute or two is plenty!

• Use a PM moisturizer. Sealing in hydration at night will help you look bright and refreshed in the morning. It can also make sense to apply your moisturizer before your cream, depending on what you’ve been prescribed — check out what one of our in-house medical providers had to say in this blog.

If you’re not a Curology member (yet), you can get your first bottle of cream customized for your unique skin for free. You can even throw in a cleanser + your choice of moisturizer at no extra cost. Just pay $4.95 (+ tax) to cover the cost of shipping/handling.

Written by

Stephanie Papanikolas