It has been approximately two months, or 60 days, since the bulk of the country has issued some type of stay-at-home order and social distancing has become the new normal. Transitioning to a life spent mostly inside the comforts of our own homes can make it very difficult to keep up good habits. If you’re like the majority of the population, you’ve probably slowly let yourself get real comfortable.

Has working from home turned into working from your pajamas? Do jeans no longer feel roomy enough as we live out of our lounge-wear nearly 24/7? Has your skin care ritual gone down the drain as you no longer have to prepare yourself to see anyone? If so, you are not alone! With summer around the corner, this is the time to get your skin ready. We’ve put together several skin care hacks you can try at home to help get your skin glowing, dewy, and in tip top shape.

LET'S START WITH THE BASICS!

Good skin is not something that happens overnight. It is the culmination of good habits being exercised continuously and consistently. Do not worry if you’ve been slacking-- there’s no better time to start than the present. Good habits don’t necessarily require a ton of products or heavy investment into specialty items.

STAYING HYDRATED

It’s no secret that the general rule of thumb is to consume around 8 cups of water a day in order to stay hydrated. However, the majority of adults in the United States are not even close to hitting that benchmark. In fact, it might surprise you to learn that the average American only drinks roughly 2 cups of water a day! If you are only drinking water when you start to feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated by that point. It’s important to drink enough water throughout the day, not just for your skin, but for overall well being. Water and juice are the best liquids for hydration; coffee, tea, soda, even milk, are poor substitutes and will not hydrate you in the same manner.

Staying hydrated is important for a number of health reasons. First, it helps flush any toxins from your digestive system and in turn, your complexion will naturally improve. It will also keep energy levels high and elevate your mood. Drinking enough water is essential to reducing onset of wrinkles or other signs of premature aging. Being hydrated will also allow your skin to maintain its elasticity and achieve that clear glow we all seek. On the flip side, if you are not drinking enough water, your body produces more oil to compensate which can cause aggravation and breakouts, especially during the hotter months.

CLEANSE & EXFOLIATE

If cleansing and exfoliating is not part of your routine, this is another great way to dramatically improve your skin. It is low effort and easy to incorporate and yields great results. After spending all day doing various activities, our pores can clog up and dirt can build up. Additionally, if you use products or wear makeup, your skin can feel heavy. If you are not making a habit of cleansing your face in the mornings and before you go to bed, you are allowing the various gunk to slowly pile up on your face.

This is a big no! It’s good to use a gentle cleanser to wash your face daily to remove any traces of makeup, product, and natural oils and allow your skin to breathe. With a clean face, any moisturizers and care products you apply will also be optimized. Another important ritual to add to your routine is exfoliation. While it’s not good to over exfoliate, as you can agitate your face, it is important to exfoliate once or twice a week. Exfoliation will clear away any of the dead skin cells that are ready to come off. Use a gentle product with light beads that are not too sharp to avoid irritation.

SLEEP & SCREEN TIME

To maximize your skin’s appearance, sleep, sleep, sleep! We’ve all been there before when we stayed up a bit too late or had a restless night, only to wake up with dark circles and under eye bags. If that is the result of a single night of poor sleep, can you imagine what insufficient shuteye over long periods of time can do? Insomnia and bad sleep patterns is a large contributor to premature aging. And if you’re staying up and using your phone or computer, that’s even worse.

Not only does blue light impact your brain’s ability to naturally shut down and prepare for sleep, it actually has an adverse effect on your skin as well! A recent report shows that the average person spends about 3 hours a day on our phones. This is significantly higher than the amount of blue light exposure we used to get from being in the sun. Having our natural circadian interrupted will impact our quality of sleep. Impacting our quality of sleep has a negative effect on various aspects of our day-to-day, including energy levels, concentration, and visible signs of aging.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

So maybe you have recently recommitted to building good habits. But you want to be more proactive and really turn your skin around. There are no shortcuts to perfect skin, but there are ways you can nourish yourself to optimize the appearance of your skin in a short period of time. Here are a few of our favorite hacks.

CLEAN YOUR PORES

If you’ve ever gotten a facial done by a professional esthetician, you may be familiar with the process of having steam pointed towards your face to open up your pores and clear out any impurities. Don’t have a steamer at home? No problem. Boil some water in a pot, let it sit for about 10 minutes, throw a towel over your head and the pot, allowing the steam to hit your face. You should feel your skin opening up in 5-10 minutes. Cleanse your face and admire the dewy appearance from your freshly steamed face.

FACE MASK

We love a good face mask. Packed with great ingredients to hydrate, revitalize, clarify, cleanse, stimulate collagen production, and more, there are face masks for every skin type. If you already maintain a good routine, face masks are a way to give your skin that extra boost for a clear, glowing effect. If you don’t have a good routine, this is a great hack to fool the average person into thinking you maintain an elaborate skincare ritual!

EMBRACE BATHS

Baths are a great way to relax in general and can really help us take a moment to slow down. If you’re feeling extra stressed, anxious, or tense, run yourself a bath. Having time to soak can help improve blood circulation, relax your muscles, and is a great way to unplug from the noise in our day to day lives. If you’re having trouble sleeping, and tea isn’t doing the job, try closing your eyes to some peaceful music, dimming the lights, and allowing yourself to escape for 20-30 minutes. It may surprise you how quickly you fall asleep afterwards!

Our Peace Bath Bomb combines orange and lavender for anxiety and stress relief. Serenity incorporates eucalyptus, peppermint, and lavender to soothe aches and calm the mind for sleep. And Comfort takes orange and lemon to create an aromatic detox.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The path to beautiful skin is good habits. Nothing is a better substitute than maintaining a solid routine. If you don’t have the products or the discipline to stick to a 10-step nightly ritual, start with the basics.

Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water will go a long way towards having clear skin. The average American does not drink even half of the recommended daily amount (8 cups). Make time to cleanse your face and exfoliate once in a while to prevent buildup of dirt, bacteria, oils, and dead skin. This will prevent breakouts and agitation, especially as the temperature gets hotter, drier, and/or more humid. Get plenty of rest and reduce the amount of screen time prior to going to bed. Improving the overall quality of sleep will have a direct impact on overall wellbeing and prevent visible signs of premature aging.

If you have time, block off a day or two to dedicate to self care and skin care. There are plenty of ways to mimic a spa experience at home and give your skin the extra boost it needs.