Having children puts so much toll on your body and with those sleepless nights and lack of proper nutrients from living on coffee, it's your skin that'll be noticeably affected. I've upped my skincare routine massively since having our bambino. Half because I needed to deal with those dark circles and half because it meant I could hide in the bathroom for ten minutes while I applied cream after cream until I had to come out again.
I've pretty much nailed my ideal five minute skincare routine so I'm sharing it with you.
Five products that'll awaken the skin, keep it at its best and takes just five minutes!
The very first thing is a good cleanse. I usually double cleanse, using a creamy cleanser such as the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish (£15.50). Pump one to two pumps of product into your hand and massage into skin then grab wet a flannel with warm water to rinse away. It's suitable for all skin types and leaves skin feeling clean and soft. It's also brilliant at budging mascara. I use this morning and night before a quick wipe around the eyes with some micellar water to shift any left over mascara.
I follow this up with a toner, something I've really appreciated in later years. The Ren Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic (£25.00) is one of my favourites. It's aids natural exfoliation delivering smooth skin and a boost of radiance so no one will be able to tell if you had eight hours sleep or not. If you find your skin lacks radiance, is congested or you suffer with enlarged pores this is the one for you.
Just a quick swipe with a reusable cotton pad and skin is brought back to life.
Next up is a little moisture. My skin has felt dryer than usual this year so I've been reaching for the Hydrabio range from Bioderma at the moment. The range focuses on injecting more moisture into skin giving dehydration the boot. The Bioderma Hydrabio H20 (£19.50) is my go to for micellar water, it's also great for tired eyes if you pop it on the fridge then apply reusable cotton pads to cool the eyes. The Bioderma Hydrabio Sérum Moisturising Concentrate (£18.50) is my go to daily serum as it's a great base for makeup too. The serum delivers an immediate flash of hydration leaving skin silky smooth, refreshed and ready for the day. I use one pump then press into skin before following it up with a moisturiser.
The Bioderma Hydrabio Cream (£15.50) is a little pot of hydration heaven. It gives skin such a luscious boost of hydration that I'd buy this instantly in a body lotion. The patented biological complex Aquagenium generates intense hydration immediately while the vitamin pp strengthens skin resistance. It's rich, creamy and my skin laps it up.
The serum and moisturiser are a great duo for long lasting hydration in no time at all.
The final step is lips. I've only been using the Glossier Balm Dotcom (£10.00) the last week or so but it definitely deserves its place here. It's all I've used since my order arrived and it is hands down THE best lip salve I've ever used. It comes in eight yummy flavours with Birthday being my fave.
The hydrating, multipurpose lip balm and skin salve is packed with antioxidants and natural emollients to help nourish dry, chapped skin. The dense, waxy texture melts into lips and it stays there which is why I've included this within my five minute skincare routine. You don't get the time to re-apply lip balm while running after a toddler and this has unbeatable staying power so you don't need to re-apply.
I already have another in my basket for pick up with my next Glossier order.
So there you have it, five quick steps with five fab products so you can still have brilliant looking skin even if you don't get the chance to do anything else. Mum life is hard but your skin can still look fabulous without taking an age.
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