A Simple 3-Step Skin Care Routine for Busy Days

If you’re a regular skin care enthusiast, then you may have committed yourself to a 10-step, high maintenance skin care routine at one point or another. But let’s be real: It can be seriously difficult to stay on track when you have so many skin care steps to follow morning and night. Sometimes, life just gets too busy! Your skin care routine doesn’t have to be that complicated, though. On busy days, all you need to do is follow three simple steps to care for your complexion. Yep, it really is that easy, just a few skin care essentials will do the trick. Keep reading for your most basic skin care routine for those days when you just don’t have much extra time to spare.

STEP 1: CLEANSE

One part of your skin care routine that you just shouldn’t skip? That would be cleansing! Reach for a no-rinse cleansing option, like micellar water, to get you started. Micellar water is powered by tiny micelles—oil molecules—that act as a magnet to lift dirt, oil, and makeup up and away from the skin. The L’Oréal Paris Micellar Cleansing Water Complete Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin purifies and mattifies, the L’Oréal Paris Micellar Cleansing Water Complete Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin hydrates and soothes, and the L’Oréal Paris Micellar Cleansing Water Complete Cleanser Waterproof – All Skin Types intensely purifies. Just pour your micellar water of choice onto a cotton pad until it’s saturated and wipe the pad across your face. Micellar water is a great facial cleanser choice on busy days because it’s so quick and effective! Also, it doubles as a makeup remover and who doesn’t love a double duty beauty product?

STEP 2: CLEANSE AGAIN

Before heading out the door in the morning (or hopping into bed at night), get a deeper clean by double cleansing. Once you’ve initially cleansed your skin with micellar water, reach for a rinse-off facial cleanser. Try the L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Detox & Brighten Cleanser, L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Purify & Mattify Cleanser, or L’Oréal Paris Pure-Clay Exfoliate & Refine Cleanser, each of which is seamlessly formulated to transform from clay to mousse. Squeeze a small amount of cleanser into your hands and add water to transform its consistency. Gently massage the cleanser onto your skin using circular motions, then rinse off with lukewarm water and pat dry.

STEP 3: MOISTURIZE

Last but not least, no matter how busy you are, it’s absolutely essential that you complete your skin care routine with a moisturizer. Yep, that goes for all skin types—even oily skin! Look for one that’s formulated for your specific skin type and sweep it over your face and neck morning and night. Try either the L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Normal/Dry Skin, L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Normal/Oily Skin, or L’Oréal Paris Hydra Genius Daily Liquid Care for Extra Dry Skin, each of which is formulated with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera water and helps provide long-lasting hydration.

BONUS STEP: SPF

We’re hesitant to even call this a bonus step because it is essential—but it’s only necessary in the AM. In the morning, reach for a moisturizer formulated with broad-spectrum sunscreen, like the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Bright Reveal Brightening Day Lotion SPF 30. Reaching for a multitasking skin care product can cut down on the number of steps in your skin care routine—which is what you’re looking for if you’re on the go, right? According to the Food and Drug Administration, you should apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher daily as directed.

It’s also wise to take other sun protection measures on the daily, including limiting your amount of time in the sun (especially between 10 AM and 2 PM), seeking shade, and covering up exposed areas with long sleeves, pants, a broad-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses. And remember to reapply your moisturizer with SPF at least every two hours—or immediately after swimming or sweating. So, toss the bottle in your bag before you leave home for the day.

BONUS, BONUS STEP: EYE CREAM

It’s never too early to start an anti-aging routine. So, when you have an extra moment to spare, add an eye cream, like the L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra Nutrition Manuka Honey Eye Gel, into the mix. Your eye area is the thinnest and most sensitive area of skin on your face, so if you're considering adding an extra step in your skin care routine, it should be applying eye cream. We love this option because it’s formulated with nourishing manuka honey and has a rollerball wand to help de-puff under-eye bags and diminish the appearance of dark circles.

Now that you have your basic three-step skin care routine down pat, we wanted to give you another helping hand by ensuring that your hair looks presentable even when time is running low. To style your hair in just a few minutes, check out our article, Easy Hairstyles You Can Do in Under 3 Min or Less.