Top 10 beauty hacks if you’re short on time

From one busy mum to another, Kirsten, our Asistant Head of Spa at Obsession Salon & Spa,
shares her top beauty hacks for achieving dewy-looking skin whilst juggling the demands of family life.

The Autumn months can be brutal to our skin and if we’re not careful we can find ourselves in the depths of Winter with pasty, dehydrated sallow skin which let’s face it can seriously dampen our mood. Fear not! As a busy mum of two youngsters, I feel your pain and know only too well how important it is to find the best but also the quickest way of maintaining great skincare routines. Here are my favourite little hacks for maintaining beautiful skin when you literally have zero time!

1. Morning cleanse in the shower

If you’re anything like me, morning feels like the middle of the night (and often is with little ones!) but the day soon starts calling and your precious ‘me time’ starts to evaporate quite quickly. My top tip is to cleanse in the shower. I guarantee that you’ll save time rather than separately cleansing at the sink. If your skin is dehydrated I recommend Decleor’s Neroli Cleansing Mouse or for oily skin, use  Decleor’s Rosemary Officinalis Black Clay Cleansing Gel.

2. Exfoliate your skin in the shower

If you’re washing your hair in the shower, then it’s the perfect opportunity to exfoliate. Why? Well, if scrub gets in your hairline, then no worries – it’ll get shampooed away. Plus, lets face it, exfoliation can get a bit messy anyway so it’s much easier in the shower than at the sink. Also (and this is the game changer for me), your skin will be much softer in the warm shower water and help in manual exfoliation. I recommend using Decleor’s Green Mandarin Glow Scrub for Dull and Tired Skin. The sugars melt from the warmth of the shower and help to hydrate the skin.

3. Apply skincare products in the bathroom

I find it best to apply all products to skin in the bathroom straight after the shower. Your skin is more hydrated from the moisture in the air and hasn’t started to dry out. As Autumn approaches, I’d recommend switching up to a thicker moisturiser as the cold weather and central heating means your skin needs a little more protection from drying out.

4. Use your hands for toner

Apply toner using your hands instead of cotton pads. Not only does this save time but you’ll be amazed at how much further your lovely Decleor Neroli toner will go (you’re welcome 😉) What’s more you’re doing your bit to help save the planet too!

5. Apply Hyaluronic acid to damp skin

Hyaluronic acid helps skin stretch and reduces wrinkles and fine lines. It’s found in a lot of moisturisers and serums but my personal absolute all-time favourite is Decleor’s Antidote Serum. Not only does it smell devine (gorgeous combo of peppermint, sandalwood and patchouli essential oils) so it’s a lovely way to waken the senses in the morning but it’s also really lightweight not claggy and it’s got anti-pollution properties too.

6. Always apply SPF even in the Autumn/Winter

Whenever it’s daylight you need to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun. I always use Dermalogica’s Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50. Even in the colder months, the sun can damage our skin so it’s vital to use sunscreen every single day.
Remember:
Ultraviolet A (UVA) has a longer wavelength. It is associated with skin aging.
Ultraviolet B (UVB) has a shorter wavelength. It is associated with skin burning.

7. Always dry your hair after finishing your skin care routine

You’d be surprised at how much moisture will evaporate from your skin with the heat from your hairdryer and straighteners so always finish your skincare routine and apply all your products before you start on your hair.

8. Kick-start your bedtime routine as soon as you get home

Trust me, you’ll thank me at bedtime if you take your make up off and start your bedtime routine as soon as you come in the house. Plus you’ll benefit from the products absorbing into the skin rather than your pillow! I absolutely adore Decleor’s Neroli Bigarade Hydrating Night Balm which has amazing cocooning properties or Lavender Fine Lifting Night Balm.

9. Use a mask that you can sleep in

Once a week I like to give my skin a real treat and a chance to soak up all the goodies that you find in a good quality mask. My personal preference is Decleor’s Neroli Oil Mask but if you want some recommendations on a good mask for your skin type, just ask myself or one of the team.  It saves valuable time if you can do this is at night giving your skin a good 8(ish) hours to absorb much needed nutrients and expel any impurities.

10. Use the colder months to prep your skin for Summer next year

Autumn and Winter are the perfect time to start getting your skin in tip-top condition for next year. For the absolute best results I recommend investing in a Dermalogica Skin Peel at this time of the year. The Dermlogica Pro-Peel really is fabulous as it’s totally customised to your own skin and therefore bespoke to your needs whether that’s fine lines, wrinkles, texture, hydration. We’re running an offer at the moment which offers £10 off so definitely worth booking in (before end of August). Click here for more details. 

All of the products I’ve recommended can be found in salon.
Plus, you can get 20% off all Decleor products
until the end of September – definitely worth stocking up!
Click here for more details