5 Skincare Hacks to Help You Get Ready Quickly Every Morning

As we ease back into a balance of working from home and going to the office, figuring out how to accomplish a swift morning routine once again can feel daunting. If you’re anything like me, you hit the snooze button one too many times and are constantly in a rush — yet you don’t want to look like you are. 

After trial and error, I’d like to think I’ve mastered the art of a streamlined beauty routine that can get me out the door in fifteen minutes. Here are my best tips, to get ready quick. 

1. Dry shampoo the night before

Not necessarily skincare, but certainly within the self-care realm, this is a hack I swear by. You know those mornings where you’re running late, you woke up with even greasier hair than you had the night before and there’s no time for a shower? Enter, dry shampoo before bed. It just works and saves you a solid three precious morning minutes (that could be spent eating breakfast) of frantically trying to comb out product from your hair. 

Spraying your hair before you sleep allows the dry shampoo to really absorb excess oil and leaves your hair feeling rejuvenated and refreshed for the day ahead. The extra volume and ease make for work-ready hair in a few seconds. 

2. Micellar water is your best friend

Don’t love the idea of washing your face in the morning? That’s okay, me neither. I much prefer using micellar water to clean away last night’s skincare and any impurities that may have gathered on the skin overnight. It’s a simple and effective way to clean your skin — just a couple of drops onto a reusable cotton pad and you can swipe away. In a flash, you’ve got a clean canvas that’s ready for your morning skincare routine.

3. Use skincare products that are multiple products in one, to save steps

Products that are multi-use and packed into one little bottle are a godsend when you’re in a rush. Reaching for products like the Garnier Green Labs serum creams hurry the morning along, giving you extra time to focus on your make-up or picking out something to wear. These are quite literally three products all rolled into one, with the function of a serum and moisturiser, plus SPF 15, to help you save time when getting ready in the morning.

With an array of options that target different concerns, having a serum cream streamlines a morning routine of three steps, into one – championing efficacy over unnecessary steps. My personal favourite is the Pinea-C Brightening Serum Cream. It’s been made to target dull and uneven skin, all at once. A few pumps of this on a clean face and neck, and it’s the perfect base for my make-up. 

4. When in a rush, ditch the make-up brush

If you’re like me, you have about a million makeup brushes. Each one has a specific need like contouring, blush application, highlighter, and on and on. When you’re in a pinch, set them aside and apply everything with your fingers. Yes, that even includes your foundation. (If it’s good enough for legendary make-up artist Pat McGrath, it should be good enough for us simpletons, yes? Yes). It gets your make-up done much quicker and can even come out looking more natural because the warmth of your fingers helps to melt the product into your skin more seamlessly. 

5. Invest in a tinted moisturiser

Sometimes, we just don’t have the time (or the mental energy) to do a full face of make-up. Investing in a tinted moisturiser is a sure-fire way to have happy, hydrated skin with some coverage. It’s especially useful on those cold and dry days when your skin is in need of a breather. A hack on top of another hack? Add a few drops of your foundation to your moisturiser — just be sure to mix thoroughly for even application. 

If you want to check out the range of Garnier Green Labs serum creams in the range, head to the Garnier website. 

Editor’s note: Dr. Burcu Kim is an independent dermatologist and is not contracted to Garnier Green Labs in any capacity.