Nancy Lewis
Not a morning person? We get it. Just because you don’t wake up bright and bushy-tailed, however, doesn’t mean that you can’t start your day off on the right foot by making a few additions to your morning beauty routine. It’s easy: just add these must-dos to your A.M. schedule and reap the benefits all day long.
Use an antioxidant moisturizer.
Potent antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, help to protect the skin from aging free radicals, which occur when you encounter UV rays, pollution, and other environmental skin stressors throughout the day. They also help your sunscreen to work better, and over time really help to impart skin with a noticeable glow. Apply an antioxidant moisturizer, like Thielo’s Ageless Daytime Moisturizer, to dry skin after you cleanse.
Eat some protein.
Trade your carb-heavy bagel or sugary fruit for eggs or Greek yogurt. A recent study found that eating a high-protein breakfast helped women stay fuller longer and avoid overeating later in the day, which is basically all we’ve ever wanted out of food.
Duh, sunscreen!
You already know that you need some form of sun protection daily (yes, even when it’s cloudy, or even snowing), but did you realize that the SPF in your makeup probably isn’t cutting it? That’s right: you need about a nickel-sized amount of sunscreen for your face alone, and most of us don’t pile on makeup that thick. Double up on protection by using an SPF sunscreen under your foundation or powder—we love Farmacy Beauty’s Green Defense with SPF 30 mineral sunscreen for all of our moisturizing and sun-protecting needs. It also just so happens to layer on very well when you apply Thielo’s Daytime Ageless moisturizer first and then Farmacy Beauty’s Green Defense. Don’t forget your lips, your neck, the backs of your hands, and your eye area, too, as all of those spots are exposed to aging UV rays.
Drink a tall glass of water.
Dehydration doesn’t only make you feel terrible—it messes with the quality of your skin, too. After a night’s rest, your body is desperate for fluids, so starting the day with a big glass of water, preferably ice cold, is key for kicking off your metabolism and sending the message to your brain that it’s time to get started.
Move your body.
Studies have proven that women who exercise in the morning sleep better at night. Still, the beauty benefits of sleep are very real, so you want to be sure you’re getting every second of sleep that you need, without compromising to fit in that early morning workout. Shift your schedule to make a morning workout easier to manage.
Spritz on a citrusy fragrance.
Something as simple as using a citrus-based perfume or body lotion can help jumpstart your day. Studies have shown that citrus fragrances actually work to reduce stress and even help boost immune function. It’s science!
Mist your face.
Keep your face mist of choice in your fridge and give yourself a frigid spritz to the face first thing in the morning. It’s shocking, yes, but it’s just the thing to bring down morning puffiness and leave you feeling bright and awake. Very awake.
Drink green tea.
If you need an A.M. caffeine boost and aren’t the coffee type, green tea is the ideal way to get it. The drink is packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, which have been proven to slow cell damage (read: premature aging) and are even linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers. Can’t bear to give up your coffee habit? Good news: coffee contains antioxidants, too, and research suggests that it may even speed up the metabolism.
