The Perfect Skin Care Routine For Busy College Girls

College can be a rough time for everyone, especially if you’re a freshman. Lack of sleep, stress and bad eating habits can creep up on you, despite all of your best efforts. That’s why it is of utmost importance to develop a good skin care routine in order to at least LOOK like you’re good and healthy. Here are the basic steps for a skin care routine perfect for those who can’t afford to spend two hours a day in the bathroom.

1. Freshen up

In the morning, simply rinse your face with cold water. Not only will it wake you up, but cold water helps tighten your pores, thus preventing sagging of the skin! Way to look like you actually got some sleep!

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2. Moisturize

Moisturizing is and has always been the key to younger-looking skin. If you want to be the hottest soccer mom in a dozen years, keep your face well-hydrated. I strongly recommend picking out a moisturizer that fits your skin type (acne-prone, sensitive, oily, etc.). Most importantly, it doesn’t have to be one of those super expensive creams infused with unicorn tears. As long as it’s not completely crap and is used every morning, you’ll be on the right track to healthy skin. Oh and if nobody had ever told you: drink water! Get your 2 liters a day – your skin will thank you. Simply carry a bottle around in your bag and sip away.

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I like the Dramatically Different moisturizer from Clinque.

3. Clean up

I cannot stress this enough. Cleansing your face every day is the most important thing you can do to help your skin. You should thoroughly wash your face before going to bed. During the day, sweat and grime start to clog your pores and, if not washed off, can lead to pimples. Yikes! Makeup is also a big no-no when going to bed. It should be completely removed to prevent breakouts and irritation of the skin and eyes. You can easily find affordable wipes that will do the job, but a real face cleanser really is worth it.

I would recommend Noxzema’s Deep Cleansing Cream.

4. Mask it

Face masks are a good way to deep clean your face and give it a nice beauty boost. Many good formulas are available at your local drugstore, and fear not, it’s pretty hard to go wrong. I personally prefer clay-based varieties. Face masks don’t have to be used that often, of course. Once every two weeks is a good way to go. You can do them while you study, cook, read or even take a bath, which is great since it’s not at all time consuming. If you don’t want to look silly alone, do as I like to do: call up a friend and declare it a home spa night!