We all know by now that I’m pathologically lazy. Seriously, my lack of motivation should be studied in a lab. On the other hand, I also obsessively fixate on things like my skin.  What’s a fixated but lazy girl to do when it comes to a winter skincare routine? Make it as simple and painless as possible, of course! I’m using just four products at night and just one in the morning. What’s easier than that?

It’s taken me a long time to accept that my often oily skin is actually super dehydrated. I’ve heard it from facialists for years but it took until this winter for me to truly understand it. That scary cold spell we had left my skin absolutely raw. Painful cysts, flaking under makeup, and just generally awful.  But because I’m lazy and hate the cold, I was not leaving the house for any reason! Instead, I turned to the hundreds of skincare products already sitting in my own apartment.

A Lazy Girl’s Winter Skincare Routine

Step 1: Work With What You Already Got!

For one thing, it saves you money. And who doesn’t want more money for food? I know that I’m in a unique situation where I’m often sent new products so admittedly I have more to choose from than the average girl but I think it’s safe to assume that most of us have a half-used bottle or three lying around. Plus, you already know how your skin reacts to these products so it makes starting a routine a little less scary. Think about what your skin actually needs and go from there. Accept your own skin type and remember that the packaging that looks prettiest on Instagram may not be right for it.

As I’ve said, my skin is super dehydrated and super sensitive so I’m using products that are nourishing and promote hydration.

Step 2: The Double Cleanse?!

I know what you’re thinking: Just washing your face once at night is a struggle, let alone doing it twice! I get it. Believe me; There is nothing I love more than collapsing face down on my bed to scream into a pillow the second I get home. But having clear skin means I can be lazier in the morning (who has the energy for foundation?) so I keep Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser on my bedside table so I have no excuse.

This probably sounds strange but let me explain. Milky Jelly can be applied to a wet OR dry face so I just massage it into my skin while sitting on my bed.It does a great job of taking off my makeup without stripping my skin. (I’ve found that doing it this way actually does a better job of getting rid of my eye makeup too.)  Anyway, once it’s rubbed in, I’m basically forced to hit the bathroom to wash it off with a damp cloth. It’s kind of like tricking myself into taking care of my skin. Now that I’m in the bathroom, it’s kind of like, okay I might as well double cleanse. I use Pixi by Petra’s Glow Mud Cleanser for my deeper clean. I like it because it has a little bit of glycolic acid so it lightly exfoliates which helps with my flaky problem. It’s also chock-full of avocado oil, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera so it actually helps keep skin moisturized.  I let the mud sit and soak in for a minute then wash it off with warm water.

Step 3: Toner Or Whatever

This is another product that I keep on my bedside table so that I have no excuse to skip it! I feel a bit wasteful, but let’s face it: Pre-soaked pads are a lazy girl’s best friend. There are a lot of great pads out there right now. I’ve used m-61 PowerGlow Peel Facial pads and Dr. Dennis Gross’s 2-step Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel. I personally found the M-61 to be too strong for daily use but if you don’t have sensitive skin or only want to do this step a few times a week, they’re great. Dr. Dennis Gross’s peel is the BEST but it’s a little more time consuming and, at $88 for thirty treatments, a little too pricey for my everyday life. My compromise is another Pixi product: Glow Tonic To Go! It’s the ultimate all-in-one and tones, exfoliates, brightens, hydrates and soothes all in one easy swipe. One side of the pad is textured, so it feels like a mini-massage and boosts circulation. Plus, they don’t break my budget! $18 for 60 pads and easy to find at Target!

Step 4: Moisture, Moisture, Moisture!

Okay, so I know that this is the moment when most bloggers would talk about layering essences, masks, serums, eye creams, and various other potions but I don’t have the patience for a ten-step winter skincare routine! My solution to layers is just to use Lancome’s Hydra Zen Anti-Stress Moisturizing Overnight Serum-In-Mask. It is by far my favorite discovery of the past year! Just a little bit of this gel-consistency goes a long way. I warm it up in my hands and then gently press it all over my face. I like to put another layer on my forehead too because that is where I get particularly dry. It’s not sticky so you can go right to bed without worrying about the pillowcases getting gross. I’ve been using this every night for a month and my skin has never been soft and hydrated. When I wake up, I always have a nice glow. Even on those mornings when getting out of bed is a major battle, I’m amazed by rested and youthful my skin looks.

So that’s my nightly winter skincare routine. I’ve been doing it for about a month now and I feel so confident that I haven’t been wearing foundation, just a few dabs of concealer! But the best part is that it takes less than ten minutes and I can do most of it sitting on my bed, watching episodes of Friends. In the morning, things are even simpler! I splash my face with water in the shower and moisturize with a pump of Saturday Skin’s Featherweight Daily Moisturizing Cream. Easy! Plus, it smells like grapefruit which is somehow motivating in the morning, isn’t it?

How do you take care of your skin in the winter? Are you a dedicated ten-stepper or do you try to multitask like me?

Disclaimer: I received some products complimentary from Saturday Skin and Lancome. All opinions are 100% my own. 

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