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Time waits for no one, so the old saying goes. This is especially true when you’re in a rush to get out the door, roll into bed before midnight or conquer that ever-growing to-do list.

The clocks falling back at the end of October is perhaps when this feels most acute. An hour of daylight disappears and just like that, darkness falls earlier and the need to be productive in seemingly less time grows with it.

The good news is that there are loads of simple ways to streamline your routine. For us at Skin + Me, that starts with skincare. Stripping back on multiple products and relying on your Daily Doser in the evenings means that with consistent use, you’ll spend less time battling skin concerns come daytime. Win-win. 

Other useful advice? Number your priorities list – even if it’s just in your mind. It’s ok to let a few balls drop, no one’s perfect. Prepare for success but treat yourself with compassion if things don’t go to plan. Don’t write off your time – and your day – early. Frame your achievements over a week, a month or more. Your day today is just a part of that and it’s ok to start again tomorrow.

Learn to set boundaries. No is a powerful word and you don’t need to apologise for how you chose to prioritise your time. The hours of the day may be limited but see just a fraction of that as an opportunity to schedule some selfcare and freedom. Ask yourself what you really need to do but also factor in what you really want to do.

Time is precious. But don’t forget to have fun with it. Work smarter, not harder. We asked our on-the-go community, The Collective for their top time-saving hacks – and we promise they don’t all include compromising on beauty sleep…

Nadine: To save myself time in the morning, I make a huge pot of coffee the night before and leave it in the fridge. In the morning, I have iced coffee ready to go with ice cubes! 

Stacey: I pack my kids’ outfits for the week in large food bags (I reuse these time and time again so no wastage). I set out my cup with coffee and sweetener the night before. I make packed lunches during dinner prep (or even better, use dinner leftovers as the next day’s lunch. I also do my skincare routine when my kids are playing in the bath.

Niamh: I have my eyelashes permed so I don’t have to worry about doing mascara. I have clean uniforms hanging up on my rail at the start of the week. Lunches are packed the night before. Shower and skincare as soon as I get in from work to make sure I get my skincare done before I get too sleepy! Meals planned for the week before I do the weekly shop.” 

Lindsey: I start my day the night before. I make the lunches, put the bags and shoes out and put the breakfast dishes out and fill the kettle. In terms of skincare, I use a vitamin c and glycolic acid combination and a moisturiser that contains sunscreen so I’m the morning I only have three steps.

I regularly get my eyebrows and eyelashes tinted so I don’t have to put makeup on for the school run. At night, my Skin + Me Daily Doser saves me time as my prescription contains three ingredients in one step. I struggle to get up in the morning so every minute I can save is worth it!

Debbie: I make overnight oats (for several days) so they’re good to go for breakfast. I have lash lifts, my brows microbladed and I had semi-permanent eyeliner years ago so I’m pretty good to go! I enjoy doing my skincare early in the evening before I’m too tired and to let it all absorb.

April: I go running at 6 AM so it’s still dark and I don’t have to put my sunscreen on yet! Then I only have to apply it once when I get back and wash my face.

Nelly: I leave my gym kit ready the night before so I can get up and go in the morning!

3 Time-saving Tips We Love

1. Use one product that does it all. Stay consistent with a single targeted treatment and stick with it long-term. Our Skin + Me Challenge tasks you with using your Daily Doser for 90 days straight in time for New Year’s Eve, so why not give it a go?

2. Use the habit-stacking method to streamline your routine. Dr Heather McKee tells us that small steps are easy to engage with and can be repeated enough to become a habit. So, adding your skincare routine to your regular evening habits (e.g. brushing your teeth), is a great way to stack your habits to ensure you do them daily.

3. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Planning will help you stay on track, so using apps like Notion, OneNote or even your voice notes are ideal for tracking of ideas, tasks and errands. Just remember to schedule your downtime!

N.B Thanks for all of your contributions. Some of the tips above have been edited for clarity and brevity. Head over to The Collective for more.

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