A simple 3-step skincare routine for hectic days

Easy ways to take control of your skin’s health when life gets crazy 

In an ideal world, we would spend long leisurely mornings or evenings taking care of our mind, body and skin - without the need for a speedy skincare routine. We’d start with a decent run or workout, enjoy a bit of yoga, take a relaxing-rather-than-rushed shower and follow with a rigorous skincare regime that meant we could leave the house looking and feeling groomed to perfection. Sadly, it’s not the way modern life goes. Instead, a typical morning requires a quick shower and a bite to eat (if you’re lucky) before a dash to the Tube - just in time for rush hour.

So how do you take care of your skin and incorporate a simple plan when there are a million other priorities during a working day? Here is some advice to help you manage an essential but fast three-step skincare routine for men.

Step one - Clean your skin 

You won’t always see it when you look in the mirror, but if you live a fast-paced life that includes work, sports and socialising, your skin will feel the effects. Even if you are strict about following a healthy diet and exercise plan, your face and body are exposed to city grime, rubbish weather conditions and pollution that all take their toll over time. That’s why the first and most important step in a speedy skincare routine for morning or nighttime is cleansing. So before you do anything or apply any creams, oils and moisturisers, make sure you’re squeaky clean. 

There are a number of cleansing skincare products for men that offer multiple benefits in one foul swoop. For instance you will find cleansers that also exfoliate and others that might promise to hydrate as well as cleanse if you have a dry skin type. It’s important to buy the correct product for your skin and you may find a multi-use product helps you to cleanse as well as deliver other benefits. But seeing as our goal for this step in the speedy skincare routine is to clean the skin, we recommend using a powerful cleanser designed solely for this purpose. Most cleansers on the market will help to reduce bacteria and leave your skin healthier and clean. In our experience, a citrus base will provide a more refreshing clean for the face. Fruit extracts can also be full of helpful antioxidants that fight the free radicals present in pollution, light, air conditioning and city smog. 

For best results, use warm to hot water (a decent amount of heat without scolding yourself), which helps to open the pores and ensure you’re getting a deep clean across the face. Then thoroughly cleanse your face including forehead, nose, cheeks, neck and stubble area. Avoid getting too close to the eyes. Then rinse with warm water before patting your skin dry with a clean towel.  

Although this skincare step contains advice for cleansing the face, don’t forget your body too. Opting for a citrus-based, natural shower wash such as the Out of the Blue Energy Elevating Body Wash, you’ll deliver a dose of nutrient-rich oils and fruit extracts straight to your skin - better for your body and kinder on the ocean. 

Step two - Treat your skin

The second step should be something tailored to your own specific skin type. You can skip this stage and go straight to the moisturiser if you don’t feel the need to address skin problems such as dryness, dark circles, blemishes or fine lines. And if time is seriously short, you can replace this stage with a simple and fast under-eye firming cream. 

In our experience stage two can be a great way to target any skin concerns that men have. If ageing is a worry for you and you want to pre-empt the effects of pollution or sun exposure on your skin, opt for an antioxidant-rich face oil or serum. Antioxidants are found in plenty of different ingredients, such as fruit extracts. They help to counteract the effects of light, weather and pollution on the skin, all of which can impact the health and appearance of your skin over time. Another commonly used ingredient you could incorporate into your treatment is Vitamin C to nourish. Most commonly known as the all-important ingredient in your morning OJ, when applied topically, Vitamin C helps to brighten and energise the complexion as well as evening out the skin tone. 

Got time for a face mask? These are great for a quick, simple skincare routine because most of them can be applied and removed in minutes, leaving you with softer, hydrated, visibly clearer or soothed skin. When choosing the mask that’s right for you, it helps to learn what specific treatment your skin might need. If you’re in a polluted area, such as London, and spend a lot of time outside, you might like to choose an anti-pollution mask such as City Recovery. 

Step three - Hydrate your skin

Not everyone needs to rehydrate their skin. But it’s important to say that even oily skin types can still get dry and dehydrated due to environmental factors. Our busy, modern lifestyles often involve rushing around for work, taking flights, exposure to unnatural air conditioning, light pollution, as well as playing sports both indoor and outdoor. These all leave the skin depleted of moisture, so we recommend replenishing yours with a hydrating face cream as your third speedy skincare step.

Whether you’re looking to incorporate your routine in the morning or at night, a good face moisturiser will help the skin maintain its natural hydration levels, keeping it looking and feeling more healthy. We recommend applying a hydrating cream that contains natural ingredients overnight, because this will help your skin absorb the beneficial nutrients as it repairs.

The type of moisturiser you need will depend on your skin type. If you know you have dry skin, which is often visibly dry, with patches of dryness of flaky skin, then you’re probably lacking oil, which occurs naturally in the skin in the form of sebum. You can give your skin greater support with an oil-rich, occlusive cream to nourish from the surface. This will also ease any discomfort or redness you’re experiencing from a dry skin type. Opt for something that contains natural oils such as Camellia Seed Oil or Sunflower Seed Oil - both of which we included in the formulation for the Major Hydrator.

If you have a regular or more oily skin type, hydration might still be important for you as the skin can still lack water. As we mentioned above, this is often a result of lifestyle - sports, harsh weather, city pollution and busy schedules. So whatever your skin type, we recommend finding the right moisturiser to replenish the skin’s natural hydration levels and soothe the skin either before or after a hectic day.

To browse the full range of James + Jake products, including our Replenishing Body Cream for men and the GQ-approved Post Exercise Foot Spray, click here.

Recommended reading: You asked J+J: Is double cleansing necessary for men?