I’ve nailed my morning routine and my skin’s never looked better, here’s what I do

I finally look and feel like my best self again, and I have my morning routine to thank for it.

Although I wish I was, I’m not a morning person. I never have been. The ‘clean girl’ aesthetic – someone who wakes at sunrise, does yoga and eats a balanced breakfast – couldn’t be further from my AM chaos no matter how appealing that lifestyle seems. Taking a hardworking multivitamin with coffee can be a way of achieving that elusive ‘balance’. Swisse Beauty has a Multivitamin Beauty Complex with over 15 different vitamins and minerals to target skin, energy, stress, digestion and debloating*.

Over the past year, I spent a lot of time sans morning routine, simply floating through Europe and beyond without a care in the world, avoiding all responsibilities and anything beneficial to my health. I drank far too much alcohol, did minimal exercise, ate horribly, stopped practising my skincare routine and missed out on quality sleep.

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All of this did some damage to my mental, physical and skin health, as you can probably imagine. Although it was fun and I wouldn’t change it for the world, I feel confident in saying that I finally look and feel like my best self again, and I have my morning routine to thank for it.

I start the night before

A few months ago I started a new full-time role and I’ve been making a conscious effort to go to bed and wake up at a reasonable hour – that means no more rolling out of bed in the afternoon or staying up on TikTok until sunrise – because sleep is key to a good morning, a great day and even greater skin.

My skin always looks its most radiant when I’ve had more than eight hours of shut-eye (which is a lot for some people but the absolute bare minimum for me). To ensure I’m setting myself up for a positive morning, a bedtime before 11pm is preferable and a calming practice of reading and night-time skincare is a must. Certain vitamins and minerals such as iron and nicotinamide have been found to help relieve tiredness and fatigue, and both are found in Swisse Beauty’s Multivitamin Beauty Complex, a convenient option for those who can’t commit to the ’no phones before bedtime’ rule.

While my bedtime skincare works its magic and I slip into a deep slumber, my body’s regenerative response kicks in. Blood flow increases and organs rebuild collagen and repair damage caused by UV exposure and free radicals. All that quality sleep has done wonders for my skin, making it more radiant, bouncy and robust.

I set a realistic alarm and allow myself a snooze

Knowing I’m not a naturally early riser, a 7.30am alarm is an early but doable time to wake up. I know I’m most productive in the afternoon, so I give my morning self all the help possible just to get through.

After a few snoozes of the alarm, I’ll drag myself out of bed and throw on some music to get me in the mood (the best possible mood I can strive for at that ungodly hour). At the moment, Mella Dee and Jayda G have been on frequent rotation.

I focus on (at least a little) nutrition

While I boogie and wait for the kettle to boil, I chug a huge glass (sometimes two) of water to help hydrate me and my skin for the day ahead. I find a glug of H20 helps clear my head and bring some life back into my face.

Next up, coffee. I take mine with a dash of oat milk with a side of toast topped with whatever I have on hand. Sometimes it’s a hearty combo of avocado and eggs, other times it’s a smearing of butter and Vegemite. Typically, I’m just looking for something to fill the stomach but including vitamin A and fibre helps to boost collagen production and reduce skin inflammation, essentially giving my skin its best chance for clarity and radiance.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, though, making it a great opportunity to squeeze in a few extra nutrients such as vitamin C, A, B3, biotin and iron, plus collagen, hyaluronic acid, ashwagandha, turmeric and iodine.

Support your skin from the inside!

For that additional beauty support, consider taking a beauty multivitamin when dietary intake is inadequate such as the Swisse Beauty’s Multivitamin Beauty Complex. Specially formulated with vitamin C to support skin elasticity, nicotinamide to support energy production, biotin to support hair growth and retinol to support skin health.

I keep my skincare simple and add ice

Once something is in my tummy, I’ll grab an ice cube out of the freezer and massage my poor puffy face as I shimmy my way into the bathroom where my morning skincare routine awaits. Icing your face not only reduces the appearance of inflammation and redness but also helps to tighten the skin and minimise the look of pores.

I keep it pretty simple on this front, washing my face with a calming cleaner and patting on a balanced serum and lightweight moisturiser including ingredients like squalene for skin replenishment to give off that glowy vibe I’m aiming for.

Pre-makeup I always apply a few generous pumps of a high UV sunblock, followed by a minimal makeup routine consisting of concealer, bronzer, cream blush, brow gel and mascara. Locking it all in with a spritz of finishing spray, I feel like I’ve finally nailed the lit-from-within no-makeup-makeup look that all the girlies who regularly take their hair, skin and nail supplements have.

Once I’ve thrown on my OOTD that I selected the night before, I love running out the door for my hot girl walk to the train station. Once I get moving and the fresh air hits my face, I feel and look ready to take on the day.

Morning routines are different for everyone. They ebb and flow as we do, and we all need a bit of help from time to time. But this is what works for me and my skin currently. Here’s hoping it will help you too.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

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