How to maximize your no-makeup time and upgrade your beauty regimen

Dr. Barbara Sturm shares the benefits of her daily (even twice-daily) masking, plus her speedy pre-Zoom skin prep.

“Every single morning, I now do a face mask and keep it on while I have my coffee and start the day. And often, at night, I’ll do my normal routine and then mix my Face Mask in with my Night Serum and sleep with it on. It’s amazing, and the next morning your skin is incredible. I now always have my Anti-Pollution Drops sitting next to the computer screen, so I can re-apply them throughout the day – they’re great for hydration and screen protection. If I’m going on Zoom, I mix them with my Glow Drops (you can even use this over makeup), then apply a little lip balm and, in a few seconds, your face looks amazing. Now, I can get ready for a Zoom call in one minute.”

After years of a minimal morning routine, aesthetician Sarah Chapman saw her skin visibly improve when she started her day with the high-tech and intensive regimen she had previously done at night.

“When you don’t have to race out the door every morning, this is a great way to set yourself up for the day, as you get to see the benefits of your glowing skin all day long, rather than doing the work, then getting into bed and going to sleep. Switching the times that I use my masks and devices has been the main change I’ve made, so now, rather than the usual quick morning cleanse, serum and moisturize, I’ll do a massage with my Facialift, or use the Steamer or Meso-Melt micro-needling, and then use a specific serum, vitamin C ampoule and a moisturizer. I’ll also often do a face mask and leave it on while I get dressed, so rather than masking once or twice a week, I now use one every other day, and the difference – especially with those little dehydration lines – is amazing. So now my night-time routine is quick and easy, with a cleanser, serum and the Overnight Facial, then bed. I’m also a lot more focused on looking after my body. I started using up all those half-finished face creams and treatment serums I had left over, on my forearms and chest, and using those active ingredients, such as vitamin A, has really changed the quality of my skin.”

Tata Harper shares the extra midday routine that’s boosted her skin.

“I have my morning routine, my evening routine and now, with more time at home, I have my lunch-break routine. The morning skincare is quite minimal, with just a serum, eye cream and my moisturizer. But now, at lunchtime, I wash my face, then apply a mask before I eat my lunch, then remove it and use the serum, eye cream and face cream again. I’m also finding I’m using many more mask now – probably a mask a day; the Resurfacing Mask one day, the Hydrating Floral Mask the next, and something more purifying a couple of times a week. And I’ve seen a difference; it’s helped so much with my skin and especially my pores.”

For Lisa Creaven, dentist and co-founder of Spotlight Oral Care, just an extra two minutes added to your daily regimen will transform the health of your teeth.

“We all know to clean our teeth twice a day – morning and evening – but adding a lunchtime clean has the biggest impact on your oral hygiene. When we clean our teeth at night, we remove debris, while the actives in the toothpaste help remineralize the teeth. Then, in the morning, you are replenishing the actives to treat and protect the teeth. But if you have any active disease – and 80 percent of people do with their teeth – then the one change you can make is to add another clean during the day, to remineralize teeth and reduce decay. Introducing a lunchtime routine is the game changer, because when it comes to the health of your teeth, it’s not what the dentist does every six months but what you do every day that counts.”