A Five-Minute Morning Skincare Routine

Most mornings do not have room for a ten-step routine, and most skin does not need one. Four steps, done consistently, will outperform an elaborate routine done twice a week.

Start with a gentle cleanse — just water is often enough if you washed thoroughly the night before. Follow with a vitamin C serum, which is most effective applied in the morning under sunscreen rather than at night.

Moisturize while skin is still slightly damp to lock in hydration, then finish with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, applied generously — most people use less than half the amount needed for the stated protection level.

That is the whole routine. Anything else — exfoliants, retinoids, treatment serums — belongs at night, when skin is repairing rather than defending against the day ahead.