Best Beauty Shortcuts

10-Minute Kitchen Cure for Undereye Circles

Ever wake up with dark undereye circles? Aimee E. Raupp, an acupuncturist, herbalist, and author of the new book Chill Out and Get Healthy, has a quick and supereasy remedy: Mix 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder with 1 tablespoon honey. Apply the goop under your eyes and leave on for 10 minutes.

“Turmeric is a very powerful blood circulator and will invigorate your undereye complexion, diminishing dark circles,” says Raupp. Her book is filled with some of the best women’s health information we’ve come across in a long time-including diet advice, stress busters, fertility secrets, and beauty tricks you’ll want to share with all the women in your life.

Did You Know?
Staying hydrated is the best way to keep skin looking plump, moisturized, and beautiful. Aim for 8 to 10 glasses of pure water per day.

Tight on time? In a rush in the morning? Just because time is precious doesn’t mean the health and appearance of your skin and hair have to pay the price.

The best time-saving advice is to simplify your beauty routine, which you can streamline to no more than three or four steps for your face in the morning and at night. If your skin is dry, for example, there is no need for a toner.

Improve your daily beauty routine with products that are free of harmful ingredients, including the following: parabens, which act as preservatives; petrochemicals, which are found in many skin creams and body lotions; and ethylene oxide, which generates carcinogenic dioxane and hides in many shampoos and body washes.

Look for products that are designed with performance, purity, potency, and portability in mind. Keep a cache of products on hand for those days when you wake up with blotchy skin, puffy eyes, or bed head.

Blotchy skin? To the rescue-a double-duty moisturizer that evens skin tone. If you skimped on shut-eye, you can still look rested with an eye gel that reduces puffiness. For bed head, a quick spray of a conditioning mist, and you’re ready in a flash. In addition to the spray featured in the photo, try Head Organics Leave-In Conditioning Spray.

No time to refresh during the day? A toner or facial mist can come in handy. Carry one with you and spray on your face and body to invigorate, energize, or cool down.

10 Tips to Wake up Beautiful When Time Is of the Essence

1. Always wash your face before bed. Remove makeup, dirt, and pollutants with a gentle cleanser to keep your pores from clogging overnight.
2. Take a warm bath or shower before bed. It will relax you, and your skin will be more receptive to moisturizers. Choose one with antioxidants to counteract free radical damage.
3. Protect by day, treat by night. Use nutrient-rich creams and moisturizers on your face at night when there is more blood flow
   to the skin’s surface for better penetration.
4. Treat your eyes before you close them. At night, apply eye cream to those crow’s feet.
5. Clear acne while you snooze. Acne treatments may increase sun sensitivity, which is why they are best used at night.
6. Condition your hair while you sleep. Wash your hair in the evening and go to bed with a hair mask or moisturizing conditioner. A quick rinse in the morning, and your hair will be softer and more manageable.
7. Soften your hands while you sleep. Slather on hand lotion and cover with an old pair of thick cotton socks before bed.
8. Get your beauty sleep. The telltale signs of sleep deprivation show on your face. Skin cells repair
   themselves at night, so getting enough sleep can actually improve your skin.
9. Sleep on your back. Many dermatologists say they can tell what side you sleep on by the number of wrinkles on that side of your face.
10. Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase rather than cotton. These sleek fabrics cause less skin creasing if you do sleep on your side or stomach.

Beauty Timesavers (from left)

Add body and lift to flat hair with Peter Lamas Chinese Herbs Revitalizing Nutrient Mist. Fortified with strengthening biotin, japonica extract to enhance the health of scalp and hair, and conditioning proteins. This leave-in treatment also promotes hair growth and adds shine.

Depuff morning eyes with derma e Pycnogenol Eye Gel, a cooling gel that reduces undereye puffiness and smooths away wrinkles and crow’s feet. Pycnogenol, a powerful antioxidant from the bark of the French maritime pine, increases the skin’s resistance to inflammation and helps rebuild collagen and elastin.

Brighten your outlook with Kiss My Face Brightening Day Créme, a double-duty moisturizer with alpha-arbutin, which lightens discoloration; algae extract, to even skin tone; and titanium and zinc, which provide SPF 4 to protect from sun damage.

Refresh your skin throughout the day with MyChelle Dermaceuticals Pumpkin Hydrating Mist. Poppy extract and fermented pumpkin juice provide regenerative nutrients for the skin, while patchouli and sandalwood essential oils offer aromatherapy. Use as a toner before your moisturizer or anytime your skin needs hydration, even over makeup.