A Busy Mom's Guide to Summer Skin

First things first: take a deep breath. Now pause. And do it again. At Covey, we tip our hat to you, mom, and your daily juggling act. We’re not sure how mothers can pull off raising smart, kind kids, running their careers, managing the household, and somehow, looking lovely in the process.

However, even those self-identified type-A planners can’t always prepare for the chaos of summertime when the kiddos are out of school and schedules are thrown amuck. (Remember that breathing exercise? Do it again if you need to.)

As a busy parent, you have to tend to the needs of your children. However, you still need to give yourself — and ahem, your skin — the time, care and attention you deserve. Luckily, with Covey, you don’t need a ton of time to go through the essential steps of optimal skin health. After all, that’s part of why we started Covey to begin with: we wanted to make the act of self-care stress-free and more effortless. 

Hopefully, these hacks and strategies will provide you the tools necessary to maintain a skincare regimen and wrangle your tots at the same time. Here, our busy mom’s guide to summer skin:

Have the kids follow along with you. 

The days are longer in the summer — and they feel that way when you’re chasing children in between Zoom calls. Many parents seek teachable opportunities with their kids through everyday tasks. Having a chore chart teaches responsibility (and provides incentive). Having a monthly reading challenge encourages curiosity and improves cognitive function.

And showing your kids the value — and benefit — of taking care of your skin? It’s a chance to illustrate the art of slowing down, being considerate, and doing something for themselves. 

As you go through cleansing and moisturizing, encourage them to go through the process with you. While they should use kid-friendly products, they may enjoy the practice themselves. (And hey, they might even ask questions to kill even more time, mama!)

Simplify your routine.

In those glorious days, pre-children, you slept soundly for eight hours, you scheduled a monthly facial and massage, and you went through a 10-step skincare routine that took a solid thirty minutes. But as life does, it changed when you became a parent and had to divide your ‘me’ time with tiny humans. Instead of mourning your previous rituals, decide to honor new ones by cleaning out your beauty cabinet. You likely have some products that expired long before your kids were conceived, and they should be tossed ASAP. 

Everything you need for a healthy, glowing complexion can be found in Covey Skincare’s 3-Step program. You start with a cleanser that does it all, add a boost of radiance through our vitamin C serum, and finish it off with a gentle moisturizer. It’s that easy — and it takes up far less counter space. 

Get the kiddos involved in your clean sweep.

Since you’re already going through your collection of beauty goodies, why not extend the decluttering to the rest of your home? Come up with a summer challenge for kids to compete against each other to purge the most toys or clothes. While they’re on their rampage, you can take the time you need to go through your products, replace them with Covey, and hey, maybe even squeeze in a shower? 

Ask for help when you need it. 

At Covey, we know the importance of friendship. Without it, we wouldn’t exist! Sometimes parenting can feel like a lonely experience, and you may be harder on yourself than you would be on your pals. When you’re feeling overloaded this summer with your mom duties, text or call your besties. Let them know you’re struggling, vent your heart out, and let it go.

You can also use this conversation as an opportunity to come up with solutions, plan playdates, or alternate caring for one another’s children, so you each get a break every few weeks. The goal is to confide in a safe place so you can move forward with confidence and calmness. 

Prioritize at least 30 minutes of self-care. 

Some days, five minutes to yourself feels like a blessing. Other days, you somehow manage an hour-long nap without interruption. So, trust us, we know you won’t be able to dedicate 30 minutes every single day to self-care. But, try to prioritize at least a few moments of calm throughout your busy mom schedule as much as you can. Maybe it’s getting up a little bit earlier than your kids. Or, it’s dedicating yourself to a bedtime routine, just like the one you plan for your children. During this time, take care of your skin with Covey, read a book, listen to a podcast, or simply sit in quiet and savor the time.