The Ultimate 3-Minute Post-Baby Beauty Regimen

Lack of sleep and dehydration are common obstacles for mamas with newborns. Our beauty expert offers up a simple, super fast beauty regimen to get you looking (and feeling) better!

You can always tell a brand new mom from a… well, not-so-new one.

The telltale signs are the fatigued eyes, the lackluster skin and of course, the messy topknot.

With so many visitors coming over to see the new baby, every new mom secretly wishes she had a glam squad who would make her look ‘normal’ again. Which is why we’ve come up with a super simple beauty regimen that takes no more than 3 minutes every day.

1. Use a facial brush

Time: 1 minute

A vibrating face brush will literally save your skin! In just a minute, you can get a spa-like, squeaky-clean complexion and a workout for your facial muscles. Your skin is cleansed and exfoliated in just one step. Plus, the vibrations gently massage your skin, improving blood circulation and giving you a glow. Your skin will look rested, even if you aren’t.

2. Pat on a serum

Time: 20 seconds

Serums are brimming with vitamins and anti-oxidants that give your skin all the nutrients it needs. What makes serums so spectacular is that they can penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin, where your regular moisturizer can’t reach.

For smooth, even-toned, bright skin pick a serum that contains Vitamin C. It boosts collagen, repairs past sun damage and lightens spots (goodbye, mask of pregnancy!).

Also, the patting action boosts blood circulation and instantly wakes up your tired skin. Hurray!

A few of my favorite products include Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, which has the highest concentration of stabilized Vitamin C (it actually makes my skin glow and reduces spots and pigmentation!); SK-II Repair C, which improves the overall texture of my skin, gives it an unmatched glow and reduces spots; and Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair (I use this every night and  I wake up to skin that’s relaxed and bright, despite being up with a baby most nights).

3. Dab on some (refrigerated) eye cream to brighten eyes

Time: 20 seconds

Dabbing on an eye cream will instantly plump up the delicate skin around your eyes to make fine lines disappear.

But to completely get that zombie look out of your eyes, you need to apply eye cream that’s cold! Yes, you heard right. When you use eye cream that’s straight out of the fridge, the cold temperature constricts blood vessels, instantly depuffing your under-eye bags and reducing your dark circles.

The bad news? No one will believe you were up all night!

A few good eye creams to try: SK-II RNA POWER eye cream, which feels like velvet on my skin, absorbs completely and instantly reduces fine lines, puffiness and under eye circles; Clarins Beauty Flash Eye Revive, which I’ve been using for years. It takes away the fatigue from eyes and brightens and tightens the skin; and Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado: this one moisturizes the eyes like nothing else can. It’s like guacamole for my eyes!

4. Apply a moisturizer

Time: 20 seconds.

Your skin needs hydration to look healthy, supple and youthful. When you’re breastfeeding, your body requires way more water than it ever did. And the last place the water reaches is your skin. So to make sure your skin doesn’t go thirsty, use a good moisturizer that suits your skin type. (Click here for tips on how to effectively apply moisturizer!)

5. Protect with a sunscreen

Time: 30 seconds

The sun can wreak havoc on post pregnancy skin – leaving you with spots and uneven skin tone. And in sunny Singapore, you just cannot escape the sun. It will find you in your bedroom, in a car, in a mall… So even if you’re spending the whole day feeding, burping and changing diapers, do it with your sunscreen on.

6. Remove the day with Micellar water

Time: 30 seconds

There is no way you’re going to follow a skincare regimen at night. The sheer exhaustion won’t allow it! But what you should do is keep cotton pads and a bottle of micellar water by your bedside.

Soak a pad and sweep all over your face to remove all traces of oil, dirt and sunscreen. The best part? You don’t need to rinse. That’s it! You can call it a night, mama!