If you read the post on my evening skincare routine, this is going to sound familiar. The general logic of how and what I use is the same, but the mornings are a bit lighter on product and somewhat faster. Then again, there is make-up on top of that, so altogether I still use 15-20 minutes every morning to get my face ready for the day.

1. Cleanser. In the morning, there’s no need to remove any make-up (at least on most days…) and double cleansing is therefore redundant. My favourite morning cleanser is Sunday Riley’s Ceramic Slip, as it leaves my skin silky and smooth. If I want something more refreshing, Ginvera Exfoliating Marvel Gel with Green Tea is a very nice option. There’s a short description of both of these and my other favourites here.

2. Acid toner. Again, no need to fear the “acid” in the name, this means a gentle exfoliator. In the mornings, I often use Clinique’s Mild Clarifying Lotion (make sure you get the right one – others in the line contain alcohol). If I feel like I need stronger action to appear alive, Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta peels are effective, but take more time.

3. Eye cream. As a general rule, the eye creams I use in the morning are lighter in texture and more refreshing than the evening ones. Dr Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum is very nice, as is Sunday Riley’s Start Over. But there’s the Hylamide SubQ Eyes one on the photo, as it worked better with the colour scheme… An eye cream isn’t necessary, you could perfectly well use most of your face products on eyes, too.

4. Serum. My favourite part of the routine, as this is where the action is. I’ve lately been using Intense Defense by Zelens, which focuses on antioxidants fighting free radicals (this sounds very political!) and protection against environmental stress. Intense Defence is too bloody expensive for most people, but I must admit it works beautifully. Dr Lens is a proper doctor and skin cancer expert, so I’m inclined to trust his stuff. I feel I must include some relatively sanely priced stuff here as well: two I really like are Hylamide SubQ and Mizon Hyaluronic Acid 100 serums.

5. Day Cream/moisturizer. This is a category I don’t usually get that excited about – I’ll gladly use anything that is decent quality and moisturizing/hydrating enough. Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet is a case in point. But I said usually. I bought Eve Lom’s Brightening Cream because Sali Hughes raved about it and it is indeed wonderful. It moisturizes nicely, makes the skin look instantly better and works beautifully under make-up. This is all very unfortunate, as it’s almost as expensive as the Zelens.

6. Sunscreen. Oh, well. This is the category I get even less excited about than the previous one. I just haven’t found a sunscreen that has a feel I genuinely like. Zelens Daily Defence comes close (it’s lovely to put on and very moisturising), but it’s so slippery that it makes me struggle with some foundations. And it ruins that lovely texture that Eve Lom cream left behind! Not everybody agrees, though. When I use Zelens, I skip the day cream entirely. And sometimes (please don’t tell Caroline Hirons), I skip the sunscreen and use a base product with SPF instead. Most days, in this climate, this doesn’t seem like a huge transgression.

And this is it. Just like in the evening, I might use a hydrating mist after toner, or sometimes when I have already done my make-up to hydrate and set. Only six steps! This is basically low-maintenance, isn’t it?