How to Get Soft, Beautiful Skin in 3 Days

It’s  easy to get lazy with your skin care routine when you’re dealing with a busy schedule. But skipping those bedtime face washes and moisturizer applications can really leave your complexion looking lackluster, dull and just plain blah.

Getting backy our natural glowing, beautiful complexion, follow this simple skin care regime for three nights, courtesy of our expert, Licensed Esthetician and Acne Specialist Sonam Agarwal.

• Exfoliating Scrub + Clay Mask

The best way to reveal new, glowing skin is to remove the old, dull layer of skin cells blocking it. Once you’ve washed your face as normal, apply an exfoliating scrub. Just make sure that your scrub does not contain crushed fruit pits or nutshells. If you haven’t found a go-to scrub yet, Sonam recommends using a mix of sugar or corn meal with honey. Apply and rinse off with warm water after 10 minutes. Follow up with a clay mask for 10 minutes. (If you have dry skin, apply a layer of moisturizer before applying the mask.) Rinse off clay with cool water. Gently pat skin dry with a clean, dry towel.

• Tone + Moisturize

Apply your normal toner followed by moisturizing lotion. Massage into skin gently. Don’t forget your neck–an area often overlooked in daily beauty regimes–and make sure you’re using the right moisturizer. “Make sure your nighttime hydrating lotion is not with an SPF,” recommends Sonam. “These daytime lotions are not made to be specifically hydrating or softening.”

• Blemish Treatment

Freeze out any new breakouts. Apply ice to blemish area for 2 to 3 minutes. Gently pat dry area with a clean towel and gently apply an acne treatment such as Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid. Finish off with a smudge of clay mask on top of the blemish. Leave the clay mask on the blemish area over night while you indulge in your much-needed beauty sleep (this will help dry out the pimple). Wash off the spot of clay mask in the morning with cool water.

But remember, even the most impeccable night-time regimen can’t always compensate for bad habits. So you also need to keep these skin-saving behaviors in mind throughout your day:

• No-Makeup Workout

When hitting the gym, be sure to wash off your makeup before getting your sweat-on. Removing makeup before working out will prevent makeup and dirt on the surface of your skin from seeping in and clogging your pores.

• Nutrition

The old adage, “You are what you eat,” is perhaps no truer than when it comes to your skin. Pair a little clean eating with the regime for added skin–and body–benefits. Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Expert Sonam Agarwal recommends drinking lots of water and increasing the amount of fruits and veggies you’re eating over the three-day period. “Strawberries and peppers are great for skin with Vitamin C,” she says. “Spinach can help increase blood flow for a good glow to the face.”

Luckily, it doesn’t take too much time or diligence to invest in a good skin routine and the right habits. So go ahead and let your skin be as fabulously radiant as you are.