When you’re pressed for time, every minute counts — and that’s never more true than in the morning rush. Do you often find yourself scrambling to get out the door? Are you skipping breakfast or leaving late because of some unexpected delay? If so, consider starting your days with a morning routine. Establish a consistent pattern of tasks for your mornings, and you won’t have to waste time thinking about what to do next. You’ll maximize your time — so you can get more sleep, eat breakfast and get where you need to go, all without going crazy in the process.

What are the keys for starting your days better? What do you need for a morning routine?

To answer these questions, here’s a look at some of the best ways to make your mornings go smoother — and faster — each day:

1. Do as much as you can the night beforehand. Great mornings start with strategic evenings. Before going to bed, take care of as many tasks as you can, so there will be less to do the next day. Wash the dishes. Clean the kitchen counters. Prep tomorrow’s breakfast and pack tomorrow’s lunch. If you don’t have to shower in the morning, shower the night beforehand. Lay out your outfit for the next day. Everything that you do at night is something you won’t have to do when you’re rushing to leave in the morning.
2. Organize your bathroom for efficiency. Organization saves time because it ensures products are where they’re supposed to be — and you don’t have to hunt for your comb, washcloth, razor or hairspray. Set up your bathroom to empower your daily habits. Group like items together (hair care products, makeup, shaving tools, etc.). Then, when you’re getting ready, everything you need will be exactly where you want it.
3. Get a shower timer. If you don’t shower the night beforehand, you can still make sure you don’t waste time by implementing a waterproof timer. Add it to your shower and set it for your chosen time — five minutes, seven minutes, 10 minutes or whatever you want. Then, start it, get scrubbing and turn the water off when the timer sounds.
4. Streamline your hair routine. The less you have to do to get ready, the more time you gain. As everybody knows, the notorious grooming time-sucker is hair care. Instead of washing, blow-drying and flat-ironing your long hair every morning, for example, consider using dry shampoo so that you only have to style your hair once a week. Or, switch your hairstyle so that you can simply wash and go. Ask your hairstylist for an easy, low-maintenance look. If all else fails, have a few go-to hairstyles: ponytail, a bun, a topknot, etc. Make your routine as hassle-free as possible.

Anyone can enjoy a less stressful day with the right morning routine. For a smoother, calmer week, start practicing the above habits — and enjoy your newfound efficiency!

Dry Brushing: The Beauty Technique You Need To Know

If you haven’t heard of dry brushing yet, your life is about to change. This incredibly simple, yet often overlooked, activity is one of the easiest ways to improve the appearance of your skin, energy and more. The best part? Dry brushing is extremely affordable, requires little effort, and only takes a few minutes per day.

Here’s a closer look at what dry brushing is, how to do it, and its many benefits.

What Is Dry Brushing?

Unlike some other beauty treatments, dry brushing is exactly what it sounds like. You are literally brushing your skin with a dry brush. However, you need to use a specific brush — don’t just grab the regular hairbrush from your bathroom cabinet. A dry brush contains dense, semi-firm, not-too-coarse bristles that increase circulation and activate your lymphatic system as they make contact with your skin.

How to Dry Brush

While dry brushing is as simple as brushing your skin, there is a specific technique you need to use to get the best results:

• Always brush toward your heart. The majority of the drainage of your lymphatic system drains at the nodes located in this region, so by brushing in that direction, you are moving the toxins to their exit.
• Use long, straight strokes, starting at your feet and working your way up.
• Do three to four strokes on each part of your skin before moving onto the next area — just make sure you are lifting the brush and restarting each time, so you never brush downward.
• Drink a large glass of water when you are done to help move the toxins.
• Take a shower to wash the dead skin cells that were removed.

What Are the Benefits of Dry Brushing?

By increasing blood flow at the skin’s surface and throughout your body, dry brushing can provide many benefits: 

• Increases toxin removal: By stimulating your entire lymphatic system and encouraging the oxygen to transport more completely to all of your cells and tissues, your body is able to sweep away toxins and flush them out of your system.
• Improves skin appearance: Dry brushing can improve your skin’s appearance in many ways. First, since it is providing exfoliation, you will probably notice your skin is smoother. Because the blood flow is improved, you may also notice a decrease in skin discoloration, varicose veins and even cellulite. Additionally, dry brushing helps unclog the pores throughout your body, so the lotions and creams you use can work more effectively.
• Boosts energy: Who couldn’t use a little more energy in the morning? With dry brushing, you can get it. You aren’t just improving circulation to your skin, you are increasing circulation to your brain, which can help you get a little extra pep in your step for the day. As such, it is recommended to only dry brush in the morning: The energy it induces may keep you awake at night if done too late in the day.
• May eliminate ingrown hairs: Since dry brushing is an extremely effective exfoliant, it also helps to keep your pores clear. This can aid in reducing and/or healing ingrown hairs.
• Helps your body run smoother: By detoxifying your body, dry brushing makes every organ work better. After doing it for a few weeks, you will begin to notice it impacting every aspect of your life — from an improved metabolism to a rejuvenated nervous system.

If you can dedicate five minutes or less every day to dry brushing, you will begin to notice many changes in both your physical appearance and well-being. Once added to your morning routine, you will never look back.

Your Complete Guide To Proper Bathroom Towel Care

Life is all about enjoying the details, and one of the often-underrated joys is enveloping yourself in a freshly washed, fluffy towel when getting out of the shower. If you stop to think about it, you realize just how important a clean towel really is — you use it every day and rely on it to do its job.

Yet all too often, people continuously use old, dingy towels that are not only no longer fluffy, but could also be harboring bacteria. Here is everything you need to know about why cleaning towels is so important, how often you should be washing towels, and the signs it is time to replace those towels.

Why Is Cleaning Towels Important?

You use bathroom towels when your body is at its cleanest, so the last thing you want is to put bacteria right back on your skin. You wouldn’t think about rubbing the toilet brush on your freshly cleaned skin, but many towels harbor just as many germs if they are not washed regularly. This is due to the fact that they retain moisture, causing a breeding ground for bacteria every time you get dry. Not only is this unpleasant to think about, but the bacteria can lead to acne, fungal infections and rashes. If someone in the household is ill, shared, unclean towels can also spread illnesses from one person to the next. The only way to prevent this is to follow proper towel care.

How Often Should I Be Washing Towels?

Clearly, towels should be washed frequently so you can minimize bacteria growth and keep yourself and your family healthy. Here is what you need to know about how to effectively clean towels:

• Wash your bath towels every three or four uses. Note that you can only go this long if you are fully spreading the towel on a towel bar after use. If it is left bunched up, the moisture will not be able to fully dry and bacteria will start breeding much sooner.
• When washing towels, use hot water and run them through two cycles — one with just vinegar and water and another one with standard detergent.

How Frequently Should I Be Replacing Towels?

Bath towels don’t usually make the priority list when it comes to spending. Regardless, if you’ve had your towels for several years, they should be. When towels are too old, they are no longer effective. They don’t dry you thoroughly and are likely home to unseen germs and bacteria. How do you know when you should be replacing towels? In general, experts advise you should get new ones every two years. If you are still unsure, look for these signs:

• You have to run the towel over your body several times just to remove the water. Towel fibers inherently break down with use. If they aren’t absorbing the water as well as they once were, it’s time to say goodbye.
• The towel starts to smell after just one or two uses after it is washed. This is a sign there is bacteria within the fibers that is not getting cleaned properly.
• There are holes, tears or frayed edges on the towel. If you had a towel long enough for it to show these signs of wear, then it is undoubtedly time to replace it.

Now that you know how often you should be washing towels and signs it’s time to replace them, you can be sure that you and your family are only drying with towels that will help you instead of harm you.