Meet the 20-Minute Skincare Treatment that Reduces Stress, Clears Pores, and Prevents Breakouts

Too often, I find myself thinking: There are not enough minutes in my day. Its partially my fault, of course. I manage my time poorly, and frequently end up sprinting somewhere at the last minute, or procrastinating on sleep for a couple of hours. This, as you probably know, leads to great amounts of stress. And what should result from a lack of sleep and lots of stress? Breakouts, which lead to more stress. (Its an ugly cycle.)

To make matters worse, my morning grooming habits are compromised by the fact that I dont carve out time for them. I wear a hat far too often to hide my hair, and often skip my daily face wash if Im running out the door. The same can be said for my evening routinesince its 2 a.m. by the time I wind down. I generally go for a two-minute shower cleanse, followed by a five-second application of night cream.

To find a product that would clear up my complexion, I revisited the core skincare regimen, and Im confident in my conclusion: a face mask.

For me, the benefits are twofold. You can apply a mask as infrequently as once a week (hardly a time sink), but it forces you to relax for 10-15 minutes while it works. A clay mask absorbs the dirt and toxins in your skin, and this multitasking one from Thann also soothes tired skin with Vitamin E while delivering antioxidants and retaining moisture. You can wear it while checking off other relaxing taskssteaming your clothes, clipping your nails, or even making the bedand youll feel it tightening as it sucks out the grime from your pores.

Its skincare for the soul: Equal parts product solution and therapeutic escape. I can certainly make time for that.