Face it ladies, with all the work we put in with school, work, and our daily lives in general, we don’t always take enough time to take care of our skin. Rest assured, there are options out there for busy girls that you can utilize for practically pennies.

First and foremost, you must wash your face twice a day, no exceptions. According to Allure Magazine, studies have shown that when you sleep in your makeup, your skin ages dramatically, and the toxins you’re exposed to during the day remain in your skin.

Take the time every morning to cleanse with moisturizer, especially in the fall and winter seasons, using warm water to wash, and cold water to rinse. Warm water opens up the pores with you clean out the makeup, dirt and oil accumulated throughout the day, and the cold water closes them up again and soothes the skin.

Plus, your skin produces a natural, waxy lubricant called “sebum,” and its sole purpose is to rejuvenate your skin while you sleep. According to Discovery Health, sleeping in your makeup clogs the pores and prevents the sebum from working effectively, and results in a build-up that leads to acne breakouts.

A good natural way to remove eye makeup without breaking the bank is olive oil. Using a small dab of extra-virgin olive oil on a cotton pad will nourish your skin and remove the makeup without the harsh irritants that are often found in chemically based makeup removers. Afterwards you just wash your face as you normally would.

In addition to keeping with a daily wash routine, it’s equally important to exfoliate at least once a week. Exfoliation is the gentle removal of dead skin cells, and its important to stay on top of it to avoid a build-up of dead dry skin. An easy investment would be in disposable buffer pads you can buy in any store for no more than 2 dollars. If you want  a more natural option, try using lemons and sugar!

Cut a lemon in half and dip one of the wedges into a bowl of sugar. Your face should be clean prior to this step. In circular motions, gently scrub all the regions of the face, making sure to steer clear of the eye area. The citric acid in the lemons acts a natural toner that both brightens and tightens your skin. The sugar acts as an exfoliant. Rinse with cold water and pat your skin dry. Don’t do this more than once a week as too much exposure can irritate your skin. Be sure to moisturize afterwards!

When you add an exfoliant to your routine, be sure to take the time to relax as well. Nothing brings out your natural beauty like rest and being healthy. Stress doesn’t just affect the mind; it hurts your body physically and is also a  culprit of premature aging.

Set some time aside once a week to give yourself a relaxing, natural-based facial. All you need is honey, avocados, and raw oatmeal. This facial can also be used as an exfoliant procedure, depending on your skin type and needs. All you need to do is mix all three ingredients in a bowl and massage it on your face. Leave it on for about 15 minutes and rinse off with cold water. If you have dry skin, the avocados will nourish and moisturize your skin. The honey acts as base for the mixture, and the oatmeal acts as a gentle natural scrub. This facial is geared towards moisturizing while the lemon exfoliant double-acts as a toner.

Try these out and see what works for you!