When you’re dealing with ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, it can be hard to focus on a task or stay organized. When you’re just trying to get through life, things like skincare can fall to the wayside.
If you’re in that boat, you’re not alone — and we’re here to help. In this post, we give you full skincare routines and beauty tips that make taking care of your skin more manageable, helping you look and feel your best.
Table of Contents
- How ADHD Can Impact Your Skincare Regimen
- 8 Skincare Tips and Hacks for People With ADHD
- ADHD-Friendly Skincare Routines to Follow
- Build Realistic Skincare Habits
How ADHD Can Impact Your Skincare Regimen
Following a skincare routine not only helps your skin healthy but also helps you look and feel your best.
Dealing with ADHD, however, can make it harder to stick to a routine, especially if you have common symptoms like these:
- Difficulty paying attention
- Impulsiveness
- Restlessness
- Trouble multitasking
- Low frustration tolerance
- Problems following through and completing tasks
This might affect your skincare in several ways, including:
- Avoiding skincare because it feels overly complicated and a chore to complete
- Skipping skincare because your routine isn’t “perfect”
- Buying products you don’t need and then not using them
- Getting frustrated if a product doesn’t work quickly, so you stop using it
- Frequently changing up your routine for new products and not being consistent
Avoiding skincare, being inconsistent, or using too many different products can actually make your skin worse, or make you feel like your skin doesn’t look its best.
The good news is that a skincare routine can be simple! A ten-step routine isn’t ideal for everyone, and that’s okay.
Start by printing out this planner. Then use the tips below to help you build a routine that works for you.
8 Skincare Tips and Hacks for People With ADHD
Here are some hacks you can use to build your own ADHD-friendly skincare routine. Our hacks focus on creating structure and minimizing the steps involved, so your skincare is easy and fun to do.
1. Use Easy-to-Open Products
Easy-to-open products take less effort to use. It’s easier to twist open and quickly squeeze lotion or cream out of a tube than unscrew and scoop product out of a jar. You could also try mists or sprays, especially for sunscreen.
2. Choose Products That Spark Joy
If a product makes you happy, you’re more likely to use it. Fill your skincare routine with products you enjoy. These can be products with packaging you like, your favorite fragrance, or the right feel on your skin.
3. Make Sure Your Products Are Easy to Buy
Convenience is key. It helps to buy products that are easily available near you or online. If a product is difficult to find or often out of stock, it might be hard to feel motivated to find it. And if you can’t replace it, having a gap in your routine could throw the whole thing off. Using products that you know you can always have on hand helps keep your routine consistent.
4. Use Timers and Reminders
If you have ADHD, you might experience “time blindness,” or time passing by without you realizing it. Setting an alarm or reminder on your phone is a good way to shake yourself out of that and stay on top of your routine. It can also get you into the habit of doing it at the same time each day.
Using timers can also help keep you on task during your routine, so you don’t lose track of time or get too absorbed in any specific step. Try setting a daily reminder for both your AM and PM routines, and then giving yourself a 10- to 15-minute time limit to complete the routine.
5. Keep Your Skincare Products Visible
Having your products neatly organized and out in the open may help remind you to do your routine and normalize it as part of your schedule. Put them somewhere visible and in a space dedicated to skincare, like on a bedside table, sink, or bathroom counter, or near a mirror.
An organizer tray or pouch can keep everything neat and accessible. That way you know where everything is when you need it. You can also add small labels to your products that show the order you use them in, like “Step 1,” “Step 2,” “Step 3,” and so on, or “Cleanse,” “Tone,” “Moisturize,” and so on.
To make it more fun, keep your products in something interactive or cool, like a rotating tray or something you’ve decorated, so you get a little buzz each time you use it.
6. Put Things in Pairs
Try combining your skincare routine or a specific part of it with another action so it feels like you’re doing less to accomplish more. For example, when you brush your teeth, you could also wash your face, starting your skincare routine. You could also use a light therapy mask when you’re listening to a podcast or winding down with music.
Keeping products on a bedside table (as mentioned in the last tip) pairs applying them with going to bed, making skincare part of your nighttime ritual. Combining your skincare routine with a part of the day you enjoy or look forward to can also help ease you into the habit.
7. Have a Backup Routine
Cut yourself some slack — it’s okay if you skip your skincare routine once in a while. For days when you just don’t feel up to it, it’s good to have an easier backup routine on hand. If you’re really not feeling it, you can just cleanse and moisturize (and apply SPF in the AM).
If you have two products that go well together, you can try a “skincare smoothie.” While dermatologists don’t recommend it as a first choice, combining products can work in a pinch. However, make sure to research if the products can be mixed. Vitamin C/Niacinamide and Retinol/Vitamin C shouldn’t be paired together, for example.
8. Keep Face Wipes on Standby
For the most basic option that still packs major benefits, keep a pack of face wipes on hand. You can have them near your sink or mirror, by the bed, or in your bag. They’re great for fast makeup removal or a quick skin cleanse, so even on days when you missed your full routine, you can still do something to care for yourself.
3 ADHD-Friendly Skincare Routines to Follow
Now that we’ve gone over some tips, let’s put them into practice. Here are three ADHD-friendly skincare routines you can try for yourself.
The Sweet & Simple
You don’t need a complicated multi-step skincare routine or expensive products to have beautiful skin. The basics are enough to keep your skin healthy and actually offer most of the benefits of more complex routines.
This routine includes only three products that cover all the important bases of good skin: cleansing, moisturizing, and sun protection.
Products:
- Cleanser
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen
Steps:
- Wet your face with lukewarm water and then apply a small amount of cleanser. Gently massage it into your skin.
- Rinse and pat your skin dry with a soft towel.
- Apply your moisturizer, distributing it evenly, and let it absorb into your skin.
- Morning only: Apply an SPF product (at least 30+) like sunscreen to your face, neck, and any other exposed areas.
This simple routine is designed to help you ease into the habit of daily skincare. It can be done morning or night. At night it’s even simpler, since you’re only dealing with two products.
The Timed Reward
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes ADHD, but the neurotransmitter dopamine, a chemical that causes feelings of pleasure and reward, might be a contributing factor.
This routine uses the same products as the sweet & simple, but it ties your skincare to a part of the day you like, or another kind of treat. It works wonders in keeping people motivated!
Products:
- The essentials: cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen
- Any other special products you need for your skin for specific skin conditions
- A reward or treat for completing the routine
Steps:
- Before you start, prepare a reward or treat for yourself. For example, make your morning coffee or an herbal bedtime tea.
- Set your reward aside to act as a timer. For example, if you have a hot drink, leave it to cool. If you have a cool drink, put it in the freezer. Alternatively, set a timer on your phone.
- Begin your routine. Cleanse and moisturize.
- Apply any additional products, such as sunscreen in the morning or any special creams to treat conditions like acne or rosacea in the evening,
- Once you complete your routine (5 to 15 minutes later), you can have your reward.
This routine keeps you focused and on task. Not only do you get a hit of dopamine at the end in the form of your treat, but your reward is also tied to a timer (like the temperature of your drink), so you need to complete the routine in one go to make the most of the reward. As you build up consistency, you can try incorporating more products or steps.
The Mindful Moment
Mindfulness techniques like meditation may help with ADHD symptoms, helping you control your attention and find focus. You can incorporate these practices into your skincare routine by focusing on products that feel and smell good, or using skincare masks.
Products:
- Any products that you really enjoy the smell of, such as your favorite brand or natural fruit scent
- Any products where you can feel the texture when you apply them or exfoliating wipes or gloves that you can see working
- Face masks
Steps:
- When you apply your skincare products, focus on the smells and how they make you feel for a little hit of dopamine that you can look forward to.
- Try replacing lotions with a product with more natural texture, like coconut oil, giving you a feeling to focus on as you apply it.
- Use an exfoliating wipe or a glove in the shower. Simply rub it over your skin and body, and as it exfoliates, you can see the dead skin flaking off. It may feel motivating to see it working.
- If you meditate, try wearing a face mask during meditation. This gives you a moment of relaxation that’s paired with something that benefits your skin.
This routine helps overcome some of the obstacles of ADHD while also offering new ways to reward yourself and stay motivated. If you have a tendency to pick your skin, using a face mask and practicing mindfulness can also help you kick the habit.
Build Realistic Skincare Habits
ADHD can make getting through the day challenging, let alone staying on top of your skincare routine. Our ADHD-friendly routines and hacks can help you conquer the challenges of ADHD and give you the healthy, beautiful skin you deserve.
Whether you want to rely on face wipes or take your routine up a notch with a light therapy mask, the choice is yours. So don’t give up — you’ve got this!
