If you’re like most people, once you’ve finished your daytime duties, made dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, put the children (or pets) to bed, and turned on your best TV show, yadda yadda yadda, the idea of washing your face feels insurmountable. Especially if you’ve already poured your first glass of wine. But stop. I’m here to tell you with complete honesty: washing your face doesn’t have to be that hard and easy to add to your daily skincare routine.

Think of it like you think of the gym: if you pay a trainer to work you out every four weeks but you don’t exercise or eat right the rest of the month, you’re just not going to see results—no matter how fancy and reputable the trainer is. Your skin is a similar effort: your esthetician can be the best in North America but your skin won’t improve if you aren’t willing to do a little work at home.

Lucky for you, a daily face washing routine is a lot easier to add to your schedule than going to the gym. In fact, here’s how easy it is:

• Pump cleanser in left hand.
• Get right hand wet.
• Rub fingers together then do small to large circles all over face for one to two minutes.
• Rinse with warm water.

Sure, okay, it can be more complicated than that and there can be additional steps, but you get the idea.

Here’s what’s most important: Find a cleanser, skin-appropriate toner, serum, and moisturizer you can use both morning and night for your skincare routine. That way you don’t have to think about what you are using morning versus evening and your routine won’t vary. Let your esthetician know what you are looking for when it comes to your commitment to great skin and she or he will recommend products and a routine you can manage and fits the budget of both your calendar as well as your wallet.

Review these simple dos and don’ts for easy tips that make a big difference in your skincare routine.

Dos:

• Double wash at night if you wear a lot of foundation or have very oily skin.
• Put your cleanser in the shower if you can’t be trusted to wash it at the sink (I know, water on the counter is messy).
• Use professional, active cleanser—especially if you only wash once a day. It’s amazing what a good cleanser can do for the face.

Don’ts:

• Use scalding hot water or icy, cold water.
• Continually rinse your face with water while washing (let the cleanser do the work)
• Wash less than once a day.

Easy! Now for the results. A lot of people ask, “How long will the results last?” The answer is simple: “As long as you keep up on your routine at home and get regular professional treatments every four to six weeks.” Again, it’s like gym. Unfortunately, we don’t see results after one difficult, intense workout. I wish we did. We’ve got to stick to the new routine for a few weeks before we start to see changes in our body. With your skin, a similar level of commitment is needed, but once you start seeing results, you’ll be amazed with the positive changes!

Listen, life is hard, that’s a fact. The good news is, washing your face doesn’t have to be. Let me know how I can help you create a skincare routine you can manage so at least you’ll look amazing while navigating the (actually) difficult parts of your day.