This Clean Beauty Brand Founder Has a "Morning Magic Hour"

What's the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? A well-rounded morning routine sets the tone for the day and gets you prepped—both mentally and physically—before diving into a packed schedule filled with emails, chores, happy hours, workouts, and more. Our series Morning Person profiles those who have mastered the art of the morning routine. Tune in every Monday morning here and on our Instagram to learn exactly how the pros get it all done before the sun comes up, from their go-to breakfasts to their a.m. workouts.

Mornings can feel so rushed sometimes, and it can feel like you have no time at all to breathe. You're trying to get dressed for the day, eat a nutritious breakfast, attend to some work or personal matters, maybe you might have to help other people (or animals) get ready for the day too, pack everything you need for the day… Your morning to-do list can be a long one. And when you've had a time getting ready, it can really tire you out before the day has even started.

Might we suggest carving out some time just for yourself? It's something we've picked up from founder and CEO of Tower 28 Amy Liu's morning routine. She makes it a point to get up at least an hour before her kids so she has time to herself. While she opts for an hour, you can adapt to your own schedule. Even 15 minutes of "me" time can help you start the day with some balance.

See the rest of her morning routine below.

5 a.m.

I am not naturally a morning person, but I have trained myself out of necessity! I make a point of waking up one hour before my kids so that I am sure to get at least an hour to myself. (My husband leaves super early, so I don't even see him in the morning.) As a startup founder and mother of three, I spend my day being tugged at (putting out fires, meetings, cleaning up after my kids, etc.). By the end of the day, I am wiped out! So I wake up early, force myself to drink some water with lemon or celery juice, and make myself some coffee. (I'm addicted and okay with it.)

I reply to all the DMs on our Instagram myself, so that's usually the first thing I do. Then, I spend the rest of my morning magic hour writing in my gratitude journal and productivity journal. It's pretty straightforward. I write three things I'm grateful for and three things I want to accomplish that day. I have aspirations to meditate regularly, too, but I'd say it happens maybe 10% of the time.

That said, some days I wake up early and clean the kitchen because we were all too tired to do it before we went to bed!

6 a.m.

My kids wake up, and then I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. They are 11, 9, and 5 years old. We are working on making them more independent! But for now, I still make their breakfast and pack their lunches for school. 

7 a.m.

I get dressed and get ready. My morning skincare routine always starts with spritzing my face with SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray. Since I have sensitive skin, I only cleanse at night. SOS helps bring oxygen to the skin and purifies. I find that when I don't use it, my eczema starts to act up; it keeps my skin barrier healthy. After that, I use Mara Beauty's algae oil, which I love.

There's always a lab sample I'm testing in my routine, and lately, it's been SPF (fingers crossed, clean SPF is hard to make!). I also really like Suntegrity's 5-in-1 Tinted Moisturizer and Nars Radiant Concealer. I would really love to say I use a clean concealer, but I haven't found one that works the way I need it to yet. Next, I use Tower 28's BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm. (I like Magic Hour on my cheeks and Happy Hour on my lips.) I finish off with ShineOn Lip Jelly, usually in the shade Fear Less. I like tapping Tower 28's SuperDew over my cheeks, down the bridge of my nose, and using any excess on my cuticles!

7:30 a.m.

I always start the morning sounding pretty nice, but by the end I'm barking at the kids: "Pack your bags! Get dressed! Did you remember your homework?! Put away the dishwasher!" I spend the last 15 minutes at home trying to get them in order and clean the kitchen before I leave since I hate coming home to a messy house. I love my family, but I really wish they were all tidier! And since there are three of them, you can be sure I spend some time breaking up a fight or two.

7:45 a.m.

Time to load up the kids and drive them to school! Even though I get annoyed with them, somehow by the time I'm dropping them off, I'm yelling out the window how much I love them (and properly embarrassing them by doing so). I don't know how much longer I get to do that, but I love it. I drop them off at their respective schools, and then I'm off to work!

Next up: This Yoga App Founder Eases Into Her Mornings With Guided Stretches