3 Supercharged Serums Every Mom Needs In Their Skincare Routine — All Under $15

I might have the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else, but time moves differently ever since I became a mom. Now, rather than following the path of sun, my days are dictated by my toddler — I pick her up at daycare, I help her build castles, I spend an hour picking rice out of a high chair — and everything else in my life, including my skincare routine, gets crammed in between. (I’m not mad about it. She’s cute!)

What that means, though, is that every single product in my routine has to be as efficient as my morning 5K and my dinnertime routine. (My secret to success is that I let my daughter pull everything out of my kitchen cabinets and try not to trip.) And that’s where e.l.f. SKIN has the competition beat. They have a lineup of three active-packed serums that work overtime to improve my skin’s tone and texture, leaving it dewy and radiant, even on nights when sleep is scarce. Even better? They won’t break your budget. Here’s exactly how I use them in my routine.

For Brightening In A Bottle

After I hop out of the shower in the morning, I massage these drops into my skin. The Thirst Burst Drops pair a combination of 1% hibiscus complex, which hydrates and visibly plumps skin, and 5% niacinamide. Niacinamide, for the uninitiated, is known to help visibly brighten uneven skin tone, so it’s a can’t-miss for my acne- and hyperpigmentation-prone skin. Plus, it also contains hyaluronic acid for an extra pop of hydration — leaving my skin juicy and radiant, but never feeling heavy or greasy. It’s my one-and-done before I slather on a moisturizer with SPF and head out.

For Skin That Looks Plump

While I have combination skin, my dry areas — namely, those everywhere besides my T-zone — turn into the Sahara in the winter. That's when I sub in the Triple Bounce Serum for the Thirst Burst in my morning routine. The 1.7% hyaluronic acid within it has three molecular weights, which can help to maintain hydration and plump the look of skin. Plus, it’s infused with other skin-loving ingredients like squalane, vitamin B5, and that much-needed niacinamide. Bonus: It’s nourishing enough to double as my moisturizer in the summer months.

To Visibly Improve The Look Of Skin Tone & Texture

Somehow, at the ripe old age of 35, I'm still dealing with breakouts. That's why as soon as I put my baby down to bed, I wash my face and reach for this non-comedogenic serum. It's powered by an 8.5% Triple Acid Complex made up of salicylic acid, polyhydroxy acid (or PHA, a gentler cousin to alpha hydroxy acid), and tranexamic acid, which helps resurface skin to visibly improve the look of skin tone and texture. That combo might sound intensive (I call it effective), but the 10% niacinamide works double-duty to help absorb excess oil and reduce the appearance of pore size. A skin-care product that works while I sleep? It’s the stuff of my mom dreams.