Morning glory: whether you're a never-miss-a-sunrise early bird or a snooze-button-loving slow starter, establishing an a.m. beauty routine helps you look and feel your best all day

Natural Health, Feb, 2005 by Megan O'Connell

WHEN YOU WOKE UP THIS MORNING, you were given the chance to start over, wipe the slate clean, and live life on your own terms. But it's tough to acknowledge, much less appreciate, such a gift when you have to tend to kids, pets, and seven other forms of chaos, and still get to the office by 9 o'clock.

While it's impossible--or, at least impractical--to cut all ties and set up stakes on a tropical island, it's still important to approach each new day as a fresh beginning. Establishing a renewing morning ritual will help you do just that. "The key is to nurture and nourish your body every morning," declares New York City-based ayurvedic practitioner Pratima Raichur, author of Absolute Beauty. "Once that's been done, your mind is best prepared for the day ahead."

According to Ayurveda, the goal of a morning ritual is to help clear away internal and external toxins that build up in the body each day; this improves not only the way you feel but also how you look. From a Western point of view, morning ablutions are a way of establishing regularity during hectic and stressful times. Either way, they're a good thing.

We've outlined some basic steps to help you design your own morning ritual--mix and match them to create a routine that's right for you. It will soon become a gift you'll love to open each morning--one that always offers a fresh, new day.

6:30 a.m. | rise and shine

You'll feel better and look better if you wake with the sun. Still, don't be surprised if you notice puffiness, caused by the increased blood flow to your head and neck from lying flat on your back at night. "Gravity will pull fluid away from [puffy] eyes, but you have to be erect for about an hour to see the effect," says Vicki Rapaport, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and medical director of Kalologie, a Los Angeles spa and skin-care boutique.

If you need more help to de-puff, try a cream that has caffeine (to flush excess fluid) and green tea (which contains theophyllin, a stimulant that increases circulation). Replenix Cream CF ($55; skinstore.com) is made with green tea and caffeine; Murad Moisture Silk Eye Gel ($40; murad.com) contains caffeine and firming algae.

6:45 a.m. | drink 8 ounces of warm water

Water is essential to all the systems in the body, but when it comes to beauty, fluids are critical for keeping the skin smooth, hydrated, and radiant. "When you're dehydrated, wrinkles become more visible and skin looks and feels more dry," says Rapaport. "When you're properly hydrated, skin looks plump, firm, and well-moisturized."

As an added bonus, starting your day with a cup of [H.sub.2]O can kick your digestive system into high gear." To cleanse your body internally, add a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of lime juice to 8-ounces of warm water," suggests Raichur. And don't forget to keep drinking throughout the day--about eight 8-ounce glasses should be enough unless you're very active.

7:00 a.m. | get a little exercise

The best benefit of working out in the morning is that it's done and off your mind for the rest of the day. "We all have so many conflicting responsibilities, and as the day goes on, it's easier to put aside exercise in favor of deadlines and other tasks," says Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist for the online training program MyExercisePlan.com.

You don't necessarily have to go to the gym. Whether you take a walk, do yoga, or follow an exercise video, "a 20-minute morning workout is a fabulous substitute for three cups of coffee," he says. "Exercising brings more oxygen and nutrients to the skin so that it's firmer and better nourished." To boost your motivation, get a friend to join in.

7:30 a.m. | scrape your tongue

Regular tooth brushing gives you a brighter smile. But scraping the tongue is just as important for oral health. "Two-thirds of all cases of bad breath are caused by the accumulation of bacteria on the back of the tongue," says Andrew Spielman, D.M.D., a professor at the New York University College of Dentistry.

In ayurvedic medicine, these bacteria, which appear as a coating on the tongue, are known collectively as area. "Scraping your tongue first thing in the morning will remove the ama and its impurities and leave your breath fresh," says Niika Quistgard-DeVivo, a clinical ayurvedic specialist in Hunterdon County, N.J.

Toothbrushes can remove some of the halitosis-causing residue that's left on the tongue, but scrapers were found to be 30 percent more effective in a study published last year in The Journal of Periodontology. Most drugstores carry these U-shaped devices, or you can order the Breath Remedy Tongue Scraper ($4; drugstore.com). To use: Place the scraper near the back of the tongue and drag it forward. Repeat several times, rinsing the scraper under warm running water after each sweep.

7:45 a.m. give yourself a brush-up

Dry brushing is a superstimulating early morning circulation booster. "Skin is full of nerve cells, and by stimulating the skin's surface you can wake up those, cells, and in turn wake up your whole body," explains Quistgard-DeVivo.