Jen Quinn is the founder of Dew Lily, a brand new Charlotte-based skincare brand for kids. A mom of two girls, she noticed the growing “Sephora kids” trend.
- Jen launched Dew Lily as a gentler age-appropriate alternative earlier this month.
- The products are simple, with an emphasis on habit-building and positive self-care.
Here’s how a skincare and wellness-loving founder starts her day!
What time do you wake up? Alarm or no alarm?
I’m usually up around 6:45 a.m. My husband is naturally an early riser, so our house is moving well before then, but around 7 am is when I really get going and we start the day with the girls.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
On school days, we move pretty quickly in the morning. Once I’m up, I quickly get ready, take a quick look at what the day has in store for us, and start getting the girls ready to get out the door for school.
- I like starting the day by making sure everyone is in a good place mentally, organized, and on track to have a great day.
How soon after waking up do you look at your phone?
Usually first thing. I tend to do a fast check of emails and messages before I get out of bed so I know if anything urgent came in overnight, then I move into the morning routine.
What do you eat for breakfast?
My mornings are pretty structured. I always start with either a green juice or alkaline powdered water while the girls are having breakfast. After school drop-off, I have my coffee, and I’ve found waiting for coffee until I’ve had one of those drinks makes a huge difference.
- Before a workout, I try to have protein and some fruit, and post-workout I almost always grab a smoothie!
Is movement part of your morning routine? If so, what’s your exercise routine?
Movement is a big part of my morning. I either take the dog for a long walk or go to a group fitness class at The Health Club.
- I usually do two to three classes a week because I love the structure and accountability of having it on the calendar. I really treat it as an appointment time that I cannot miss!
Talk to me about morning skincare! Where does that fit in & what’s your current product lineup?
My morning skincare routine is pretty simple, which makes for a nice contrast to my more detailed nighttime routine.
- My girls and I start with a misting of Dew Lily Coolcloud – we love how it instantly wakes us up and gives a boost of hydration. I follow that with Augustine Bader Rich Cream and Barefaced SPF, but I’ll say this, gua-sha has become a morning and night staple I can’t live without!
- As far as the girls, we really focus on skincare never being a chore for them. Some mornings they want to do their full Dew Lily routine, and other mornings, it is just a quick mist of Coolcloud and some SPF before they head out.
- I let them lead the way, knowing that whenever they’re in the mood, they have safe and gentle products on their sink waiting for them!
What are your non-negotiables for a good morning?
Family breakfast is a non-negotiable for us. We all gather around the kitchen island before school. Just having that time together and conversation before the day starts is very important in our family.
- We love music in the car on the way to school (the girls always say “it’s time for some pump-up music”) and it’s typically getting blasted regardless of it being a current hit or a Disney song. It’s pretty impossible to be in a bad mood with everyone singing along to music in the morning!
How would you rate your morning routine overall (1-10)?
I’d say 7 out of 10. It works well for our family and creates a really happy start to the day, which matters most to me.
- Ideally, it would be nice to give myself a little more time in the morning before the girls have to get going to create more time for prayer, self-reflection and overall gratitude each day.
