Washing your hands can make you feel cleaner all over. Because we're constantly touching our keyboard, doorknobs and shaking other people's hands, our hands are covered in bacteria. Like a blemish, when one part of our body feels grubby, our entire body often follows suit. But unlike a blemish, you aren't left with a sore spot after you pop it; washing your hands produces immediate effects of freshness, especially when you use a product like L'Occitane Ruban D'Orange Soap with its uplifting orange scent and silky soft results.

Plus washing your hands keeps you healthy. By not spreading germs to your eyes, nose and mouth, you protect yourself from infectious diseases like the common cold, flu, gastrointestinal disorders and food-related illness like salmonella or E. coli infection.

Got 10 minutes? Splash some water on your face and use a foaming face wash like Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash. With refreshing ingredients like passion flower, chamomile, rose hip extract and milk thistle, this facial wash makes you feel revitalized. Follow with your daytime moisturizer and a few makeup basics, like concealer, blush, gloss and mascara.

For another 10-minute option, use the H2O Plus Sea Clear 10 Minute Mattifying Mud Mask. Of course, this one is best for those who work from home or in an office with a personal restroom, unless, your co-workers don't mind you wandering the halls with a mask on.

Don't want to mess with your makeup and bother with reapplying after washing your face? For an ideal alternative, try oil blotting sheets such as Boscia Fresh Blotting Linen, which absorb excess oil when pressed lightly against oily areas on the face. Because oil is often the cause of skin-related discomfort, these blotting linens are one of easiest ways to feel fresh and fabulous. Keep them at your desk or in your purse, and use them as often as necessary.

Give yourself a mini-makeover with a do-it-yourself manicure, or make an appointment with a salon nearby. For the first option, try great, handy products like Bliss Diamancel #5 Hand File and Bliss Manicure's Best Friend to give you an instant beauty boost.

In addition to preventing hangnails - and we all know that a serious hangnail can cause serious pain - manicures improve the health and texture of your skin. When you use a cream as part of your mini-mani, you even increase your blood circulation. Not bad for a five-minute procedure you can do while reading an article online or taking a coffee break.

Got a longer lunch break? Take a stroll to your fave salon for a quick manicure. It provides a much needed respite during your work day - the hand massage alone will help you relax - and your hands will look polished and pretty after your professional mini-makeover.

When your skin is dry, it's hard to concentrate on anything else, and it certainly doesn't let you feel your best. If you have sensitive skin, washing your hands even once can be rough on your skin. So what do you do? Sure, the obvious answer is to moisturize, but what moisturizer do you choose?

Shea butter contains fatty acids and vitamins that help the skin heal and protect it from the sun, and it rarely triggers allergic reactions, making it perfect for people with sensitive skin. Not to mention, it penetrates the skin easily and doesn't clog pores, so using it will only make you feel fresher and not oilier. Keep a lotion like L'Occitane Shea Butter Body Lotion by your side during the day. Apply immediately after washing your hands to seal in moisture and periodically throughout the day.

Do you spritz a little perfume or body spray on your neck and wrists every morning before you rush out the door? It helps you feel poised and glamorous, particularly because you love its woodsy, amber or floral scent. So why wouldn't you use it throughout the day to continue feeling this way? Or try using several different fragrances that complement the various moods each day brings.

Fragrance is a powerful mood enhancer. When you smell a perfume or body spray, its odor molecules stimulate the brain's limbic system, which controls our emotions, heart rate, hormone secretion and stress levels. This is why scents prompt memories and emotions.

So to make sure that you feel fresh and vital throughout the day, put on a fragrance that energizes you in the morning, such as lemon, orange, grapefruit or a citrus blend. To keep feeling clean and relaxed, choose a lavender scent. For a boost after a meeting, try pine. Vanilla and ylang-ylang are great for relieving stress.

Another fabulous option for maintaining top form all day long is Kinerase Hydrating Antioxidant Mist, especially if you're worried about offending others with a little too much fragrance. Spray it on any time to hydrate and rejuvenate your skin - it even protects against environmental pollutants.

Whether it's because your office is too hot or you were on edge during that hour-long meeting, sweat can easily ruin an otherwise self-assured day. Not to worry - simply keep a bottle of baby powder around. It not only absorbs and minimizes sweat, but baby powder also leaves behind a fresh, pure scent. Just apply it over your deodorant when you need it most and you'll feel a whole lot cleaner, instantly.

Here's a great related tip from Real Simple magazine: Before you start sweating in the first place, use baby powder to prevent stains on your clothing. Simply sprinkle some baby powder on the collar and underarms of your favorite white top and then iron it. The baby powder forms a barrier that protects sweat from seeping into your clothes.

So next time you're faced with enduring an exhausting, grimy day, just invest a few minutes in these simple solutions. Then no matter how busy you are, you'll always look and, most importantly, feel fresh and fabulous.

See also:

A No-Sweat Summer Beauty Routine

Primed and Ready: A How-To on Primer

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