The Self-Care Routine That Beauty Guru April Lockhart Swears by to Feel Rejuvenated

The clean beauty enthusiast shares what helps her drift off to sleep.

Welcome to Bedtime Stories, an interview series where we ask inspiring individuals to share their nighttime routine and sleep secrets – from the beauty products they can’t live without to the tricks they swear by when they’re too tired to function (no coffee needed). For this instalment, clean beauty enthusiast and fashion content creator April Lockhart, reveals the nighttime routine that helps her get a rejuvenating night’s sleep every night, along with the morning routine that keeps her feeling fresh and energised throughout the day.

Nashville-based fashion content creator and clean beauty enthusiast April Lockhart is not your average influencer. With follower counts growing exponentially on both her Instagram and TikTok accounts, April has an extensive background in marketing while also being an advocate and spokesperson for people living with disabilities.

Everyday is a busy one for April, being a multi-faceted content creator means early mornings, late nights, and a lot going on in-between, so a decent night's sleep every night is imperative to how April functions.

Luckily for April, falling asleep is usually an easy task, but on those nights where she struggles to nod off, there are a few tips and products she swears by to help her get into her dream state. Along with her peaceful evening routine, April has shared with us her refreshing morning routine that sets her up for a day of productivity and content creation.

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What does a typical nighttime routine look like for you after a busy day of work?

Nighttime is my favourite. I love to cook and catch up on TV – I just finished Daisy Jones & the Six and am still recovering. Typically, I have a little something sweet before I head up to do my skincare routine. Over the last few years, I’ve worked in clean beauty, so that’s really all I use – but I still keep it really simple. I cleanse, tone, rotate between a few serums (loving the Augustinus Bader retinol serum currently), and moisturise. Then I hop into bed pretty early, like 9PM and finish watching TV (I know… it’s bad). And then I drift off pretty shortly after.

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What is your solution for those nights you simply can’t nod off to sleep?

That’s a pretty rare occasion for me (thankfully). I’m usually pretty exhausted once I’m finally ready to sleep around 10:30/11pm. However, I love my Nod Pod weighted sleep mask and my Hatch Restore alarm clock. They’ve been game changing.

What sleep or beauty products do you swear by that you won’t go a night without?

Aside from the other ones mentioned – I love the OSEA pillow spray, it’s so soothing.

What are your bedside table essentials?

My Stanley, filled with water, my Hatch alarm clock, Malin + Goetz moisturising lip balm, and a book.

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What time does your alarm go off in the morning? Can you walk us through your morning routine?

Weekdays, 7am, but I linger in bed at least a half hour – wake up, cleanse my face with just cold water and then layer on a serum, moisturiser, and SPF. I’ve been really into making my own iced lattes with the Blue Bottle Instant Espresso and they’re so good. I’ll do maybe 1-2 workouts a week, but I’m pretty irregular with it, which I think is important to normalise. It can be tough working a corporate job and also being expected to workout, maintain a healthy diet, see friends, create content, etc. Giving myself grace is important, but I do definitely feel better when I’m moving, so lately I’ve been doing personal training sessions here and there to keep me accountable. I typically jump into emails around 9AM, and voilà!

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Do you have any tips for those mornings when it’s extra difficult to get out of bed?

Honestly, changing your alarm sound to something other than the awful iPhone presets has been game changing. I have chirping birds as my alarm and it sounds so silly, but it starts the day on such a peaceful, refreshing note.

What do you do to look/feel refreshed after not having the best sleep?

Lots of hydration – moisturise a ton, and get some water and coffee in my system. And then the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 gives me the best glow.

What does self care mean to you, and how do you practise it?

Carving out rest for myself, even if it means saying no to things I really want to do.