The world we live in is an exhausting place. On top of career, family, and romantic obligations, we’re also expected to grow our social media following, keep up with politics, construct elaborate Halloween costumes, and so on and so forth. Who’s got the bandwidth to maintain the required eight hours of shuteye, while at the same time juggling everything they’re required to have going on? No one.

Which is why having someone call attention to the fact that, out of all the sleep-deprived, overworked worker bees, only you appear particularly in shambles can be especially embarrassing. To them, the message may be sincere—a note of concern on your visible inability to hold it all together—but it’s actually side-eye in the first degree.

Luckily though, hope shines through in these trying times. That is, there do exist means to quell the onslaught of well-intentioned, yet ultimately condescending, comments about the state of grogginess on your face. All you need is a little direction.

First off, make sure your face wash is an exfoliant. Cleansing your skin and getting rid of any built-up dead cells, a good scrub will do wonders to give your skin a more lively appearance, even if on the inside it feels like you’re only seconds from drifting off right back into dreamland. Don’t already have one? Try Jack Black’s Face Buff, which, along with exfoliating particles, uses menthol to perk up your visage.

Toner is the least utilized, most effective tool you’ve got. Designed to shrink your pores and rehabilitate any irritation to your skin resulting from half-asleep shaving, toner also gets rid of the extra oil that comes with not getting enough sleep.

Your eyes, in particular, serve as a dead give-away that you’re feeling sleepy. That’s because the skin on your lids is thinner than that of the cheeks and jaw, and so more easily shows the effects of sleep deprivation. Likewise, they need special attention. Whether that entails using an eye-specific cream or more hardcore options like collagen-infused overnight eye patches is your decision.

Finally, there’s the perennial issue of moisturizer. We’ve already touted its long-term benefits time and time again, so we’re not going to go into that here. But the fact of the matter is that without a quality product evening out your face’s moisture content, thing’s ain’t going to look right. Pro-tip: go with something that contains caffeine, such as Anthony’s Wake-Up Call. It’s like a cup of coffee for your skin.

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