disclaimer: i am no professional. i am just passionate about taking care of my skin and finding the products that it reacts to best.
growing up, i didn’t really value skincare, nor did i have any reason to be overly concerned with my skin. i was blessed with non acne prone skin and i didn’t really suffer from anything but some hormone related acne and also have limited scarring or discoloration from it.
do you remember when you were younger and these products were what there was to choose from for skincare?! (i was a teen in the 90’s and these were what i remember using)
i look at these products now and the first things that come to mind are…..chemicals, super drying, more chemicals, gross smells, no hydration, ect.
my skincare routine has evolved a lot from when i was younger and the thing that i value most now is: natural (or as natural as possible) you’ll notice that most of the products that i use are between 90%-100% natural.
cleansers:
i alternate between a couple different cleansers depending on the season or depending on if my skin is having a particular issue.
- my “ride or die” cleanser is one that i make homemade and i would say that i use this 75% of the time.
recipe: 1/3 cup Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castille Liquid Unscented Soap, 2/3 cup Distilled Water, 1 TBSP NOW Organic Jojoba Oil, 5 drops of Young Living Lavender essential oil, 7 drops of Young Living Melaleuca essential oil. this is all combined into a soap pump container and i use 2 pumps, twice daily.
2. the cleanser that i use when i need extra hydration on my skin is the fresh Soy Face Cleanser
3. when my skin needs more vibrancy or brightening, i use the Andalou Naturals Cleansing Gel Citrus Kombucha
4. if i am having hormonal related acne or blemishes, i always always always use the SheaMoisture African Black Soap Bar
*this is not drying at all, smells fantastic and WORKS amazing!*
sponges or makeup wipes:
i wash my face twice daily with the Konjac Tumeric Sponge
*i dispose of these every 3 months*
if i am in a hurry, traveling or just feeling particularly lazy, i will use Pacifica Cactus Water Makeup Removing Wipes
(i really enjoy these because they are made with cactus water as the primary ingredient instead of various different chemicals)
moisturizers:
1. my absolute FAVORITE moisturizer is the Young Living Sandalwood Moisture Cream
*this moisturizer is pricey, but worth every penny. i love this as a morning moisturizer because it isn’t greasy or thick and soaks into skin quickly for makeup application*
i also love to mix 1-2 drops (every other day) of Young Living Frankincense Essential Oil into the moisturizer before i apply. Frankincense is a powerful astringent, meaning it helps protect skin cells. it can be used to help reduce acne blemishes, the appearance of large pores, prevent wrinkles, and it even helps lift and tighten skin to naturally slow signs of aging.
2. my favorite night time moisturizer is the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Light
*i have afternoon oily skin and for a long time i didn’t use oil on oily skin, but that is a total misconception. using the RIGHT oil on oily skin can help to reverse oily skin. i still use this only at night because it doesn’t absorb as fast for morning makeup wear and it hydrates my skin all night while i sleep.*
toners
my toner is one that i make myself.
recipe: equal parts Rose Water and Witch Hazel (about 1/4 cup of each), then 8 drops of Lavender essential oil, 5 drops of Purification essential oil, Frankincense essential oil, and Melaleuca essential oil all into a glass spray bottle
face masks / sheet masks
these are my FAVORITE part about skincare, i love relaxing in the evening while taking care of my skin!
- the mask that i use literally almost daily is the fresh Rose Face Mask
*this mask is to. die. for. it does everything that i claims and smells like heaven is being applied to your face.*
2. my other mask that i tend to reach for more than others is the fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask
*this has literal pieces of citrus fruit in the mask. it will leave your skin feeling hydrated, but just wait till the morning after use…it will be toned and vibrant as well. sticker shock for all fresh brand products can be a turnoff, but i can tell you that there are TONS of uses from each pot and it is well worth each and every penny.*
3. a mask that i recently started using and it has quickly become my new ride or die product is the Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Bubble Clay Mask
*this product is from Korea and kind of defies all my “natural skincare ONLY” desires. i found this from a YouTube channel that i watch and was hooked when i heard the $10 price tag. this mask LITERALLY bubbles up off your face (go to the link that i shared above and scroll down to the customer images to see what i am talking about) it carbonates while on your face and i promise that if you try this, you will not be disappointed! not only does it leave my skin feeling like a newborn baby’s butt, but it is comical to wear and watch.*
4. if you haven’t tried any products from Lush, you need to. my favorite face mask is the Lush Mask of Magnaminty
*this is an exfoliating mask with a minty/tingly feeling while on. all of Lush products are 100% natural, which is great, but the only downside is that because they are all natural, they have a shelf life that is quicker than most other products. this is made with kaolin clay which rids pores of gunk, there is also aduki beans that naturally exfoliate the skin.*
5. the Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Rosewater Mask is one that i use after a mask like the two that i talked about above or any other mask that could be drying or exfoliating. this mask will add any and all missing moisture back into your skin and it smells like you’re living in a rose garden
.
6. the last face masks that i use are a variety of Korean sheet masks.
Dermal Korea Collagen Essence Facial Mask
Dermal Korea Collagen Essence Facial Mask
TONYMOLY I’m Real Mask Sheet Pack
*i love all of these packs of sheet masks. i particularly like the TONYMOLY ones as they are some you can purchase in stores like Ulta, but purchasing on Amazon in a variety pack is much much cheaper. i enjoy doing one of these sheet masks after i use the masks above to just pack in a little extra punch on my face.*
some might say that i am obsessed with my skin, which might not be too far off, but we only get one set of skin from birth to death. i want to take care of it now so when i am older i won’t be trying to reverse my younger years 🙂
the weight is over 