A natural skincare regimen, free from irritating and toxic chemicals will reveal a glowing, radiant; “juicy” look to your skin. These are the step-by-step instructions for the regimen that I suggest using natural, plant-based botanical products to cultivate beautiful skin and hair.
Step 1:
Remove makeup or product build up if any with Witch Hazel. Soak a large, oval cotton pad with alcohol-free Witch Hazel hydrosol water and gently wipe across face in an upward motion while avoiding the eyes. Eye makeup should be removed with a natural plant oil such as Camellia or Jojoba and a cotton pad.
Step 2:
Cleanse face with a gentle non-foaming natural cream cleanser. Massage face gently and in an upward motion. I never put a towel to my face, I only let it air dry. That way my moisture barrier is always perfectly intact.
Step 3:
Apply undiluted Rosewater by soaking a large, oval cotton pad and gently wiping face in an upward motion, or misting onto face with a spray bottle carefully avoiding eyes. When I spray rosewater on my face I close my eyes, spray my face liberally and then blot my eyelids with a tissue before opening them.
Step 3.5:
Apply serums if they are a part of your routine. Eye serums are best applied with the ring finger, and a serum that you are trying to put a very thin, even amount of onto your entire face is best applied to the cotton pad soaked with rosewater after applying the rosewater. A few drops of serum applied to the pad, and then wiped across your face will deliver a very thin, but consistent layer.
Step 4:
Apply moisturizing oil to face. I like to apply a rich, healing moisturizing oil to my face by dispensing half a dropper full into the palm of my non-dominant hand and then using the ring-finger of my dominant hand applying the entire amount on my face in an even matrix of small dots. When I then massage my face with both of my hands the moisturizing oil is very evenly distributed. I give my face a gentle massage in an upward motion for a minute or two and when I massage the delicate skin around my eyes I only use my ring fingers. This is because they are they are the weakest fingers and least likely to pull and tug at the most delicate skin on the body. For PM application, this will be your last step.
Step 5:
For AM application.
Let moisturizing oil absorb into face for about 10 minutes. Apply sunscreen, bb cream, liquid foundation, whatever your morning routine consists of. Use less oil in the morning to allow product applied afterwards to absorb. In general, less oil will be needed in humid weather and more in dry weather.
Hopefully as you continue in your natural skincare journey and live a healthier lifestyle you won’t require foundation to cover up your skin, and your bare skin with just sunscreen on it will look even nicer than a full face of high definition makeup. Make sure to apply an adequate amount of spf protection every morning, and not rely on a negligible amount in for example a powder foundation to protect you. Men need to wear sunscreen just as much as women do. UV photo-damage does not discriminate between men and women.
Body:
Since our skin is the largest organ in our body, it’s critical to take care of it properly. The best daily treatment for the skin by far is to apply a nourishing plant oil to wet skin. Do not towel dry your skin before applying a moisturizing oil. Your skin’s moisture barrier is open when it is wet so take advantage of this to moisturize deeply into the skin and allow the skin to retain this moisture. Massage your wet skin with oil and allow to air dry as much as time allows. You will immediately see the difference in both the softness and the appearance of your skin vs towel drying and then applying a cream moisturizer.
If your towels become saturated with oil over time, set the washing machine to soak for 1 hour, add a cup of white vinegar to the wash and if it’s really bad also add a cup of vodka. It’s very important to remove all of the oil from your towels because they will not absorb water if they get gummed up with oil, but even more importantly the oil can spontaneously combust inside the dryer and start a fire.
Do not use fabric softener on your clothing, bedding, or towels, the artificial fragrances are extremely toxic and cause sensitivity and allergies in many people. Also it is harmful to pets and can coat the moisture sensor on a dryer causing it not to function. White vinegar will perform the exact same fabric softening function.
Weekly:
I suggest using a Volcanic Bentonite Clay mask once a week to maintain firmness and keep fine lines at bay. As well as having an anti-aging benefit, this clay mask will treat breakouts, blackheads, ingrown hairs, and unclog pores. It is just as effective on the body as on the face and great for tightening skin. Sometimes if I think my skin has a dull texture to it, I will do a bentonite clay mask to give a light peel to the top layer of skin cells. It’s important not to use masks more than once a week; they are a strong treatment that will irritate the skin if used more often.
The main point behind this regimen is to stop stripping the skin’s moisture barrier and not to use irritating or unhealthy products.
When your skin isn’t irritated and retaining the moisture it needs the appearance improves tremendously. For reasons of vanity alone I think that it is worth the effort to transition to natural skincare, but then when you factor in the positive effects to your health to keep unhealthy chemicals that can be carcinogenic, irritating, or endocrine-disrupting off of the largest organ of your body, the case for taking a small amount of time to swap out the outdated, ineffective, and sometimes outright harmful cosmetics that sit in most people’s bathroom cabinets is clear.
Read more about lifestyle factors and the dramatic effect they have on your appearance: Lifestyle Factors and Your Appearance.
Explore the products mentioned in this article and learn about how your skin can be transformed with botanical, plant based anti-aging products:
Desert Fountain of Youth Botanical Anti-Aging Moisturizing Oils