Problem skin? Build a better skincare routine in 4 easy steps
Unpopular opinion: Your skincare routine doesn’t have to be complicated. Or expensive.
Contrary to what the beauty industry wants you to believe, it doesn’t take a lot of products or money to keep your face healthy and happy. And it doesn’t require anything that’s not found in nature. If you’re one of those people with drawers and medicine cabinets full of gels and creams, sorry!
I get asked a lot about what products to use for the face and I get it. Every other day there’s a new product, trend, regimen, tutorial video, or meme that makes you question whether you’re doing the right things for your face. My advice is always two things:
- Start by identifying the type of skin you have. Is it dry? Oily? Both? Knowing this will determine the types of products you should use.
- Keep it simple! Your routine is sure to not work if it’s something you can’t stick to. Sure, a spa treatment every now and then is nice to treat yourself. But really, there are only 4 things you should be doing daily and throughout the week to keep your face clean and blemish-free.
Choose a cleanser
Step one is cleansing the skin. No brainer there, but it’s important that you’re washing your face every night and day. Our faces are exposed to all kinds of dirt and grime throughout the day, which is made worse if you have oily skin already. Cleaning your face twice a day is a great way to prevent that exposure from settling into your pores and causing breakouts.
The reason I advise everyone to first know what type of skin you have before you settle on a skin routine is that everyone’s skin is different some people whose skin can't handle being washed with soap every day. That’s usually the case for people with dry or sensitive skin. You can use a cleansing oil or gel instead, but still, wash your face twice a day.
Choose an exfoliant
I highly recommend exfoliating in your skincare regimen because it removes dead skin cells, which can cause breakouts, and increases the blood flow under our skin to rejuvenate our skin tone. I recommend you exfoliate every other day.
Exfoliation is also tricky because the skin on our face is more sensitive than on the rest of our body. The layer of skin on our faces is thinner than anywhere else so using coarse exfoliants often can tear the skin and do more harm than good. I recommend gentle exfoliants like oatmeal, cornmeal, or fine brown sugar. Either can be mixed with filtered water and simply rub it on your face like you would any other scrub. Fun fact: oatmeal is also a natural cleanser that contains soap components, so it lathers!
Choose a skin toner
After you wash and exfoliate, if it’s that day for you, next is to use a toner to balance your skin’s pH, tighten your pores, and remove any traces of dirt your soap may have missed. Witch hazel and rose water are great toners to use.
Choose a moisturizer
I always recommend using a light moisturizer like a plant-based oil. The point in choosing something light is to not clog the pores after you’ve cleaned them with your soap, exfoliant, and toner. I don’t recommend butters on the face because butters are thicker than oils and more likely to clog your pores. Look for non-comedogenic oils, which is a big word that means it doesn’t clog the pores. Oils like sunflower, olive, and jojoba oil fall into this category. They also resemble sebum, which is the oil our skin produces naturally, so it’s not too dry or too oily.
Herb’N Eden’s natural products for your skincare routine
Handmade soaps
Unscented soaps are an easy pick when it comes to being apprehensive about what to use on your face. I recommend using our oatmeal and honey soap because as I explained earlier, oatmeal is a natural cleanser and exfoliant. Our grapefruit and Himalayan pink salt soap also has bentonite clay which is moisturizing and detoxing. The Himalayan pink salt is also moisturizing and purifying and gives your skin a deep cleanse. I also suggest our tea tree and Tumeric soap and activated charcoal soap. Those are our top-selling soaps that I recommend for their powerful detoxing properties. The activated charcoal soap is also made with peppermint oil which is an astringent and tightens the pores. The tea tree and Tumeric soap is very anti-inflammatory and helps to even out the complexion. I typically recommend it to treat dark spots, red spots, acne, hyperpigmentation or oily skin.
This washcloth is made from an agave plant and has a soft side and an exfoliating side that works for the body and face.
Our toner comes in an easy-to-use spray bottle so you can easily remove traces of dirt or makeup. It balances your skin’s pH, it reduces acne, scars, and blackheads, and keeps your skin looking youthful and healthy.
We offer three different natural clays to make face masks. After washing your face, a face mask can help with oily skin, acne, and can be an exfoliant depending on which one you choose. Check out this blog post on the different benefits of clay for face masks.
I recommend this one as a daily moisturizer because we don't make it with any essential oils so it’s a very light moisturizer. Ours has sunflower, jojoba, and olive oils that lightly absorb into the skin without clogging the pores. They also give good nutrients that your skin needs to stay hydrated and moisturized. And you only need a few drops!
