One of the best things you can do for your skin is to establish a consistent skincare routine. Find out why this matters, and how to do it with just a few simple steps!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Organic Doctor® in coordination with the Mom It Forward Influencer Network. All opinions are my own.
You never really need an excuse to start up a good habit, but with the New Year here many of us are feeling extra inspired to do just that. One really easy change that you can make in the coming year is resolving to create and stick to a new skincare routine. Starting a skin care routine is as simple as picking out a few everyday beauty essentials, then making the time to use them on a daily basis. Here’s what you’ll need.
Daily Products for Your Skin Care Routine
Cleanser: Pick a simple, non-abrasive cleanser based on your typical skin type. Some of my favorites are oil cleansers, charcoal facial soaps, washing grains, and foaming cleansers like Organic Doctor® Tea Tree Face Wash.
Toner: Toners are great for balancing oil and ph. Try making your own handmade toner, or using something simple like rose water or witch hazel.
Moisturizers (Day and Night): No matter what your skin type is, you will need to keep your skin moisturized with the help of daily creams or facial oil serums. For daytime use, pick something with an SPF to help protect your skin from the sun. For nighttime use, look for something with plenty of restorative and conditioning properties. Lately, I’ve been loving this Rose Otto Facial Serum from Organic Doctor®.
Occasional Products for Your Skin Care Routine
Exfoliator: Every now and then you’ll need to use something to help your skin shrug off the dead skin cells that build up over time. Some people only need to exfoliate once a month or so, while others can benefit from a weekly exfoliation. My favorite exfoliating products use gentle natural chemicals, like lactic acid or alpha hydroxy to remove dead skin. Check out this post from Hello Glow to see some good examples of AHA masks and this 3-Ingredient Mask from The Every Girl for a good recipe using lactic acid.
Facial scrubs are another way to go – though they are a bit aggressive for my sensitive skin. Whatever you choose, make sure that it is gentle. You are better off using gentle exfoliation more often than using something harsh sparingly.
Masks: Masks are great for targeting and troubleshooting specific skin issues. If you have trouble with oily skin or blocked pores, try using a clay facial mask on a weekly or monthly basis. Other masks are great for everything from exfoliation to moisturizing or tightening pores. I have a ton of really wonderful recipes over on The Natural Beauty Workshop.
Why Start a Skin Care Routine
Consistency is key: One of the very best things you can do for your skin is to take care of it every single day. This actually makes a bigger difference in most cases than which product you use or how much you spent on it. A daily skin care routine helps your skin cope with life’s ever-changing challenges and demands. It also ensures that your skin is getting at least the bare minimum support it needs to remain healthy and happy. Whatever routine you choose, stick to it!
Establish self-care habits: Time spent caring for yourself and making your own well-being a priority is time well spent. It can be tough to make time for yourself – especially if your life is busy or hectic. But getting into the habit of investing time in your own care can make a huge difference, not only for your skin but for your whole life! Life’s demands, no matter how intense, can afford to spare ten to fifteen minutes every day so that you can focus on a skincare routine. Remember, it’s OK to make yourself a priority.
Find what works for YOU: While sticking to a skin care routine is the most important step to healthy skin, finding products that work well for your skin comes in as a close second, and these two things actually go hand in hand. In order to find out if an ingredient or a product is right for you, you’ll need to use it consistently for a little while. I usually try out a product for at least two weeks before deciding whether or not I like it.
How about finding a product in the first place? While shopping for skin care products or researching new ingredients or recipes, I like to consider the following things.
- Look for products that contain whole ingredients or bio-active ingredients. This means the product contains plant or mineral based ingredients with great benefits for the skin. Look for an abundance of ingredients like nutritive vegetable oils, plant extracts, essential oils, and vegetable butters.
- Look for products that suit your skin type or that target your skin’s specific issues. Many products indicate whether they are beneficial for dry, sensitive, oily, acne-prone, or mature skin types. Other keywords to look for are action words, like moisturizing, soothing, balancing, or clarifying.
- Look for trusted brands or recipe resources. If you are shopping for finished products, scope out the product and company’s reviews. Do some googling to see if any bloggers have shared their opinions. A little research goes a long way – especially when making an investment in buying new products for your skincare routine. For recipes and DIY’s, check out the blog post’s comments for clues on how the recipe went for others. You can also tell a lot about a blogger’s credibility and expertise by reading their bio or about page, seeing how long the blog has been up and running, and taking a close look at the quality of their work.
This post was sponsored by the folks at Organic Doctor®. Organic Doctor is an award-winning beauty brand most well known in the UK. Recently, their products became available here in the United States. You can now find Organic Doctor products at CVS and on Amazon.
I’ve been using the products they sent me for several months now and have genuinely enjoyed them. My husband loves their Tea Tree Face Wash and I have become surprisingly fond of their Organic Snail Gel. And yes, it really does come from snails! The tiny creatures are not harmed though. From what I understand they crawl along a special kind of grate and their natural secretion is collected in a tray below. The idea is that the secretion snails use to build and hydrate their shells will do the same thing for my face. So far, so good!
In addition to Organic Doctor’s line of Organic Snail Gel products, they also carry seven other collections that focus on different bio-active ingredients. These collections include Organic Rose Otto, Organic Virgin Coconut, and Organic Tea Tree, among others. Check out their whole product line at OrganicDoctor.com, shop at your local CVS or on Amazon.com, and let me know which of their products you liked the best!
This has been a sponsored conversation with Organic Doctor® in coordination with the Mom It Forward Influencer Network. All opinions are my own.
