In today’s age of awareness about health and well-being, the emphasis on using non-toxic products has extended beyond our diets to encompass our skincare routines as well.
Creating a non-toxic skincare routine isn’t just about achieving glowing skin, it’s also about caring for your overall health. This article will guide you through the steps of crafting your own non-toxic skincare regimen, helping you achieve radiant skin while prioritizing your well-being.
When it comes to creating a skincare routine, it's important to focus on three key components:
- Cleansing
- Toning
- Moisturizing
Once you have these basics down, you can add in other practices as desired or necessary, such as weekly masks, targeted serums for specific concerns like acne and exfoliators in either mask or scrub form.
Cleansing: The Foundation of Non-Toxic Skincare
Start your routine with a gentle, non-toxic cleanser that removes impurities.
When it comes to choosing a face cleanser, it’s important to avoid harsh options that can strip your skin of its natural oils. This can actually lead to breakouts and other issues. Instead, opt for a gentle cleanser that can effectively remove dirt, makeup and debris from your skin without causing any damage. Look for cleansers with plant-based ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile or green tea.
To get the most out of your cleanser, be sure to massage it gently onto damp skin and then use a soft, wet washcloth to rinse it off. This will help to loosen any dirt and debris, while also ensuring that your skin stays clean and healthy. And if you want to avoid any messy makeup stains on your washcloths, try using dark washcloths that won’t show any dirt or makeup residue.
Toning: Balancing Your Skin
A toner is simply a liquid that can help to calm and hydrate the skin, balance its pH and regulate oil production. To apply it, you can either spritz it on and then use your hands to press it into the skin or apply it with a cotton ball. If you’re going for a DIY option, witch hazel, rose water and chamomile are excellent options that soothe and refresh the skin.
Moisturizing: Hydrate and Protect
Non-toxic moisturizers lock in hydration and form a protective barrier against environmental stressors. When choosing a moisturizer, it’s important to find the right moisturizer for your skin type. Here are a few options to consider:
Oil
When it comes to moisturizing, using oil is a viable option. However, some people may be hesitant to use oil on their skin due to the belief that it causes breakouts. While certain oils may clog pores and lead to breakouts, it’s important to note that oils have been used for centuries to nourish the skin.
It’s crucial to choose an oil that is not high on the comedogenic scale, which rates the likelihood of an oil clogging pores and causing breakouts. Coconut oil, for example, has a high rating of 4 on the scale, meaning it’s more likely to clog facial pores.
Nonetheless, oils can provide great nourishment for the skin, so it’s important to select the right one for your skin type.
Cream
Facial creams have a thicker and richer consistency compared to lotions and typically contain more oil in their mixture than lotions. They’re often formulated to provide intense hydration and moisture to the skin. Creams are well-suited for individuals with dry skin, as well as for use during colder months when the skin requires extra protection.
Lotion
Lotions are commonly made with water and oil, which means the concentration of oil used is lower. This is why lotions are often less expensive than facial oils, since they’re diluted with water. However, this doesn’t mean that lotions have inferior quality; they’re just different.
Facial lotions usually have a lighter and more fluid consistency, making them easy to apply and quickly absorbed by the skin. They’re often preferred by people with normal to oily skin or in warm and humid climates. Facial lotions are commonly used during the day, as their lighter texture makes them suitable for applying under makeup. They can also be used as an everyday moisturizer when a lighter feel is desired.
Our Skincare Routine
It’s important to find what works well for your skin. Here’s an example of what has worked well for us.
Morning Routine
In the morning, we like to keep our skincare routine simple and efficient, taking only about 5 minutes.
- We start by rinsing our face with warm water, skipping the cleanser since we don’t feel it’s necessary (for ourselves).
- After that we pat our face dry and apply a day (light weight) moisturizer to keep our skin hydrated.
- We allow the moisturizer to absorb into our skin for a few minutes before applying any makeup.
Evening Routine
Our routine before bedtime is a bit more elaborate than our morning routine.
- We get our face wet with warm water, then cleanse our face and neck with a gentle cleanser to get rid of any dirt, makeup and debris accumulated throughout the day. We use a damp, warm washcloth to rinse off.
- We apply toner.
- After that we apply a night (extremely nutrient-rich) moisturizer on our face AND a moisturizer on our neck.
- We apply an eye cream around our eye area to prevent the appearance of dark circles, fine lines and crow’s feet (the skin around your eyes is EXTREMELY delicate).
- We usually add a serum to our routine for targeted nourishment and cell turnover (particularly for aging skin), but it’s not necessary for basic skincare.
Once Every Week or Two
- We’ll add a mask or exfoliating scrub to our routine when we have time (typically only once every week or two).
Extras
While not essential for a fundamental skincare routine, these additions can elevate your regimen.
Serums and Treatments
When incorporating serums and treatments into your skincare routine, make sure they align with your specific skin concerns. Whether you’re focusing on hydration, enhancing radiance or addressing anti-aging needs, select products abundant in vitamins, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid for noticeable and effective outcomes.
Exfoliation
Regular exfoliation helps eliminate dead skin cells, which contributes to a revitalized appearance. Choose non-toxic exfoliants infused with natural exfoliating agents like jojoba beads, fruit enzymes, ground oats or rice powder. To prevent excessive exfoliation, limit this to once or twice per week.
Masks and Oils
You can enhance your regimen by including non-toxic masks and facial oils weekly to amplify nourishment. Masks can effectively target specific issues like acne, while facial oils offer profound hydration for your skin.
Finding a Routine That's Right for You
Experimenting with different skincare options can be a great way to find what works best for your skin. Just because a product is labeled as natural or non-toxic and contains nourishing ingredients doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right fit for you.
It’s important to get to know your skin’s unique needs and preferences. When searching for non-toxic skincare products, it’s best to choose a company that’s transparent about their ingredients. Look for companies that proudly display their ingredients on their website and packaging. Avoid companies that use vague terms like “fragrance” and instead choose those that are open about exactly what goes into their products and how they’re made.
How to Check the Products You Have at Home
If you have personal care products at home and want to know what’s really in them, we recommend checking out the EWG’s Skin Deep database, as well as the THINK DIRTY app, where you can research the individual skincare products in your home. Both databases provide ratings for specific products and ingredients, as well as suggestions for less-toxic options. Aim for products rated with a B or higher.
Our Top Picks
To help you get started, we’ve personally tested quite a few different brands and homemade options over the years and have a few recommendations to share. You only need a very small amount of each product. Most of these last quite a long time (about 3-5 months or longer).
Cleansing
- Acure Cleansing Gel
- isoi Sensitive Skin Anti-Dust Cleansing Foam
- Biossance Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Cleanser (Foaming)
- Biossance Squalane + Antioxidant Makeup Removing Cleansing Oil
- From our beautiFULL skincare line: Goat’s Milk Activated Charcoal Bar – Detoxifying Facial Soap
- From our beautiFULL skincare line: Goat’s Milk Dead Sea Cleansing Bar – Skin and Facial Cleanser
Toning
Moisturizing (Choose a Lightweight/Day and Ultra Moisture/Night)
- Amazon Aware Hydrating Face Moisturizer (Day Cream; Dry to Normal Skin)
- Amazon Aware Hydrating Face Moisturizer (Oily Skin)
- MAKEPREM Safe Me (Night Cream)
- From our beautiFULL skincare line: Goat’s Milk Lotion
- Homemade DIY Silky Niacinamide Moisturizer
- Real Purity Light Moisture Facial Cream (available at Whole Foods)
- Beautycounter’s Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion AND/OR Counterman Oil-Free Face Lotion (available at Beautycounter)
Eye Cream
- BIOSSANCE Squalane and Marine Algae Eye Cream
- Honest Beauty Deep Hydration Eye Cream
- Kleem Anti Aging Eye Cream
Extras
- Scrub: DIY Oatmeal Honey Scrub (Gentle Face + Body Exfoliating Scrub)
- Mask: Alder New York Smoothing Face Mask
- Face Oil: cocokind Organic Chia Facial Oil
- Face Oil: Oceanly Face Oil Stick (for Dry Skin)
- Serum: Oceanly Phyto Age Face Serum Stick
- Serum: Oceanly Phyto Glow Face Serum Stick
- Sky Organics Organic Shea Butter (for dry patches of skin on your body)
- Facial towel and/or washcloth
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