Skincare 101: Everything you need to know to create the perfect skincare routine at home
Feel overwhelmed by all of those beautiful skincare products out there? Unsure which order and how often to use your products, and what your skin type needs for optimal results? No worries! We are launching our Skincare 101 series to help you create the perfect skincare regimen. At the end of this blog we share a link and password to all of the videos we have created to help you understand how to take the best care of your skin. Let’s get started with cleansing options:
Cleansers
The right cleanser makes a huge difference in the health of your skin. Here are a number of different cleanser options to consider when looking for the perfect one for your skin type:
Cleansing cream/lotion or cleansing balm - a great option for most skin types, especially dry and normal skin. Gentle enough for sensitive skin, they cleanse without stripping the skin of its own sebum production and are effective for removing makeup. Our go-to cleansing cream is Soothe Herbal Cleansing Cream from Green Envee.
Cleansing gel - perfect for more oily, acneic skin that is prone to breakouts. Gels have a bit more foaming action to gently cleanse away excess sebum and dead skin cells to promote clearing of blackheads and pimples. Our clients love Clarify Cleansing Gel from Green Envee.
Oil cleanser - this is our favorite kind of cleanser because it works for so many different skin types depending upon the formulation. Perfect for removing makeup, oil cleansing is ideal for sensitive skin that tends toward redness, dry skin that benefits from more regular hydration, or oily acneic skin that needs more oil for balance. Purify Botanic Cleansing Oil from Green Envee and Hydrating Cleansing Oil with Lavender from Qēt Botanicals are two of our favorites.
Foaming cleanser - many of today’s foaming cleansers are loaded with skin-loving ingredients that help gently cleanse the skin, remove makeup and are ideal for normal to oily skin types. Be sure to avoid foaming cleansers that contain harsh surfactants like sodium lauryl sulfate which strip the skin of its natural oil. The Foaming Cleanser from VXN is perfect for our dry Colorado climate.
How to Cleanse
Ready to get clean?
First, wash your hands before you ever touch your face
Next, dampen your skin and get started (Pro Tip - if you don’t like to splash water on your face, mist it with water from a spray bottle)
Work with your cleanser for at least 90 seconds to get your skin moving and clean. Add water as needed to keep the cleanser working effectively
If you’re wearing makeup, be sure to double-cleanse, yes, that means cleanse twice - the first cleanse removes the makeup, the second cleanse cleans your skin
Be sure to cleanse your neck and your decollete as they are part of your face
Rinse well to remove all of the cleanser (use a warm washcloth to remove cleanser if you don’t like splashing water on your face - this also helps remove makeup) and get ready to tone!
Oil Cleansing
Like dissolves like. It’s basic chemistry. This is the science behind oil cleansing. We highly recommend cleansing the skin with oil as a first cleanse to remove makeup and SPF products, then using it again as a second cleanse to remove any additional makeup, sweat, pollution or other irritants from the skin.
Does applying oil on oily skin make it break out more? The answer is “No, it does not!” ( to quote Jillian Michaels.) One of our favorite ways to help balance the oil production of the skin, especially oily, acneic skin, is to use oil for cleansing and moisturizing. When our skin is producing too much oil, it can lead to breakouts and inflammation, especially when we have small tight pores due to living in a dry climate. By applying oil, we signal to the skin that it can slow down its oil production and relax. Look for the following organic oils/blends of oils when choosing an oil cleanser for your skin:
🌱Oily acneic skin: olive oil, castor oil, jojoba oil and sunflower oils are all excellent for oily skin. Formulas that contain essential oils including lavender, helichrysum, thyme and/or geranium are also beneficial for fighting acne bacteria and protecting the skin from bruising. We recommend Balancing Cleansing Oil from Qēt Botanicals or Balance Facial Cleansing Oil from Martin George Skin.
🌱Normal skin: sunflower oil, jojoba oil, castor oil, grapeseed oil and olive oil (AKA: squalane) are all excellent for normal skin. Formulas containing essential oils including geranium, lavender, chamomile, jasmine and neroli provide antioxidant protection and help to reduce inflammation. We recommend Hydrating Cleansing Oil with Lavender from Qēt Botanicals or Purify Botanic Cleansing Oil from Green Envee.
🌱Dry/Sensitive skin: olive oil, castor oil, grapeseed oil and jojoba oil are all excellent for dry, sensitive skin. Formulas containing essential oils including rose, neroli, geranium, lavender, jasmine and/or chamomile help to reduce redness and boost the skin’s natural barrier function. We recommend Restoring Cleansing Oil with Rose from Qēt Botanicals or Renew Facial Cleansing Oil from Martin George Skin.
Happy Oil Cleansing!
Exfoliators
What’s your favorite kind of exfoliator? Scrub? Enzyme-based exfoliator? Chemical exfoliator? We recommend both kinds for different skin care needs. If you have visibly dry, flaking skin, a gentle scrub (using rice powder, Moroccan clay, or gotu kola powder, for example), also known as a mechanical exfoliator, is effective for sloughing off the flakiness to reveal fresh healthy skin below. Use Illuminate Enzyme Cleansing Powder from Green Envee twice a week for a gorgeous glow.
Chemical exfoliators use acids, such as glycolic acid, and enzymes to perform deeper exfoliation and peeling of the skin. A chemical or enzyme-based exfoliator (using papaya, pineapple or honey enzymes for example) gently digests the dead outer layer of the skin to reveal the healthy skin below. We highly recommend Rejuvenate Brightening Peel and Pumpkin Glycolic Peel 3% from Green Envee as once a week enzyme exfoliators.
Different skin conditions need different kinds of exfoliation. Exfoliation helps our skin get more benefit from the products that we use, they help to brighten the skin, and they can help clear skin with dry congested breakouts and mild acne.
How to exfoliate
How often should you exfoliate? Most skin care types benefit from exfoliation twice per week. Red, rosy inflamed skin should only be exfoliated once a week until the inflammation subsides. Mature, thinner skin benefits from exfoliation once a week as well. Don’t overdo it! Too much exfoliation disrupts the skin’s microbiome and can lead to a breakdown of the skin’s natural barrier function and can worsen skin conditions such as acne, capillary breakage and sensitivity.
Pro tips:
💫Exfoliate after you cleanse
💫Enzymes love steam! Use an enzyme exfoliator it in the shower and leave it on for 5-10 minutes to benefit from all of that steamy goodness to activate those enzymes!
💫Be sure to exfoliate your full face, and that includes your neck and decollete
💫Rinse well and get ready to tone!
Toners
Current toners are not your Sea Breeze alcohol-based toners of days past! Today’s beautifully formulated toners are filled with hydrating, brightening and soothing ingredients that help reset the pH level of your skin after cleansing. Why is this step so important? Because once the pH level of the skin is reset to slightly on the acidic side, all of the products that you apply next will work optimally to help you get the results you're working for.
Layer that toner on! Mist between applications of serum, moisturizer and SPF to help lock hydration onto the skin, especially when you live in a dry climate. Keep it chilled in the refrigerator to help cool you down on hot days, and keep a small bottle with you in your bag for a quick hydrating and refreshing misting any time you need it. Our clients love Hydrate Facial Mist and Bright Facial Mist from Green Envee, as well as Hydrating Toning Water with Lavender and Rose with Probiotics and Restoring Toning Water with Immortelle, Calendula, Lavender and Probiotics from Qēt Botanicals.
Happy Toning!
Serums
Confused about what serums do? Or are you a serum junkie? Wherever you fall on that spectrum, serums are the perfect way to treat, hydrate and protect the skin. Serums are formulated to provide a concentrated dose of key ingredients that target your skin’s specific needs and conditions. Serums treat conditions such as:
🌱Hyperpigmentation - choose a serum with Vitamin C, licorice root and/or organic helichrysum oil
🌱Dryness - choose a serum with hyaluronic acid, apricot seed oil, and/or sea buckthorn oil
🌱Acne and breakouts - choose a serum with niacinamide, willow bark, and/or radish root ferment
🌱Redness - choose a serum with organic essential oils of rose, lavender and/or chamomile
🌱Fine lines and wrinkles - choose a serum with organic essential oils of geranium, carrot seed, and/or palmarose
🌱Loss of firmness - choose a serum with collagen stimulating peptides, Vitamin C, and organic olive oil
Serum Application
What’s the best way to apply toner? Start with damp skin - mist on a hydrating, brightening or soothing toner, then press serum onto your face, neck and decollete. More fluid, lightweight serums get applied before thicker, creamier serums. Boost your skin’s hydration with a mist of toner in between each layer of serum. Our favorite must apply serums for Colorado skin? H. A. Collagen Boosting Serum and Glow C+ Brightening Serum from Green Envee, every day!
Eye Products
Is the skin around your eyes different from the rest of your face? Yes, it is! The skin around our eyes is much thinner and it doesn’t contain many sebaceous (oil producing) glands. The skin in this area is loosely attached to the muscles and doesn’t have a fat pad like other areas, leaving it prone to being one of the first places we see the effects of sun damage and the natural aging process.
Products that are formulated for use around the eye area have much smaller molecules than other skincare products, in order to penetrate this delicate thinner skin. Here’s what to look for in a product based upon you eye area needs:
😉For loose crepey skin or fine lines and wrinkles in the eye area, look for products containing peptides to help firm and tone the skin. Eye gels are especially good for firming up the skin around the eyes. Revitalize Eye Gel from Green Envee is our go to gel eye treatment.
😉For dark circles and puffiness under and around the eyes, look for products containing bilberry, horsetail, Vitamin K, hyaluronic acid, and/or green tea. Renew Eye Complex from Green Envee is a beautiful creamy option.
😉For dry, flaky skin in the eye area, use an eye cream with Vitamin E, ferulic acid, gentle Vitamin C, and/or bisabolol
Gently pat your eye formula into the delicate skin under and around the eye, or better yet, get out your gemstone rollers and roll that product into the skin all while removing puffiness. Some products are formulated to be used on the eyelid, while others may cause irritation in this area - be sure to read the label.
Moisturizer
Moisturizer is not an option, people! Especially in a sunny, arid climate like what we have in Colorado. Even oily acneic skin needs moisture and hydration. Here’s what to look for in a moisturizer based on your skin’s conditions:
🏵️For oily acneic skin look for moisturizer that balances oil production and helps to detox the skin with ingredients like organic olive oil, organic sunflower oil, organic hempseed oil and charcoal clay. Balance Charcoal Moisturizer from Green Envee is healing and clearing for inflamed skin.
🏵️For normal skin look for moisturizer that is loaded with antioxidants to help protect against exposure to pollution, free radicals, heavy metals, blue screens. Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin A are all skin loving antioxidants. Protect Antioxidant Moisturizer from Green Envee provides the perfect protection from all of the elements.
🏵️For dry and sensitive skin look for moisturizer that has soothing ingredients like green tea, organic essential oils such as chamomile, lavender, geranium and neroli, organic jojoba oil, and/or organic sea buckthorn oil. Our clients love using Nourish Replenishing Moisturizer from Green Envee to nourish and plump their skin.
Pro Tip - if your moisturizer comes in a jar, don’t put your fingers directly into the product to avoid contamination. A washable reusable plastic spatula is perfect for getting out the perfect portion and keeping your product sanitary and longer-lasting.
SPF
What is absolutely the most important step in your skincare regimen? Applying SPF. Every day, even when it’s cloudy, even when you think you’re only going to be outside for a few minutes. Reapplying every 2 hours is a must when you are outside enjoying the world around you.
We’ve heard all the excuses for not wearing SPF protection:
☀️ It irritates your skin
☀️ It feels too heavy on your skin
☀️ It’s too white and doesn’t blend in
☀️ You have a base tan so you're good to go
☀️ You don’t want chemicals on your skin
☀️ You wear a big hat so you don’t need any SPF protection
Protecting your skin from sun damage is one of the best ways to prevent the appearance of fine lines, pigmentation and dryness. Sun damage from our youth shows up in our later years - it’s the unwanted gift that keeps on giving! Sunlight reflects off of everything, glass, metal, snow, water - you name it. So while a big hat is absolutely essential, it can’t protect you from all of the reflected sunlight. Here in Colorado we have some of the highest rates in the U.S. for melanoma which is responsible for 75% of all skin cancer deaths. Wearing SPF can save your life.
Look for products containing an SPF of 30 or higher that is formulated with clean, reef-safe ingredients including non-nano zinc which is a physical sunblock that doesn’t penetrate the skin, unlike chemical based sunscreens. Suntegrity is our first choice in SPF skincare brands for clean, effective SPF protection.
Selecting the right SPF is key for your health and your lifestyle. There are so many options available for SPF protection including products that are 5-in-1, meaning they hydrate, moisturize, prime for makeup, have sheer tint coverage and SPF protection. Easy peasy!
Ready to love up your skin?
We put together a series of video tutorials for our clients to show all of the steps of a thorough skincare routine, along with how to use the products in each step: