With so many different approaches and products thrown at us about skincare it can feel overwhelming and confusing. As a holistic skincare practitioner with over 15 years of clinical experience, I’m here today to break things down into a few easy steps that you can incorporate into your beauty routine at home. Effective and low maintenance, this holistic skincare routine is especially great as we approach winter, but will truly carry you through all the seasons.
First off, it’s important to remember that skincare doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple and sustainable skincare routine can take no longer than 30 seconds, and should be something you can easily fit into your beauty routine both morning and night.
When it comes to product selection, the key to knowing what to use is being guided by a skincare professional that understands formulation and can read your skin to create a concise, personalized skincare routine. It’s never too late to book a skin care consultation to get started on a sustainable and customized skincare plan to help transform your skin long term.
To help get you started, I’m sharing four holistic skincare steps below that I incorporate into my own daily routine both in the AM and PM, and that I encourage you to try too:
Cleanse: Cleansers free the skin of dirt, pollution, and makeup. Always start by wiping the slate—in this case, your face! – clean. No matter your skin type, I always recommend cleansing with a gentle, non drying facial cleanser. For a deeper, pore cleansing option oil cleansing is the way to go. Like attracts like, so oil cleansing can pull excess oil out of skin as well as reduce inflammation from breakouts and congested pores. For a non-drying facial cleanser, try the Purify Enzyme Cleanser by Osmosis. For an oil cleanser, my go-to recommendation is this oil cleanser by Laurel Skin.
Apply a serum: I like to think of all skincare as food, and serums are ‘the star of the show’ and where your skin will find the most nutrition. Serums work in the deep layers of the skin, or dermis, to support skin synthesis and create transformation. Don’t skip this step! I’m sure you’ve heard about Vitamin A and C. These are great skincare basics to add to your routine for prevention and correction. Vitamin A is a powerhouse antioxidant for the skin, as it encourages skin cell turnover to reduce visible signs of wrinkles and plays a role in skin immunity by warding off inflammation. Vitamin C is known for its ability to brighten and tighten by way of supporting collagen production. Vitamin C also protects the skin from harmful free radicals, or toxins, that come from external elements like pollution and from internal factors like stress and cellular metabolism. Having this combo of nutrients in your skincare routine will both prevent and repair skin for optimal skin health! A little goes a long way, and I’d recommend Osmosis’ Correct Serum which contains Vitamin A and the Catalyst Serum for a formula with Vitamin C.
Hydrate: Hydration is for everyone, even oily skin types. Moisturizers protect the outer layer of your skin which acts as a shield, to keep it balanced and comfortable. Keep your moisturizers simple – remember it’s a serum’s job to do the repair. A moisturizer’s key role is to protect and hydrate. Moisturizers are available in many different textures so finding the texture you like best is the key to success. My favourite moisture rich ally for the winter months is the Enrich Restorative Face and Neck Cream. Fans of plant-based skincare will want to check out the wide variety of moisturizers Laurel Skin has to offer, made from whole organic plants.
Exfoliate: The last step is exfoliation – but only once a week at the most. Exfoliation gives the skin a fresh, smooth feel and expedites cell turnover but remember, the skin is the body’s shield and there’s no benefit to aggressively removing that shield more than once a week. Over-exfoliating can lead to dryness, irritation and even oiliness. I always recommend enzyme exfoliants like the Honey Berry Mask, where the enzymes act like pac-men to gently and effectively digest the bond between dead and dying skin cells in the top layers of your skin without causing inflammation. If you’re keen on keeping your products to a minimum, consider using an antibacterial sea sponge when cleansing a few times a week in place of an exfoliant.
If you don’t know where to start with the skincare steps and products above, get in touch with me! As a holistic skincare educator and practitioner, I’m here to help support your unique skin journey. All of the products linked above are available to try and purchase at Wildflower Beauty Bar—and the best way to get started is with a customized facial so we can take a deep dive into your skin type and concerns, from aging to acne.
One last bit of food for thought: skincare is food for the skin, but another important step to taking care of your skin is exercise. And, it’s not the kind of exercise you might be thinking of. The skin itself needs microcirculation or energy moving freely to keep it looking good and feeling healthy. Gua sha is an effective way to do this, and as a longtime certified gua sha facialist, it is my preferred way—and can be done at home, too. As you guide a gua sha board along specific energy highways of the face (meridians), you’ll see an instant face lift leaving your skin feeling refreshed! Over the course of just a few weeks, you’ll see improved skin tone, lightening of pigment and a smoother texture in the skin. For more detailed information on how to incorporate gua sha at home and links to video tutorials, check out my post from last week!
A sustainable, holistic skincare routine can and should be easy to incorporate into even the busiest of lifestyles! From skin consultations and customized holistic facials, I love providing my clients with the tools and knowledge they need to achieve healthy, radiant skin all year long. Follow me on Instagram @wildflower.beautybar for more skin tips and tutorials or book online to chat with me in person! —Gretchen Oppenheim
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