Cleaner Safer Skincare - My Routine and Previous Loves!

*Updated 09/22/2020*

Goodness, I have had a LOT of skincare questions lately! And yes, pregnancy DOES impact your skin, but thankfully mine has been mild so far!

So let's start with the very much needed disclaimer. If you are dealing with acne, rosacea, eczema, dermatitis, flaky skin, oily skin, etc. There is NO amount of product that can fix your skin if you aren't fixing your INTERNAL health FIRST. That means addressing toxic fats (like canola oil), potentially harmful foods like conventional veggies (those dirty dozen!), quality and sourcing of MEAT including seafood and fish (eggs too!), and really transitioning to a diet predominately based on whole, real foods. (That means most of your food shouldn't have a label!). Additionally, grains, legumes, and dairy are all known to be naturally inflammatory, and can potentially aggravate underlying gut issues or systemic (meaning full body) inflammation cycles. You MUST address diet FIRST.

Now, even with food, there is one BIG quality factor everyone forgets about. Yes, you should drink water. Aim for half your body weight (in pounds) as your fluid ounce intake, not to exceed a full gallon (128 fluid ounces). That means a 150 lb person should aim for 75 fluid ounces of PURE water.

How do you know if water is "good"? Well, here's where I start. You want the best natural spring mineral water the earth can provide. But...marketing and big food companies have made that sort of tricky. Plus, it matters what your water is IN. So, look at that plastic water bottle you keep. Does it "crunch" easily if you hold it? Does it "crunch" easily when empty? If so, toss it. Those bottles are known to leach toxins such as phytoestrogens, which have been linked to everything from basic hormone imbalance to estrogen dominance to diagnoses like breast cancer. Don't believe me? Well NPR published an article about it way back in 2011 - you can read it HERE. Now, the article does talk extensively about BPA and BPA free, but keep in mind. These big companies get smarter, while keeping production cheap. Something labeled "BPA free" doesn't always mean it's safe, but it's definitely a better option!

Now, for my clients, I typically recommend two options for those that REALLY want to upgrade their water. For some who can afford it and own their home, a reverse osmosis (RO) whole home system can be a WONDERFUL option. It removes a large amount of the toxins in our water and gives you a much, much safer option for both showering/bathing and drinking, as well as cooking! We personally have not installed an RO system at this point in time. We do use shower filters (I use this one) and bathtub filters (this one) and I use our filtered water for cooking. All drinking and cooking water comes from our Berkey Filter. It's a "camper" type stainless steel water filter that comes in various sizes and lets you add in extra fluoride filters on top of their standard filters. I HIGHLY recommend getting the fluoride filters! Now, if you decide to go reverse osmosis or a really heavy duty filter like the Berkey, you MUST remineralize your water to get the type of water your body is meant to consume. The good news is, this is REALLY easy. I tell people just to grab 3 or so granules of real pink himalayan coarse salt for every 20-24 fluid ounces of filtered water. Just add it in and let it dissolve. SUPER easy peasy! Ok, now that all that's out of the way, let's talk about skincare PRODUCTS!

First, my CURRENT daily routine. And yes, I'll link to ALL the products at the bottom of the page along with my affiliate disclaimer.

Tiff's Daily Skincare Routine for Face!

Morning:

Wash with Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser

Spray with Primally Pure Everything Spray

Apply Eye Cream - Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream

Mix one pump of Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer with Ceramides with one pump of Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum AND one pump of Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum

Lips - Primally Pure Lip Balm (any scent) - I use this all day long too!

Regardless of whether or not I actually "put on makeup", I find myself using this serum on top of my skincare MOST days. Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation (in Color 6 - Ora).

Night:

Wash with Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleaner (it takes off all my makeup, even my not-so-clean Diorshow Waterproof mascara!)

Mix one "squeeze" (about a pea-sized amount) of Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream with a pump of Aura Cacia Tamanu Oil and one pump of Acure Organics The Essentials Rosehip Oil (OR, sometimes I use Acure's Radically Rejuvenating Rose Argan Oil - just depends on my mood!)

Treat eye area with Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream

Lips - Primally Pure Lip Balm

That's IT. My skincare routine isn't super fancy. Some nights I spray with Primally Pure's Everything Spray, some nights I don't. This is what works FOR ME given my skin type, my diet and nutrition, my water intake and quality, and it's not super fancy and complicated. I "mask" maybe every 2-3 weeks right now. Honestly I just forget about using a mask because I'm so busy I'm exhausted by the end of the day. I always wash with WARM water (although my bathroom sink isn't filtered - just FYI), and I don't use a wash cloth, etc. I PAT my face softly with a hand towel after washing, but I never "rub" it across my face. I have DRY, sensitive, rosacea-prone skin.

For the Body:

Right now, considering my belly and other areas are ever growing and prone to stretch marks, I play with "intuitive" skincare. But my eczema or atopic dermatitis patches ALWAYS get treated with Drunk Elephant Sili Body Lotion, and honestly that's my primary lotion for stretch marks right now too.

I also use Primally Pure's Body Butter (Citrus and Mint, ya'll) for any areas that need DEEP conditioning, like my heels that are prone to cracking or honestly my nipples as they start to dry out. I ALSO use (and will use more frequently with breastfeeding) Primally Pure's Baby Balm on dry cracked sensitive areas like nipples (and once or twice a month, I even use a dab under each eye for extra moisture at night!)

For the Hair:

Oh, Lordy. If you have been around for a while, you know my hair journey is FIERCE, but I'm currently pretty darn happy with my haircare products.

Shampoo and Conditioner: Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo and Cocomino Marula Cream Conditioner.

Believe it or not, I'm NOT actually an affiliate with Drunk Elephant and receive no sponsorship or incentive from them (although I'd LOVE to have the opportunity to promote them formally as a brand partner!)

Post-shower treatment.

I spray ends with Drunk Elephant Wild Marula Tangle Spray, then add a pump of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream. THEN, I add a pump of Aura Cacia Tamanu Oil, a "pump" of Moroccanoil Moroccanoil Treatment (argan oil), and a pump of Acure Organics Essentials Rosehip Oil. I comb that through and let it air dry for about 20 minutes until it's almost more dry than damp! Then I spray with Moroccanoil Protect & Prevent Spray, and gently blow dry on low heat.

My hair is VERY wavy frizzy and takes a LOT of maintenance. I have some patches that have wiry ends that we cannot figure out what to do with, so some nights I even add a little Kasandrinos EVOO to my ends and come through just to keep it as hydrated as possible! It's not perfect and it's not super duper clean, but it's the best I've found after ALOT of work over 16 months or so.

OTHER Products I Love and Use (or have used):

Depending on the season, our budget, all the things. There are numerous products I love. This is just a short (ha!) list of other products not listed anywhere above.

Masks:

Origins Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask to Rescue Problem Skin*

Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores*

*I actually mix these two together for spot treatment of cystic acne flares - I leave it on for 30 minutes or so, wash it off, and by the next day it's usually raised the cyst to a head for extraction.

Alitura Naturals Clay Mask - this is my overall favorite mask, but keep in mind it's a powder and has to be mixed with either water or Apple Cider Vinegar. It's also VERY messy, but I recommend any full face mask be rinsed in the shower anyway.

Primally Pure Soothing Mask - let's face it. Sometimes a gal likes to do a little pampering. I'm not really sure what this even does for my skin because I just don't use it consistently enough (I really should!) but it DOES leave my skin super soft and smooth. Great for redness too!

Eye Cream:

Clovertree Firming Eye Cream - I've only used it under the eyes, but I love this one!

Face Moisturizers:

Primally Pure Palmarosa + Mint Beauty Cream (the blue tansy is also lovely, my skin just doesn't do well with blue tansy!) - I use this ALOT in the winter at night, especially on my forehead when it gets super dry.

Korres Pomegranate Pore Blurring Gel Moisturizer

Farmacy Honey Drop Lightweight Moisturizer

Face/Body Wash:

Acure Organics Brightening Facial Scrub

Body Moisturizers:

Primally Pure Lemongrass Oil

Primally Pure Baby Oil

Spot Treatment for Acne:

Rocky Mountain Oils Rosemary Essential Oil

Rocky Mountain Oils Tea Tree Oil

Aura Cacia Tamanu Oil (keeps it from scarring!)

Other "Facial Treatments":

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum (use in place of Retinol Serum - don't use together!)

Kasandrinos Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra Virgin Unrefined Coconut Oil

Last but not Least!

Because they don't really fit anywhere else

Primally Pure Dry Shampoo (I use dark locks!)

Primally Pure Deodorant (I use Lemongrass or Lavender - the hubs uses charcoal!)

I HOPE that is helpful! ALL products mentioned are linked below, listed alphabetically by BRAND and Product. Please keep in mind most links are affiliate links, and while it doesn't cost you any more to purchase, it does help contribute a small amount of funds to supporting my business, so thank you! If you want to try Primally Pure and have not tried it before, make sure you use any of the links below and use "Tiffany" at checkout to save 10% on your first order! You can also shop some of these products with Thrive Market, and save 25% off your FIRST Thrive Order by clicking HERE.

Acure Organics:

Brightening Facial Scrub

Essentials Rosehip Oil

Radically Rejuvenating Rose Argan Oil

Alitura Naturals:

The Clay Mask

Aura Cacia:

Tamanu Oil

Clovertree:

Firming Eye Cream

Drunk Elephant:

A-Passioni™ Retinol Cream