Part 3/3: How to pick non-toxic skincare + my personal skincare routine

Over the last weeks, I've covered the topic of healthy skin in detail. 

In post 1/3, I taught you everything you need to know about the connection between you skin and your gut and how to decrease inflammation. Your gut is your inner skin and healing and health really must start there. You can read up on that here. 

Then, in post 2/3, I dove deep into how your skin is connected to your hormonal health and how you can balance your hormones and get beautiful, healthy skin as a result. Check that out here.

Today, in post 3/3, I am going to dive into skincare and how to find skincare products that are non-toxic, in support of your hormones and your health, and help you get that all-desired glow and radiance naturally! 

Why did I start caring about non-toxic skincare so much? 

When I was preparing for my pregnancy with Felix, I learned an incredible amount about the female body and how to support it gently and naturally to be as healthy as it possibly can be.

Amongst my explorations, I found a study that was spearheaded by the Environmental Working Group that showed that an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants were found in umbilical cord blood. The study also revealed a total of 287 chemicals found, of which 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests. (1)

When I learned about this, I knew that some things had to drastically shift in the kind of food, household supplies, and skincare I was choosing.

I wanted to give my baby the best possible start into his life and I knew that the best way to do that was by getting myself as healthy, balanced, and toxin-free as possible. 

That's also why I highly recommend for women to do a gentle cleanse like my spring and fall cleanse (the next one is starting next week) 1-2 times per year (especially women who want to get pregnant, should do a gentle food-based cleanse , BEFORE they conceive!). 

Skincare companies are often sneaky and hide behind labels and designs that are making them appear as though they are good for you, free of chemicals and toxins when that is definitely not always the case.

You want to look at the companies you trust closely to make sure that they are as good for you as you think.

My favorite way of checking if a product passes my skincare standard, I look it up on the Environmental Working Group's Skindeep database (that's also where I check the products I use for my 15-month old son Felix... nothin' but the best for his sweet baby bum ;)!). 

So go ahead and check out where your standard products fall on their rating scale. If you are on the look out for new products you can also search their database and see what they recommend. 

If you cannot find your product you can also cross-check it with the EWG's safe cosmetics guide.

Here is what my skincare routine looks like + the products I love right now:

Please keep in mind that everyone has different skin and that means that sometimes you have to try out a few different products until you find "the one." It's kinda like dating... not everyone is a 10 ;)

Personally, I have normal to dry skin and if I get zits, I usually get them around my chin and jaw. I also have a tendency to have dull complexion (more so than rosacea or outbreaks, for example) and I get freckles around my nose and cheeks in the summer.  

 

In the morning:

I wash my face with water and apply a moisturizer. Right now I am using a day cream by Acure Organics. Since I am outside a lot, I tend to use sunblock often in which I case I use Keys Solar Rx.

When it comes to makeup, I am obsessed with W3LL People. They are amazing and I recently did a whole make-up update at their Flagship Store here in Austin. Thankfully, Amazon also sells it;)

My daily favorites are their Blush: Universalist Colorstick- Peony (it doubles as a lip-color), their Bio Brightener Stick, their Hypnotist Eyeliner- Plum, and I absolutely ADORE their Expressionist Bio-Extreme Mascara. It's hands-down the best one I have ever used.

I also drink a big glass of filtered water with aloe vera juice every morning. It's SO good for your digestive system and your inner skin. 

Throughout the day:

I mist my face with rosewater like this one. I love how it feels and how it smells + it makes me feel a bit luxurious, which is always a nice feeling.

In the evening: 

I wash my face with a gentle facial cleansing gel by Acure and use a wet microfiber towel to wash off all residue, dirt, and stress from my day. It feels SO incredibly good! I love this part of my evening ritual.

Then I use witch hazel as a toner (I used to use apple cider vinegar mixed with water until my husband told me how revolted he was by the smell... poor man had been keeping silent for a week before he announced that my new DIY skincare ritual was not in line with how he imagined to fall asleep lol. Needless to say, I chose cuddles over my ACV treatment ;)).

And, last but not least, I apply a night cream like this one from Acure and once the humidity of the summer fades, I start to rotate my night cream with a face oil like this one from Natura Culina. 

If I am traveling lightly for a quick trip and don't want to pack all of this, I just bring some coconut oil (because I can use it on my body, face, and hair) and sunscreen.

These are just the products I am currently exploring and loving. Before that I tried AnneMarie Skincare and really enjoyed their products as well. You can try their sample kit and see if their products work with your skin. 

A final note

Finally, I want to emphasize again that just swapping your skincare won't heal your skin especially if are struggling with acne, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, or any other inflammation in your body that shows on your skin. You must take care of your whole self from the inside out.

Make sure you read my two prior posts on decreasing inflammation naturally and balancing your hormones naturally! 

I promise, it will make your whole entire life -physically and emotionally- better! 

Alright, alright, alright... I know that swapping out your skincare and makeup can get costly and sometimes products that are not full of toxins, chemicals and plastics do get more expensive than your standard pharmacy stuff. I am fully aware of that, trust me.

However, your overall health -not just your skin, but your hormones, your liver, your thyroid...- are immensely impacted by the things that you use DIRECTLY on your skin on a DAILY basis. That's why I think that those are truly the products that should be nothing but nourishing and good for you. 

Now, I'm curious about your skincare routine. What do you use? Are there any toxin free products you absolutely love? Share them in the comments below. 

XO, 

Sources: 

(1) http://www.ewg.org/research/body-burden-pollution-newborns