by Glam-Granola Author Wendy Roy
Today we take a look at skin care products and practices, keeping a strong eye towards non-toxicity as usual. Less is more; a simple and healthy routine will give you your best skin situation ever.

Evening Skin Care

Cleansing
Pick up a soft face brush (looks like a baby’s hair brush), and a cleanser that doesn’t contain sulfates or loads of chemicals. For now, if you see Sodium/Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, and/or heaps of ingredients that you don’t recognize, it’s best to move on. If your skin is dry, it will appreciate a cream cleanser. I am currently enjoying Evan Healy’s Blue Lavender Cleansing Milk. If you have very oily skin, you may benefit from a fruit acid exfoliant variety.

Toning & Moisturizing
Use an alcohol-free toner almost daily if you have oily skin, and a couple times a week if you’re skin type is normal-dry. Next, tenderly tap on eye cream with your ring finger, as this is your weakest finger; you don’t want to tug on this delicate skin and lose elasticity! Lastly, gently apply your night moisturizer to your face, and to your whole neck as well, using slow upwards strokes from your décolleté all the way up to beneath your jaw.

When choosing your creams, it is optimal to stay away from parabens (i.e., methylparaben, propylparaben) given what we know about these preservatives thus far. Skinn’s Wrinkle Balm is an ultra-nourishing option for dry skin; a little bit will do.

Morning Skin Care

If you’ve already taken care of your skin before bed, simply use a mild exfoliant on wet skin two or three mornings a week. Choose a mild, non-abrasive formula free of fillers like water and petrolatum. After drying off, apply your eye cream and a daytime face/neck cream per the above.

Extra Skin Care Tips

Protect your face from hair products/sprays. If you’re concerned about wrinkles, relax your face while working at the computer and do the same before sleeping. Massage your face and neck to get relaxed, and your face won’t tense/crease through the night. Don’t make a habit of touching your face with unwashed hands. Brush your hair out before bed, and try to keep it away from your face. Before swimming in a chlorinated pool, don plenty of your moisturizer as a barrier. Use a detoxifying or hydrating mask once a week.

Next up…Part 3: Cosmetics