Natural Skincare: How To Age Gracefully (toxin free)

I’ve never been one for stereotypes and while I may get dirty in the garden, spend my afternoons making cheese over the stove, and milk a cow each morning, I still take pleasure in caring for my physical appearance. Red lipstick included. I wax my eyebrows. Wear eyelashes. Shave my legs. Use clean makeup. And I utilize essential oils for skincare.

I was blown away by an article I recently read on the toxicity level of “America’s number one skincare line”. You know, the one you’ve been sold on Facebook? HOLY COW. I could hardly believe what I read. But luckily you don’t have to take my word for it (and I don’t have to do all the research) – just check out the EWG website for ratings on different skincare options.

This fancy farmgirl isn’t here to tell you about how horrible skin care in America is. Rather, I’m going to offer you a non-toxic alternative with essential oils. I wouldn’t use a product if it didn’t work because I’m in love with healthy skin. That being said, I have no desire to look like a seventeen-year-old again. My goal is not to avoid wrinkles until I’m dead. Rather, my goal is to have healthy, vibrant skin. Can we get over our obsession with youth for just a few minutes so we can focus on something so much more important? Health.

A large portion of our skin is developed by what we put into our bodies. Good food, good air, and good sleep are essential. So before we even dive into skincare, let’s remember:

• Keep your diet as clean as possible. Sugar and processed foods are a major culprit for skin issues. Ditch soda, store-bought bread, and those potato chips you love so much. Invest in nourishing your gut health with good probiotics (such as PB+ Assist), cultured foods like sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha, bone broth, collagen, and (of course) loads of detoxifying vegetables. You’ll never have great skin if you skip over what’s fueling your body.
• Get fresh air. I swear fluorescent lighting kills our souls. When you think of healthy skin, don’t you think about a dewey, sun-kissed glow? You’ll never get that indoors. So get outside, into the fresh air and sunshine, and let your skin breathe! Go makeup-less outdoors for even better impact.
• Rest. Do I sound like a broken record? I’m fine with that. Because I’ll never change my mind on the importance of good rest. No amount of product will cover up the bags and puffiness that come with bad sleep habits. It’s critical that before going to bed, you clean your skin and “put it to bed” with nourishing products. Make sure you get to bed at a decent hour and get a quality night’s sleep (use essential oils to improve your sleep if you need assistance). There’s no skincare that will look better than a good night’s rest. Prioritize this!

Another large portion of our skin’s wellness is managed by what we actually put on our skin. Our skin is responsive to lotions, potions, and salves as it slurps up all they have to offer (for good or for bad). Rather than cover all the oils that can improve your skin – and the list is vast – I’m going to instead walk you through my daily skincare routine and show you exactly which products I utilize. They’re what I know and love.

MORNING ROUTINE:

Activated Charcoal Soap: This is a bar made of activated charcoal and tallow. About as basic as they come, but certainly not simplistic in its ability to clean dirty skin. Because I don’t wear makeup to bed, this offers a nice and light cleaning to start the day.

dōTERRA Verage Serum: An entirely plant and resin-based serum that feeds and smooths your skin, reduces redness, promotes skin cell recovery, and hydrates to promote vibrant, glowing skin. This serum utilizes Frankincense, Lavender, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Myrrh, Helichrysum, and Rose essential oils.

NIGHTTIME ROUTINE:

dōTERRA Invigorating Scrub: To wash away the sins of the day, I pull out this scrub. It utilizes grapefruit and peppermint oils to leave a cool, refreshing vibe to your skin. I massage it into my skin for one minute and wash it away with a body washcloth.

dōTERRA Verage Serum: See above.

dōTERRA Eye Cream: Come on, y’all. I’ve got four kids. I know what dark circles and puffy, sleepless eyes look like. I inherited them circa 2010 when my first was born. Each night, I use this super-quick eye cream under my eyes each night to promote hydration and health. It utilizes Frankincense, Ylang Ylang, and Blue Tansy oils to improve firmness and tone of the under eye skin.

Yarrow/Pom and Frankincense Oil: If there weren’t enough in the eye cream, I also add these oils onto my entire face at night! I add a drop each into my Verage Serum and rub it all in together. Yarrow/Pom reduces blemishes and promotes a smooth skin surface. Frankincense rebuilds healthy skin cells and helps to eliminate fine lines and wrinkles.

SPECIAL ROUTINE:

Reveal Facial System (3x/week): A strong exfoliating system that utilizes bamboo beads to seriously scrub away pollution, dirt, dead skin cells, and makeup build up. This is a “mini-facial” in a bottle.

Detoxifying Mud Mask (3x/week): My secret is now out – I take a bath almost every night. Most of the time it’s far too late, but it’s the only time the kids are finally asleep. Half of those nights I plaster my skin in a detoxifying mud mask and sink low into the hot water to read a magazine. What a dream.

SPECIAL PRODUCTS:

Immortelle Blend (as needed): I use this bad-boy on the wrinkle between my eyebrows.

HD Clear Blend (as needed): Once in a blue moon, I get a blemish or irritation. This essential oil blend works perfectly as a spot-treatment for those more acne prone areas.

I know that skincare is deeply personal and each of us is dealing with different issues. But guess what? All of these products can be utilized and beneficial no matter what your skincare concern. And it’s all entirely non-toxic. In addition, you don’t have to worry about if your skincare products are disrupting your hormones.

We work hard to enjoy wellness and health here on the homestead. Essential oils for skincare are simply one more piece of the puzzle.