Our ancestors valued skincare; the first skincare routine was found as far back as 3000 BCE in Egypt.

One of the most significant differences between how they did skincare then and how we do it now is the ingredients used. You wouldn't have found things like borates negatively affecting reproductive health or endocrine-disrupting fragrances and parabens in their skincare routines as you do ours. Instead, you would have found simple ingredients like honey, plants, and animal fats. It is simple and relatively inexpensive compared to the $100+ skincare routines you see now. 

Our skin is our largest organ and our first line of defense against pathogens, making its health important. Wee have been sold the idea that the ingredients we put on our skin don't matter as long as they have the desired outcome of helping us look good. How about how it looks inside your body? Beauty starts on the inside, and although it may seem like it is helping your skin now, the hidden damage they could be doing as your skin absorbs these ingredients may lead to more harm than good. Remember that less is more when looking at the ingredients in your skin care. 

Natural Skincare Routine

Many skincare regimens you’ll find include 6 and up to 9 steps daily! For them, the more steps, the better; this is just more you’ll have to spend. Only three are truly necessary, with the occasional extra maintenance and self-care. 

Step One: Cleansing

This first step will gently clean the skin from the day! Many soap-based cleansers can be harsh on the skin, causing skin barrier damage. Most people's skin doesn't truly get that dirty unless you say you're a farmer, but we need gentle cleansing to remove dead cells and improve circulation for most. For this, I love grain-based cleansers! You'll get a gentle cleanser and exfoliator by combining grains like oats with clays and herbs. I first heard about using grains for the skin in Rosemary Gladstar's book, Herbal Recipe For Vibrant Health, so I'll share her recipe below.

Miracle Grains-

2 cups white clay

1 cup finely ground oats

¼ cup finely ground almonds

⅛ cup finely ground lavender

⅛ cup poppy seeds or finely ground blue corn (optional)

⅛ cup finely ground roses

Directions: Combine ingredients and store in a glass container or spice jars with shaker tops. Mix 1-2 tsp of the cleansing grains with water, stir into a paste, and gently massage on the face. Rinse with warm water and voila! 

Step Two: Tone

Don't let all that loving work go to waste by leaving those pores open! Hydrosols, specifically rose hydrosols, are my favorite, but you could also use natural astringents like witch hazel! Did you know making hydrosol is SUPER easy? You only need fresh herbs, ice cubes, water, a bowl, and a pot. Look up “DIY rose hydrosol “for many lovely recipes, or check out our rose witch hazel recipe below!

Homemade Witch Hazel-

Ingredients:

• Witch Hazel bark

• Distilled Water

• High-proof alcohol (optional) 

1. Begin by making a witch hazel decoction using 1 teaspoon of witch hazel for every cup of distilled water. For a quart of witch hazel, use four teaspoons and four cups of distilled water. Add the witch hazel and distilled water to a pot, cover, and let it come to a gentle simmer for 1 hour.

2. After 1 hour of a gentle simmer, remove the witch hazel and water from the heat and allow it to cool. 

3. Once cooled, strain the witch hazel and add half its volume of high-proof (Everclear) alcohol to preserve it. If you had a quart (32oz), you'd add 16 oz of alcohol. You can leave the alcohol out and store the witch hazel decoction in the fridge, but it will only last 5-7 days. 

4. Store in an amber glass spritz or bottle in a cool, dark place. 

Even if there is alcohol in mine, I still like to keep it in the fridge as that chilled witch hazel feels so lovely on my skin!

Rose Witch Hazel Recipe-

Ingredients:

• Fresh or dried rose petals 

• Homemade or store-bought witch hazel 

1. Take fresh or dried rose petals or buds and fill a glass jar

2. Pour homemade or store-bought witch hazel over the top of the rose petals so it rises above them by an inch.

3. Cover and let it sit in a cool, dark area for two to four weeks.

4. Strain and store in the fridge if no alcohol is present or in a cool, dark place.

Step Three: Moisturize

We've cleansed and toned, and now it's time to moisturize! Adding an intentional face massage to this step can enhance it, ascans learning how to make facial creams. Rosemary Gladstar has a famous face cream that I will share below.

Recipe Video Here- Rosemary Gladstar’s Famous Face Cream on Vimeo

Check out our herbal face steams and clay mask blogs for extra skin-loving products to add to your regimen!