Current Skin Care Routine

I have been getting a lot of questions about my skincare routine. I used to have a minimalist approach to skin care - oils for cleaning and removing makeup and oils or organic creams during the day; or plain bare skin during the day and night. Jojoba oil (actually a wax) used to be my favorite make up remover and I still recommend it for anyone with an acne prone skin. I actually purposely avoided "packaged products" for years.  Nowadays I find I need a bit more than that. I live in a sunny and dry city year round and my skin gets a lot of beating form the sun and dry weather. I am still on the fence about most sunblocks. There is a lot of evidence that there are carcinogenic effects from certain sunblocks as well as some studies have shown that sunblocks do not protect from skin cancer and have a skin damaging effect. "Malignant melanoma has been found more frequently in sunscreen users compared to non-users in some studies." source
"Sunscreen ingredients can damage DNA" source
 If I am going to be in the sun I will wear something like a Larenim face powder or a more natural sunblock such as Dr. Hauschka, but as a whole sunblocks are not a part of my routine. Zinc Oxide and physical blocks are a better choice. The one thing I have been consistent about has been to make sure that I get greens, fruits and veggies in my diet because antioxidants in the diet can and do have sun protective effects on the skin. In addition greens are essential if you need to build muscle, support the right bacterial flora in your gut and maintain proper mineral balance; as an added benefit the carotenes in greens and orange colored produce give you a nicer skin tone. I did notice a huge change in my skin tone when I switched to a "Rainbow color" diet. As a teenager my skin was very pale.
A good thing to know is that citrus (excluding limes), greens and buckwheat in your diet can protect your skin from sun damage from within. photo-protective properties of buckwheat SOURCE

My morning skin care routine RIGHT NOW:

I do not use a face wash in the morning. I find it to be drying, harsh and unnecessary for my skin type. (my face skin is normal and the skin on my body can get dry if I take long hot showers so I try to keep that to a minimum and I stick to quick showers. I also use a shower filter!!)

I wash my face in the morning with water and some days I do a mask or a sheet mask.

KARUNA FACE MASK

SIBU Purifying Mask 

SIBU BEAUTY is a skin care line based on Sea buckthorn extract and oil.

Or a homemade DIY vitamin C mask that is very potent and effective. Recipe HERE 

You DO NOT need to buy masks at the store. Honey, coconut oil, olive oil, tomatoes, green tea powder, clay, potatoes, etc are all wonderful ingredients for a homemade mask.

 Followed by a face serum- Lumene Time Freeze Serum (right now) - It's very light, absorbs into my skin within seconds and it doesn't leave an oily film. The downside is that it has a fragrance but I am OK with it considering I love the serum that much. (USUALLY PRODUCTS WITH FRAGRANCES ARE CHEMICALLY DERIVED IN THE LAB AND TEND TO HAVE A LOWER RATING ON SKINDEEP.COM) 
Keep in mind this serum may not be good for dry skin. Lumene is not an expensive brand but it is cruelty free and I like it more than some of the fancy organic brands that I have tried. Most creams make me look oily and I end up avoiding them so this serum is light as if I didn't put anything on yet I feel it is very moisturizing.

LUMENE TIME FREEZE SERUM

LUMENE is a Finish Skin Care line that uses a lot of arctic berries and plants in their ingredients.  The products are also vegan friendly. 

I am currently adding a few drops of Carrot Seed Essential Oil (therapeutic grade) to my face creams and serums. It has an anti-ageing, anti-wrinkle effect. Great for dry skin, irritated skin. It can soothe rashes and eczema. It can lighten liver spots and if taken internally it has a diuretic and a liver cleansing effect. I am using it to boost my store-bought creams and serums. 

The second bottle of Lumene is being re-used for a Vitamin C serum and treatment that I make.   

Night time routine currently:

I take my make up off with Sea Buckthorn oil or a creamy make up remover. No brand worth mentioning here. Oils do just fine. Sometimes I use make up removing pads or a creamy soap after the oil cleansing to get the remains of the mascara off. 

Sea Buckthorn oil is a favorite of mine. I learned about it years ago from Tonya Zavasta- a gorgeous raw food and beauty author.  The oil is bright orange and that's part of why it is so good for your skin. However it will stain your sink :) 

SEA BUCKTHORN OIL

SEA BUCKTHORN OIL- BRIGHT COLOR

The color does absorb into your skin so if you just put a drop on your skin it will not stain your face. 

As a night time cream I am either using a heavier moisturizer or pure Argan oil, Rose hip oil, Shea butter that I order from Mountain Rose Herbs

LUMENE RETINOL NIGHT RECOVERY


OTHER CURRENT PRODUCTS I AM USING

SIBU HYDRATING SERUM AND ALVERDE CARROT CREAM

Thats my daily routine. Other honorable mentions are face brushing to exfoliate and improve circulation, jade stone massager, dermaroller, microdermabrasion and glycolic acid.

I am not using self tanners often but I do have a few by Lavera, Alba Botanica, etc. 

I use Alverde deodorant (not skin care but worth mentioning for the European readers that have access to this brand) 

Angelica Essential Oil for breast massage. It has hormone regulating properties and overall a good thing to add to your health care routine. 

Lavera tanner, angelica essential oil, Alverde deodorant. 

Although this is not related to skin care I have to mention this blush.  I have tried most of Larenim's blushes and this is hands down is the prettiest blush I have ever tried. It's very light and seamless yet it makes a huge difference.

Larenim Angel's

Let me know if you have any questions. And PLEASE do share things that work for you! 

LOVE AND BLESSINGS 

DIY VITAMIN C ACTIVES MASK WITH ROSE WATER

This is a quick mask that can brighten and beautify your skin. 

PROPERTIES:

Anti-oxidents 

Can lighten dark spots

Vitamin C has a UV protective function

Anti-ageing 

INGREDIENTS:

L ASCORBIC ACID AND ROSE WATER MASK

L ascorbic acid powder (this form of vitamin C is used in the expensive name brand serums and it's proven to be most effective for topical use)

Rose Water

Aloe Gel (optional)

Glycerin (optional) 

Mix Half a teaspoon of the Vit C Powder with a dash of Rose Water or Pure Water or Aloe or Glycerin and apply for 5-10 minutes. If your skin is sensitive you might need to reduce the quantity of Vit C powder dramatically. I find that even in high concentrations it doesn't burn my skin but it's all personal so be mindful and don't burn yourself :) 

Rinse with water

Apply your serum.

BAM! DONE!

OM SHANTI OM 

How to naturally exfoliate and brighten your complexion, diminish inflammation and acne for only a few cents

by VESELA SAVOVA

A yogi friend and fellow health, fitness and beauty blogger from Luxembourg Vesela Savova's post on beautiful skin.  

A HOMEMADE SKIN BEAUTIFIER THAT DOES WONDERS

Lemon tree

Lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants in nature. And while vitamin C is important for the immune system (remember the hot tea with lemon and honey?), it also fights free radicals and can help reduce the aging signs of your skin. Lemons also have the most protein of all fruits and are high in collagen, the protein that gives structure to your skin.  Hello healthy looking skin!

So what can lemon do for your skin?

• It diminishes scars and skin blemishes. The vitamin C can help the skin become more firm and strong.  Applying lemon juice on your skin can really reduce skin redness and pimples, as it brightens and lightens the skin. Its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties fight pimple build up.
• It can help win the acne battle. Skin experts believe that lemon juice can effectively remove blackheads and speed up the process of acne healing.
• Lemon juice helps reduce wrinkles. The moisturising and toning effect of lemon juice can help reduce the wrinkles on your skin.
• Exfoliate the skin naturally. The citric acid in lemons acts as a mild peel for the skin that removes the top layer of dead skin cells.

How to use lemon juice for skin care?   

VIEW FULL THE ARTICLE HERE

by Ali: In addition something I used to do is after juicing a lemon to rub the inside of the half of a lemon on the face and leave it for 5 minutes before rinsing your face. Stay out of the sun as lemons can increase your sensitivity to sunlight. 

ORANGE BLOSSOMS AND A BEE

Meyer Lemons that preserved in salt water for recipes

Mayer Lemons and Kumquats 

Fragrant Orange Flower Water for Beautiful Skin

Delicious and aromatic drink idea

It's the orange blossom season. My neighborhood is infused with the perfume of the blossoming orange flowers. I love the scent! It reminds so much of jasmine.

So I figured I must use my orange blossom distillate ( Hydrosols are a byproduct of the essential oil production and the have multiple cosmetic and culinary uses.) I had purchased from a Persian store.

I generally use it for cosmetic purposes mostly. But today I decided to put a few drops of it in my water. And oh yum, perfumy goodness!!! It also goes great in almond, coconut hot milk. It goes great with cardamom, rice, saffron, carrots. You can even put it in salads, garbanzo dips, desserts, etc. (not everybody loves that edible perfume idea, it certainly took me a while to learn to appreciate the flavor.)

Once you are done indulging in the drink you can go ahead and make a face toner from it.
Orange blossom water is great as a face toner for oily to normal and acne prone skin. It can refresh and hydrate dull skin and give you an aromatherapy boost. It is similar to witch hazel in its firming and tightening effects. It balances the oiliness of the skin, helps with circulation, it is used to reduce redness, puffiness, acne outbreaks and acne scars.
Just place it in a spritz bottle and spray on clean face and neck. Or use with a cotton ball after you wash your face.

If you have oily or combination skin you can also enjoy Peppermint water hydrosol from my beloved Mountain Rose Herbs. Its invigorating and refreshing. Great for overheated, red skin.
Another idea for use is to soak a face mask sheet in peppermint or orange hydrosol plus some homemade green tea and place on your face for 15 minutes. It has an immediate effect on your complexion. :)
If you have dry skin then Rose water is better suited for you.

OM SHANTI