Intuitive Skin Care
The concept of listening to your skin sounds odd, I know. It falls into the category of trusting you intuition - like that little voice in your head. Throughout each day, our bodies are constantly giving us signals - like when to eat, when to sleep, or to look out for this or that. Some signals are super obvious, like “this is hot! do not touch!” or not so obvious “I don’t know the answer to a problem and need to talk to a friend.”
Listening to your skin is just like reading other signs your body is giving you. Like many other things, it requires practice and a bit of patience. Aside from the usual (washing your face, using a toner, serum and moisturizer). Set aside the rules, expand our arsenal and don’t be afraid to make some changes based on how your skin feels or what activities you’ve been doing. For example, if you spent a lot of time outdoors (ie camping in the desert), it could be more likely that. your skin is dry and you’ll need a thicker moisturizer both at night and in the morning. Your “normal” routine would only to be to use this moisturizer at night, it’s totally ok to use in the morning! Another example is oily skin - maybe it’s been a stressful week at work and you’re noticing you are sweating more than normal.
Still not sure how you’ll know what to do? Here’s some common examples thanks to our friends over at refinery29.com:
Icky Morning Face - maybe you slept overheated or maybe you didn’t get a good night’s sleep?
Apply toner to a cotton ball and apply it over damp skin. The toner resets the pH balance and the moisture is a way to double down on hydration for a glowing complexion. We recommend: Naturopathica Lavender Honey Balancing Mist
Skin feels squeaky clean = Add hydration - this could happen if you went in a pool or a hot tub - your skin likely lost some natural oils.
Your skin is never supposed to "squeak," which means you took your cleansing routine too far. Moisturize, particularly with a bit of SPF before the sun goes down. We recommend: Naturopathica Calendula Essential Hydrating Cream or Lavender Protective Moisturizer SPF 17
Undereye bags = add more eye cream- stressed much?
Undereye baggage that no longer fits in an overhead compartment is a sure sign that you need to up your eye-cream game. Also, get more sleep, add a better pillow to your bed strategy, and slow down onodium. That should fix it. We recommend: Naturopathica Argan & Peptide Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream
Skin looks sallow = add a serum - sallow means yellow or pale brown.. did you lose pigment?
If the thrill is gone, it's time to bulk up the nutrients. A great serum, especially a nighttime formula added under your night cream before bedtime can literally give you vacation glow while you sleep. As in, no extra work required. We recommend: Naturopathica Plant Stem Cell Booster Serum
Dry skin in the a.m. = Bulk up the night cream - this could be a regular thing or a one time thing?
Morning dullness is a sign that your night cream isn't tough enough for the job. Be sure it contains retinoids to help boost cell turnover so you can wake up fresh faced. We recommend: Naturopathica Argan & Retinol Advanced Wrinkle Remedy Night Gel Cream
You get the same zit in the same place = Change your habits - you’re not going to like this answer!
In addition to dabbing on a spot treatment, think about your daily habits. Clean your phone more often, wash your hands before you touch your face, and change your pillowcase more often. Also, slow your roll on white flour and white sugar. You should see a difference. We recommend: Naturopathica Colloidal Silver and Salicylic Acid Cleanser
Skin looks dull = Exfoliate - use the nail test below.
If you can run your nail over your skin and come up with debris, it's time to exfoliate. Once a week, use a gentle home peel or scrub to remove dead skin, followed by all your usual serums and hydration creams. We recommend: Epicurean Apricot Cream Cleanser