My Truly Natural Skin Care Routine

If you have been following my instagram stories, then you know that I am over 30 years of age. It has been a long ride of health, mental and physical changes.  There is a book to be written about my life lessons with merely living a fairly sheltered three decades.  However, no one can escape the daily stresses and the effect of aging on the skin. Today, I want to share with you how I take care of my skin and what new steps I have taken to help with the oft-dreaded “aging” process.

It is important to clarify, that “aging” is not something to be afraid of, in my opinion.  I feel that it is a reminder of everything approaching its final destination, the return to our Creator and the promised Day of Judgement.  When morning turns to evening, and evening to night, the finite universe comes into view.  As the crawling child learning how to walk, the inevitable change of life comes into view.  And so it is with age, each wrinkle represents a reminder of life coming to an end.  Rather than it being something to dread, with this perspective, it becomes something to be admired as a chance for a new beginning to align myself with Allah’s pleasure. If I am fortunate enough to live with many wrinkles, as long as each year spent with them represents my struggle to become closer to Allah, then it will be worth celebrating and appreciating.  Another year to live is another opportunity to serve, after all.

Today’s society puts a lot of emphasis on looking thinner and younger.  My skincare routine does not address those issues.  My perspective comes from appreciation of what Allah has given me.  Attending to what I am given as a gift is part of my self-care routine.  If there are days when my health is taking a difficult turn, a few minutes of massaging my face with carefully curated serums reminds me that this turn is worth what is to come across the bend.  I may have spent the past three days in the same PJs, however, at least when I am over this hill with Allah’s Blessings, at least my skin would not have suffered and I can began to feel like myself again. It is a moment of pause, of reflection, and of appreciation.

This has been a process for me since my college years.  Unlike my mother, I began cleansing and moisturizing my skin religiously with what I thought to be good products.  Soon I learned that the truth about them – a story for another time – and I searched for those that lacked the harmful elements but provided same and better benefits to my skin.  That is when Living Libations came into my life and alhumdulillah, I have not had any reason to look any further since then.

Step 1.

Cleansing and moisturizing is something to be done twice a day.  Once I wake up and go about my morning routine, I turn to the bathroom with a washcloth and Best Skin Ever.  I prefer the Seabuckthorn Best Skin Ever and the ingredients are more than just perfect: Organic Ingredients – Hippophae rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn), Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba), Cocos nucifera (Virgin Coconut) Oil, Calophyllum inophyllum (Tamanu) Oil, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender), Chrysopogon zizanioides (Vetiver), Citrus paradise (Grapefruit), and Cymbopogon martini (Palmarosa).

That was lots of fancy words but in the end, clean, beautiful ingredients found in nature and mixed together to form this perfect concoction for the skin. First, I put a squirt or two of the cleanser into my hands and apply it directly on my face, making sure to get the neck area as well.  Then I take one hand towel from a dedicated set of towels and wet it with warm water.  The water highlights the scent of the cleanser as I massage it on my skin.  I wipe every thing off and proceed to the next step.

Step 2.

The beauty of this cleanser is that it makes my life even more simple by being a moisturizer as well.  Last year, with the advent of my 31st birthday, I gifted myself with some special serums and have been using them since then.  This is a fairly new practice which I have grown to love but is not necessary.  You could very well use the cleanser as a moisturizer and call it a day. Keeping that in mind, I moisturize my skin as follows:

In the morning:  With another squirt of Best Skin Ever, I add just a drop or two of Royal Rose CoQ10 serum and use that as my moisturizer.  If I am heading out for the day, in a few minutes, I would also apply Everybody Loves the Sunshine for some skin protection (although, I am planning on switching over to this one after running out of this bottle, insha’Allah).

In the Evening: This time, I add one or two drops of Ensorcell Serum to Best Skin Ever and moisturize all of the previously cleansed area of my face.  And if you are south asian like me, then you may also struggle with under-eye circles. To tackle that, I apply All Seeing Eye Creme with my ring fingers in that area and it keeps my eye from looking like I slept with eyeshadow on my lids.

See? My routine is fairly simple.  I think it became a little more “complicated” after adding the serums, but before I only needed to keep a steady supply of Best Skin Ever and All Seeing Eye Cream to keep it all looking fresh.

Special Moments

When I decide to give my skin special TLC, I head into the bathroom and open the cabinet for some pampering tidbits. I have collected these over a period of time and occasionally enjoy them for when I feel the need or want for a skin pick-me-up. I apply all masks after cleaning my skin so it is ready to soak up everything that is about to touch it:

Masked Avenger: I swear by this mask.  Whenever I apply it, my skin feels fresh and if I have any breakouts, they are diminished significantly.  My husband says that my face looks brighter, which is always a good thing.  This is a clay based mask which, once mixed with warm water, turns into a dark gray liquid.  Once it dries and begins to look like an ash gray color, I wash it off with warm water and moisturize with Best Skin Ever.

Frankincense Honey Mask: For a special treat, this mask is perfect.  I can not say that it delivers significant visible results but after each application, my skin feels supple and perfectly hydrated.  With a base of honey, I am not surprised at all with its supple results.  It is very thick, so I squeeze a bit out, apply it with my fingers all over my face, wait about 10-15 minutes, and wash it off with warm water.  I finish the moment off with – can you guess it – Best Skin Ever.

Green Papaya + Lime Mask: This amazing ask comes out when that time of the month comes.  Because it is best applied over night, I use that opportunity to apply masks and pamper my skin when my body is going through lots of different emotions (figuratively and literally!). It comes out like a thin cream and I apply it liberally all over my face, making sure that there is a thin layer over my face and neck area.  The following morning, I give my face a nice wash with warm water and apply my favorite moisturizer.

Some Extra Thoughts

I used to be a person who would practically hoard skin care products.  I would walk around the aisles and find masks and facial creams to pamper my skin.  Unfortunately, some times those products worked well and other times, they were awful.  Taking such a gamble is not a way to live life and plan for goals! After finding Living Libations, I completely stopped walking through looking for random items.  The reason is pretty simple: These products work well and are devoid of any harmful ingredients.  If one thing works perfectly, I do not see a need to purchase five more just for kicks.  So now, with a streamlined and simplified routine, I am happy with my skin, skin is happy with me, and my wallet is pleased with consistency.

Lastly, as you may already know, what goes inside the body is just as important.  I do not eat much of processed food and try my best to drink as much water as I can remember.  I feel both of those things help to keep the biggest organ of my body – my skin – nourished and well.

If you are looking for organic, non-toxic, natural skin care routine, I hope that mine offered some solace.  It seems not that long ago when I was searching for something myself and landed upon a blog which changed the way I care for my skin.  I hope to do the same for you. Six years later, I do not see myself changing this routine any time soon.

Is there anything else you would like for me to write about in regards to skin and body care? Let me in the comments! As always, thank you for virtually accompanying me through this post.

-S

Ingredients (all organic):

• Royal Rose CoQ10 Serum: Rose Hip (Rosa canina), Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis), Coenzyme, Helichrysum italicum(Immortelle), Thyme vulgaris linalool (Sweet Thyme), Cananga odorata (Ylang), Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium), Commiphora myrrha (Myrrh), Collinsonia canadensis L.  (Stone Root), Citrus limon (Lemon).
• Everybody Loves the Sunshine: Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, Cocos nucifera (Coco), Hippophae rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn), Rubus idaeus (Raspberry Seed), Calophyllum inophyllum (Tamanu), Schisandra chinensis (Schizandra), Helichrysum italicum(Immortelle), Daucus carota (Carrot Seed), Rosa damascena (Rose Otto), Eriocephalus punctulatus (Cape Chamomile), Boswellia carterii (Frankincense), Santalum album(Sandalwood), Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender),Pelargonium graveolens (Geranium), Thyme vulgaris linalool (Sweet Thyme), Curcuma longa (Turmeric), Calendula officinalis (Calendula), and Cymbopogon martini (Palmarosa).
• Ensorcell Serum: Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin Seed), Brassica oleracea (Broccoli Seed), Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) infused essential oils of Hippophae rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn), Boswellia carterii (Frankincense), Helichrysum italicum (Immortelle), Anthemis nobilis (Chamomile), Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender), Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon), and Curcuma longa (Turmeric).
• All Seeing Eye Cream: Aloe (Aloe Vera), Rosa damascena (Rosewater Hydrosol), Simmondsia chinensis (Golden Jojoba), Calophyllum inophyllum (Tamanu Oil), Persea americana (Avocado) Oil, Borago officinalis (Borage), Butyrospermum parkii (Shea Butter), Citrus aurantium (Orange Wax), Eriocephalus punctulatus (Cape Chamomile), Tanacetum annuum (Blue Tansy), Daucus carota (Carrot Seed), Boswellia carteri (Frankincense), Rosa damascene (Rose Otto), Euphrasia (Eyebright), Lavandula angustifolia(Lavender), Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm), Avena sativa (Milky Oat Straw), Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) and Salvia officinalis (Sage) CO2 Extracts.
• Masked Avenger: Charcoal, sea kelp, vegetable based MSN powder, Fuller’s Earth, kaolin, bentonite, & French green clays
• Frankincense Honey Mask: Wildflower Honey, Boswellia carterii (Frankincense), Eriocephalus punctulatus (Cape Chamomile), and Helichrysum italicum (Immortelle).
• Green Papaya + Lime Mask: Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba), Aloe barbadensis(Aloe Vera), Rosa damascene (Rosewater) Hydrosol, Citrus aurantium dulcis (Orange Peel) Wax, Equisetum arvense (Horsetail) Extract, Comfrey symphytim (Comfrey Root) Extract, Trifolium pretense (Red Clover) Extract, SaccharumOfficinarum (Sugar Cane) Extract, Citrus limon (Lemon Peel) Extract,  Citrus aurantifolia (Lime) Extract, Carica papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Ananas sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Lavandula angustifolia(Lavender), Citrus limon (Lemon), Citrus aurantifolia (Lime), and Salvia officinalis and Rosmarinus officinalis) Sage and Rosemary Leaf CO2 Extracts.