If you didn’t know already, I’m a huge advocate for natural living. This is shown through my general life and purchases, but it’s also a consideration for me when making local purchases as well.
So, today I’d like to share my skincare/face cleaning routine that is 100% purely natural and is also 100% local. Yup – I use only local products to take care of my skin! It was a big achievement for myself personally to not only get to be at pure natural skincare, but then to kick it up a notch to local only as well, so I’m pretty excited! #Geek.
With all that being said, I will go in order of what I use, how I use it, who it’s from, the benefits of some of the ingredients and have a mini review of the products as well – enjoy!
Step One: Exfoliate
MacSuds Body Co. – Activated Charcoal Emulsified Sugar Scrub
So, one thing that you need to know about me is that I am literally obsessed with charcoal, especially in skincare. I think it is the coolest thing ever, has amazing benefits and makes things black and awesome – I find any excuse to have more charcoal in my life.
This sugar scrub is amazing. First off, I go for charcoal because it can hold up to 1,000 times it’s weight and literally draws out toxins from the body. So scrubbing the dead skin and crud off your face while also detoxing and pulling out things like a magnet is great!
Sugar is a fantastic natural exfoliator and is a humectant, bringing in moisture to the face while the oils smooth and nourish the skin. Honey is a natural antibacterial and helps cells regenerate, while the essential oils each have a million great purposes as well. A little goes a long way on the face and is super soft, yet exfoliating. It’s not harsh at all on the skin and feels wonderful. The scent is good, a nice balance of the lavender and clary sage, I’m not much of tea tree scent fan, so that was a win for me.
It comes in an 8oz plastic tub and I just leave it in my shower. The label is either laminated or something because it’s slick and totally good after being splashed in my shower.
For $8 (plus s+h if you buy on Etsy), this is a great price for the size and quality of the product. I was very pleased to see the large tub when it came in the mail and know it’s going to last me a while.
They have tons of other types of scrubs, too, so if charcoal isn’t your thing (but it should be), then there’s sure to be one for you. Plus, MacSuds also makes lotions, faces masks, soaps and more – so far this is all I’ve tried!
Ingredients: white sugar, sea salt, olive oil, vegetable glycerin, castor oil), beeswax, emulsifying wax, honey, vitamin E, activated charcoal, lavender, tea tree and clary sage essential oil.
Step Two: Cleanse
Wild Wash Soap Co. – Gentle Geranium Cleansing Bar
Next up, is cleansing! Some of you may do your steps differently or not have the same ones as me, and that’s OK, but I feel best about my skin when I both exfoliate first and then cleanse. My “ride or die” local brand throughout our home is Wild Wash. I even did a whole blog post reviewing some products – which leaves me to keep this one short.
This bar is super soft and gentle and really makes my face feel squeaky clean, but I know it’s not getting stripped down like traditional products, plus, it’s palm free!
At first, I was hesitant about using a literal bar of soap on my face, but I actually quite like it. It lathers up really nice in my hands and that enough for me to rub all over my face. The bar smells great (light floral, Mitch doesn’t mind it at all!) and it lasts me a long time. Mitch also reports that he loves it for his face because it feels soft and creamy, and very soothing!
You can find their stuff all around town and at most craft/local fairs. I’ve seen them at Hand & Land, Nature’s Own Market and at on the second floor of the Bauer Building in the Crossroads during First Fridays as that’s where her studio is.
Ingredients: Saponified olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, avocado oil, castor oil, shea butter, neem oil.
Step Three: Tone
SKiN – Lemon Fresh Facial Toner
I’ll be honest, I never really understood the purpose of using a toner and never used one until recently. And I regret not trying it sooner! 😛 Typically, toners are known to “shrink” pores, but more than that, they can help balance out your face’s pH from cleansing – you know, like toning? – and get your skin ready to absorb more nutrients with moisturizing.
This natural toner from SKiN is perfect because it has no alcohol to sting or strip your skin. Instead, it uses the natural replacement, witch hazel! I got the lemon version (there’s also a cucumber one) and is SO refreshing on the skin, both at night and in the morning. Plus, lemon is great treatment on acne and vitamin C helps give your face some more life.
I just put a few drops on an (organic) cotton ball and dab all over my face each night and morning – I’ve really noticed a difference in absorption of my moisturizer at night and a reduction in my oiliness during the day.
You can find their products at Green Acres Market in Briarcliff (where I got mine), Made in KC stores, or at their own flagship store that just opened up in Brookside!
Ingredients: Lemon verbena hydrosol, witch hazel, distilled water, lemongrass essential oil, tea tree oil.
Step Four: Eye Cream
NUTRESSANT – Face Restore
This is probably my least favorite step in the process, but that’s only because it freaks me out to put cream-like things around my eyes. Weird fear, I know. Taking care of the skin around your eyes is super important to maintaining a youthful look. This skin is very thin and it’s easy to put “wear and tear” on the area. Having a good skincare routine is key!
NUTRESSANT was one of the first local bath/body care products I started purchasing from and I discovered them at the Brookside Farmers’ Market about three (or so) years ago and have kept going back since! They have my all time favorite soap bars and also carry a wide range of products for the body and home. Now found at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market every Saturday, just stopping by their booth and saying hello to Sandy (the owner) will help you learn so much about every single ingredient.
Packed with nutrient dense ingredients to fight aging, this little tub packs quite the punch! Carrot seed, meadow foam seed and argan oils are all known for their antioxidant properties, moisturizing, stimulation and giving a natural boost, if you will.
A little goes a very long way with this and I have yet to run out of this guy – I’ve had it for quite some time. I use it mostly around my eye area, but it can be used on skin that needs some serious repair as well too.
Ingredients: Organic olive and coconut oils, organic shea butter, RO water, vegetable glycerin, emulsifying wax, vegetable stearic acid, organic argan oil, organic carrot seed oil, organic meadow foam seed oil, grapefruit seed oil
Step Five: Moisturize
SKiN – Rosey Plum Daily Moisturizer
Last but not least, moisturizing! This used to be my least favorite step, but since finding this moisturizer I actually look forward to it now. With a second appearance, SKiN is bringing more goodness to my face routine with this lightweight and lovely daily moisturizer. I typically have oily skin and always struggled to find a moisturizer that didn’t just keep making me even more greasy…until now!
I absolutely love the top/dispenser on this – one pump and it covers my entire face. It has a super smooth and silky feeling on the fingers and glides right over your face. It’s so easy to buff into the skin and absorbs perfectly for me. The ingredients (specifically the rosehip and plum seed oils) aid in elasticity of the skin and nourish with antioxidants – the key to a healthy, bright (and youthful) look!
I apply this at night and never feel greasy in the morning – unlike most products I’ve tried – and it feels incredibly light on my face for when I go to bed too. Winning all around.
Ingredients: Rosehip seed oil, plum kernel oil, macadamia nut oil, mango butter, vitamin E oil, distilled water, vegetable glycerin, vegetable wax, grapefruit seed extract.
I hope you all enjoyed diving into my personal skincare routine and discovered some more local (and natural!) products and makers to try out. All of these brands have wide ranges of products and I’m sure there is something for each skin type and routine. What type of local products have you discovered?
PS – I’m in the market for a face serum, so please share any you’ve encountered or enjoyed! 🙂