Natural Skincare

[GraceAC12]

Hi everyone!

Looking for some advice! Recently realized how terrible some things can be for your body and am transitioning to natural or as natural as I can get skincare brands. I have an oily T-zone and regular skin otherwise. Sometimes sensitive. I'm not really acne prone but do break out from stress. I'm looking for a cleanser, an exfoliator, a serum, toner, moisturizer, masks, eye cream (for dark circles and puffiness) a body wash, and a body lotion. I've really been looking into Tatcha, Caudalie, and Origins. Open to any and all recommendations. Brands, certain products, anything????

[ather]

@GraceAC12  I use Tatcha and Drunk Elephant and my skin has never been better since I switched. I adore both lines. 

[Brutalitops]

@GraceAC12 I've been trying to make this change too. I love Tatcha, though it gets pretty pricey. I think Caudalie and Origins both have fantastic products, but they are unfortunately not cruelty free as of the last time I checked if that's an important factor for you. Some newer brands I've been loving are Biossance, Farmacy, and Herbivore. Sunday Riley and Drunk Elephant are also great options IMO, I would try and get your hands on some samples if you can 😊

[korres]

Try Korres products. They come from the oldest pharmacy that exists in Greece. All made in Greece from a large network of organic cooperative farmers. Everything is cold pressed to raw vegan food standards and we turn the post-pressed plants into organic compost to regrow the crops. The entire line is dermatologist tested with 100% vegetarian and or vegan products. We believe in clean beauty for the skin and the planet.

[Anonymous]

Biossance!!! It's the Cleanest line Sephora carries and is EWG approved! Herbivore and Farmacy from what I can gather also seem pretty clean! 

In terms of finding clean products, I recommend referencing EWGs website: https://www.ewg.org/ewgverified/personal-care.php

or collecting a list of ingredients you personally want to avoid (there are many articles out there to guide you) and then cross reference the products you're considering for any red flags (based on the my personal list, I'm not especially fond of some of the ingredients in tatcha, origins, or caudalie - but that's just me). There are also products that aren't explicitly listed as clean that could probably pass for clean, like Belief's: the true cream moisturizing bomb and The Ordinary's Rose hip oil. 

Also, don't be afraid to dip your toes into making your own masks, exfoliators, etc. I have sensitive and dry skin so I make my own exfoliator using oats, sugar, coconut oil and EOs, which is pretty good and not especially rough or dehydrating. there are many simple ingredient recipes online for masks and exfoliators for when you're experimenting or just looking to treat yourself which also gives you control over what is going on/into your skin. As far as toner goes, I'd suggest saving some money and using Thayer's witch hazel toner. Hope this helps!

[Brutalitops]

Literally came here to say this, I love Biossance and farmacy, and I've recently started getting into Herbivore- though their products have a tendency to go wonky if you don't store them just right. Another brand you may want to consider is Tatcha- Clean, cruelty free, and if I recall correctly they also support some education initiatives for underprivileged kids- all around win in my books! 

[mariajo]

I think the Drunk Elephant line would be perfect for you! I had been using Caudalie for years, my tried and true! But I think perhaps they changed some ingredients as I had horrible rash and skin issues and had to stop using it, I’m currently on the hunt now for a new regime.

[shezbop]

I started using Edible Beauty a few months ago and I’m really happy with it. I was looking for a completely toxin free skincare routine. You may not be there yet but I really recommend their serum and eye cream.

[faeriegirl]

@GraceAC12 I love the Drunk Elephant line. It has made a huge difference in my skin. I love that the products come with pumps instead of jar packaging.

[planehopper]

A good brand for me has been Sunday Riley. You may want to check her stuff out! It is very effective and is made with products that are good for your skin. 

[Anonymous]

First of all congratulations! I'm sure you'll be very happy with more natural products. That being said, be prepared to spend a mini fortune if you're intent on replacing your entire line *sigh*. 

I recently was in the same situation after moving from Canada to California and realizing that I had tossed most of my toiletries while purge packing + the items I needed for California weather versus Canadian winter weather are very different. Here's my advisement on how to go about replacing your line, which comes from about a month's worth of my own research and prep:

1. Go to Sephora often, like twice a week, and collect samples upon samples! Why? Mainly because the more samples you try the more likely you are to fall in love with something before dropping the $$ and also I've found that every Sephora staff member has a different idea of what's "the best". Like a doctor, I prefer to get several opinions prior to committing to treatment. 

2. Though it'll take a while, I recommend using max 3 different products per day for 2 days in a row to get a sense of how they work and alternate them. Even if you usually use facewash, moisturizer, serum, toner, makeup removing oil, night cream, etc., stick to the essentials (re: facewash and moisturizer) and ONE other thing. Thus why it took me a month to figure out my current line of 7 skincare products. Worth it, though! 

3. Once you think you've got it figured out, get new samples of the full line you plan to buy. Consult a Sephora pro to ensure they work together and don't counteract (like I found out the serum I loved was totally reversing the brightening potential of my AHA night cream. Oops). Try all these products together for 2-3 days to ensure they don't feel like they cause issues, like too much drying or too greasy (I was so sad to discover my lovely Tarte facewash + my awesome Farmacy green clean which I loved separately, together created an oily build up). 

Good luck! Origins is one of my current favorite brand but I find Tatcha way overpriced for what it is, sadly. Farmacy is another new favorite for skin care and Tarte has been my # 1 makeup brand for years now. Have fun 🙂

[Siwendra]

I'm pretty much the same as you! My go-to is to just wash my face once a day at night (I started using the Foreo Luna, it really helps a lot with pores, but if you don't it still pretty goog wihtout) with a soft cleanser. After, I put the Caudalie Beauty Elixir mist, a bit of Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing serum and I finish with Laneige Water bank moisture cream (it's a bit thick but it melts on your finger and has an agreable feeling on the skin, really moisturize well at night). The morning I will just use a toner on a pad to freshen a bit my skin and sometimes add a light moisturizing cream if I feel like a need to. 

In my sense, keeping it simple is better, when I overdo it I tend to breackout more and have more redness. Oh, and I also love to do a a coal mask once a week while I relax in a bath. I'm a student and it's true that stress isn't doing good to the skin, so I try to take a moment for me each week to relax and relieve the stress either off my mind and my face haha

[EsinaJ]

@GraceAC12 Tatcha, Caudalie, and Origins all do have nice options. Other brands may have options for you too. What sort of things are you trying to avoid in your skincare? 🙂

[GraceAC12]

I also have very large pores!