My Skincare Routine

I've never been one who's super into skincare. But as my view of wellness has changed over the years, taking care of my skin through some simple daily practices has made me feel better and more confident in my body. As my appreciation for and love of my body has grown over the last few years, naturally caring for my skin has been something that's made it's way into my life. So I wanted to have some fun and share with you a sneak peak into what my skincare routine looks like right now!As I mentioned, with my view of health and wellness changing over the years, first starting with me discovering intuitive eating and then having this view of food now transform other aspects of my life and mindset, I've had a 180-degree change in how I approach wellness practices. And skincare has been one of those things. I went from just using some coconut oil or jojoba oil on my face at night to now enjoying a little more to my routine when it comes to my skin. Let me just say, though, skincare routines are not mandatory. There's nothing wrong with using coconut oil as your facewash/makeup remover at night. But for me, having a little more to my routine has been something that I've discovered brings me joy and is part of my self-care. Just like some people like to regularly get pedicures, they're not mandatory but they bring joy and are an act of body love.My skincare love really started when I began to partner with Beauty Counter last year and immediately I understood why people love skincare routines! And not only did I fall in love with the products because they treated my super dry skin with hydration it'd never known before and minimized my pores so I felt more confident in my skin without wearing makeup, but I also fell in love with the company and their mission to get safer beauty products into the hands of everyone (read more about Beauty Counter's mission HERE). Skincare ingredients weren't something I'd thought about much, but as with all things, education is empowering and gives you the option to make changes. And for me, being able to trust a company to create products I could have confidence in as well as a company that's advocating for changes with laws here in the U.S., this was something I could stand behind.Our skin is our body's largest organ, and also a highly absorbent organ. Learning that the United States hasn't passed any laws on the ingredients allowed in personal care products since the 1930s (and goodness knows we've had lots of new ingredients introduced into the marketplace since then) and that the U.S. only bans around 30 ingredients while the European Union bans 1400 harmful or potentially harmful ingredients, I stand behind any company trying to make a difference and promote the health of the people they serve. And it's really cool that Beauty Counter is leading the safer skincare industry and making a real impact! 

STEPS TO A SKINCARE REGIMEN

A good skincare regimen has a few steps to it.

1. First you want to cleanse the skin with a wash or cleanser.
2. Then prep skin with something like a toner or essence
3. Next treat with a serum that meets your particular skincare needs
4. And lastly protect with a moisturizer or cream.

Ok, let's jump into my skincare routine. 

MORNING

So you all know I love a good morning routine. I love the ritual of it, the quiet and stillness of it. Adding in a skincare routine just makes things even more special in the morning.Each morning I wake up and splash my face with a little water and dry it off by dabbing with a towel. I keep morning skincare really simple and just a few steps because I often like most of my time in my morning to be sitting on the couch reading and journaling. So just a little splash of water and then I use a daytime moisturizer. Right now I'm using Beautycounter's Countermatch collection which has been great for my dry skin. Their Adaptive Moisture Lotion is great for daytime because it's light and actually changes due to what hydration needs your skin needs. And then I  just layer on some makeup, usually their Flawless in Five to keep things simple. I always like to put on at least a little makeup for the day because it helps me feel more put together and productive. 

EVENING

My evening routine is a little more because I like to give my skin a little more attention before bed when everything can work it's magic and skin is replenishing. I'll take my makeup off with Beauty Counter's eye makeup remover which is so gentle. And then I'll wash my face with the Pure Calm Cleansing Milk which is cleansing yet hydrating. With my dry skin it's hard to find a cleanser that doesn't strip away all of my natural oil so the cleansing milk works perfectly! Next is the prep phase where I use the Hydra Gel Radiance Toner. This is really great for fully removing excess residue on skin and promoting smaller pores. Then I use the Intense Moisture Serum which deeply moisturizes and treats skin with antioxidants. And lastly, I use the Recovery Sleeping Cream which locks everything in and protects skin.It may sound like a lot, but honestly, it feels so luxurious and I know I'm treating my skin with care and compassion in a way that makes me feel good. It's one of those little daily luxuries that helps me feel my best! I'm curious, do you have a skincare routine? To shop with me as your consultant, you can browse and shop HERE. PS: If you haven't tried Beauty Counter's products and are interested in skincare that's better for you I'd love to send you some samples! And if you're interested in the business opportunity with Beauty Counter, I'd love to share more about what that looks like and how you can implement the business of educating people on safer beauty into your own life. For all inquiries, email me at victoria@victoria-yates.com.