I shot a video of my morning skincare routine and figured I’d share all the details and education here on the blog, too! For some context, my skin is true combo – it’s acne prone, can be dry and oily and changes depending on my diet, digestion and the seasons. Fun, right? 😉
The two things that impact my skin the most are what I put in my body and what I put on my body. The combination of healing my gut by eating whole, nutrient-rich foods and taking a high quality probiotic and using safer skincare without hormone disrupting chemicals and abrasive ingredients has been my key for clear(er) skin. Is my skin perfect? Heck no. In fact, right now it’s breaking out quite a bit. But the beauty about my journey with holistic healing and switching to safer products is that I have learned so much about what causes imbalances (see: stress, lack of sleep, extra sugar…) and how I can heal myself. I’ll share more about my skin journey in a separate post, but for now, let’s chat routines!
A complete skincare regimen usually consists of the following steps in the following order: CLEANSE (cleanser) – PREP (toner, essence) – TREAT (targeted serums, peels, spot treatments) – PROTECT (moisturizer, cream, oil). I always keep this in mind when tweaking my routine! Here’s a handy graphic to save, pin or screenshot:
What my morning routine looks like right now:
STEP 1 CLEANSE – In the mornings, I actually don’t wash my face with a cleanser! I simply splash my face with lukewarm water. This has been a game changer – I find that cleansing, even twice a day, can be pretty drying, and when I give my skin a break it ends up feeling and looking more balanced.
STEP 2 PREP – When my skin is slightly damp, I apply the Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence. An essence is like a toner, but more beneficial – it instantly delivers targeted nutrients and this one boosts moisture and radiance. This might be my favorite product and is the only one I use religiously both morning and night! All of the Countertime products contain Beautycounter’s Retinatural Complex, a safe alternative to retinol. I weaned off my retinol over a year ago and was thrilled to incorporate a safer option!
STEP 3 TREAT – This is where I mix things up depending on how my skin is doing and feeling. Several times a week I use a prescription cream, Aczone. It is not clean but it is the last non-clean skincare product I use. I’m a firm believer in balance when it comes to all things – skincare included – and if this gets me through the tough skin days then I’m grateful to have it. Some days I will use this treatment from The Ordinary – it’s a super clean (and reasonably priced) alternative and hopefully I’ll be able to use that 100% in the future.
STEP 4 TREAT: BOOSTER – The newest addition to my routine, the Beautycounter All Bright C Serum, just launched today! I was fortunate enough to test this early and although it’s only been a week, I am totally floored. When it comes to skin health, age defense and a bright, dewy glow, vitamin C is the holy grail. I was always afraid to use one because my skin can be reactive and I heard mixed things about vitamin C. This totally makes sense because vitamin C is a very unstable ingredient – especially in it’s purest form L-ascorbic – which means it loses its effectiveness. When a serum’s concentration of vitamin C is too high it results in irritation and when it’s too low you don’t see results. Beautycounter fixed this problem by using two different forms of vitamin C – one water soluble and one oil soluble – to deliver instant radiance, a lasting glow and, most importantly, effectiveness without irritation. Plus, this powerhouse product has even more antioxidants in the form of turmeric and camu camu fruit extract. These two work together to even skin tone, improve fine lines, reduce dark spots and improve signs of skin fatigue. This serum is great for most skin types – I love that I can layer it on top of my normal serum for an added boost!
STEP 4 PROTECT: EYES – Hi my name is Nora and I’ve only used an eye cream for under a year! I know I know I know – what was I thinking?! I had no idea how beneficial this little jar could be! I’ve been using this Countertime Ultra Renewal Eye Cream since it was released last year and am so impressed with the results! Ya gotta be consistent, but the combo of BC’s Retinatural Complex plus Persian silk tree extract have reduced the appearance of my under-eye shadows, are doing work on my baby chick feet and overall give my under eyes a smooth, firmed look.
STEP 5 PROTECT: FACE – About 2 months ago my skin was feeling pretty dry – I was seeing more visible dryness and dry acne, so I knew I had to step up the hydration. I switched out my daytime moisturizer to this Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion and I’m totally blown away – no wonder this product is a cult classic! Countermatch has bio-mimic technology which adapts to your skin throughout the day to deliver targeted hydration that my skin needs – no more, no less. TBH I thought this was totally nuts but now that I’m using the product I can say I am so impressed with the results.
Ready to get your glow on? Click here for my sample request form and select the Counter+ All Bright C Serum – samples will head out at the end of the week! If you have questions about incorporating a new product, need help tweaking your skincare routine or want some ideas for safer swaps, I am here to help! Just click here to fill out a Skincare Questionnaire – it only takes a minute and will give me some insight into how to best support you!
Questions about all things Beautycounter? Pop on over to this page or drop me a note at purelynoramassey@gmail.com. DON’T FORGET if you’re a new client you can get 20% off your first order when you sign up for emails now through the end of the month! Just head here and click on the top banner!
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