All-Natural Facial Skincare Routine

Thousands of years ago, health and skincare relied on what nature provided. Healthcare and skincare regimens were simple and holistic.

In Ancient India, it was believed that if you couldn’t eat it, you shouldn’t place it on the body. Ayurveda utilized nutritious herbs and oils including neem, moringa, saffron, and sandalwood in health and beauty applications. All-natural oils were incorporated into masks and creams for the skin.

The Ancient Greeks used crushed berries for coloring their lips and cheeks and they used charcoal combined with oils to create dark eye shadows. Clay, honey, and olive oil were favored for moisturizing, cleansing, and protecting the skin.

Ancient Egyptians, including Cleopatra, used almond oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, milk, and even salt scrubs to maintain their appearance. The dry, desert air required extra protection for the skin, so natural moisturizing agents were popular.

Today, you can follow in the footsteps of these ancient civilizations by ditching commercial made skincare products and switching to products that the earth provides.

Skincare Basics

The five basics to skincare are cleansing, toning, exfoliating, targeted treatments, and moisturizing. Imagine having five products for each of these skincare basics, each containing harsh chemicals. Chances are the products are doing more harm than good. Switching to wholesome, all-natural products in their raw state will likely create a skin transformation that you can be proud of.

All-Natural Water Soluble Facial Cleanser

 
Cleansing your skin of oil build up, debris, and any makeup requires more than just splashing your face with water first thing in the morning. A gentle, water-soluble facial cleanser washes away the dirt from your face, cleans the pores, and allows other products in your routine to penetrate the skin more easily, rendering them more effective.

While there are all-natural facial cleansers on the market, creating your own is incredibly easy and requires only a few ingredients.

Basic All-Natural Facial Cleanser

•         ¾ cup organic Green Tea (or Aloe Vera juice or distilled water)
•         ¼ cup organic Castile Soap
•         ½ teaspoon Jojoba Oil (or Coconut Oil or Olive Oil)
•         4 drops vitamin E oil
•         4 drops Moringa oil
•         8 drops essential oil (for fragrance)

Simply combine all ingredients, the tea added after it cools. Mix well and store in a small glass jar with a rubber-sealed lid. Place it in a cool, dry place. To use the cleanser, pour a small amount into your hands, lather, and wash like with a regular facial soap, being careful not to get it in the eyes. Rinse well. Pat dry.

When choosing which essential oils to use for fragrance, consider your skin type. Oily skin benefits from tea tree oil which has a strong, earthy scent. Sandalwood and rose oils are best for dry skin, whereas sensitive skin benefits from lavender or chamomile.

Feel free to experiment with the above all-natural facial cleanser recipe. Clay, dried and ground lemon or orange peels, and even flower petals can be added to your facial soap for extra benefits.

All-Natural Facial Toner

After washing your face, it’s best to follow up with a toner. Toners help smooth and calm the skin while reducing redness. They help to rehydrate the skin’s surface, making for an even, youthful appearance.

All natural toners include vinegar, organic rose water, and even distilled water with a splash of witch hazel.

For oily skin, you can create your own facial toner with 1/3 cup witch hazel and 2/3 cup distilled water. Witch hazel is a mild astringent and is gentle on the skin. It can also decrease oil build-up, so it’s not ideal for dry skin types.

Those with dry skin will reap the benefits of a vinegar toner. Just mix ½ cup apple cider vinegar with 2/3 distilled water and a couple drops of moringa oil.

These DIY facial toners can be placed into spray bottles and stored in the refrigerator. The cold solution is great for spritzing your face to wake you up in the morning and minimize pores.

All-Natural Skin Exfoliator

Exfoliating removes dead skin cells and paves the way for new skin cell growth. It penetrates any oil lying deep within the pores and can even your skin tone. Because exfoliating can be rough on sensitive skin, it should be done once or twice per week.

An all-natural, mineral rich way to exfoliate is with seaweed. Seaweed absorbs minerals and nutrients from ocean water, which it retains, and you can experience the benefits. You can find organic ground seaweed in health stores and online.

To use seaweed or sea kelp as a facial exfoliate, just mix the ground powder with distilled water until it forms a paste. Apply this paste to the face and rub in small circles. Rinse. Pat dry.

Other facial exfoliates include finely ground Himalayan sea salt (which can be combined with olive oil for dry skin), oats, coffee grounds, and even dried and ground fruit peels.

All-Natural Targeted Treatment for Acne Prone Skin (Optional)

For acne-prone skin, a targeted treatment step is necessary to treat and prevent breakouts. Benzoyl Peroxide is the most common ingredient prescribed for acne. Unfortunately, this ingredient can be harsh on the skin and the effectiveness in children has not yet been confirmed. Side effects of Benzoyl Peroxide include irritation, redness, skin peeling, redness, stinging, and even swelling of the skin.

Natural alternatives to Benzoyl Peroxide include thyme oil, tea tree oil, and witch hazel. When combined with other ingredients, including moringa oil and moringa leaf powder, they have the potential to tone the skin, prevent acne breakouts, and treat acne, although these claims have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Thyme oil, however, has been studied and proven to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and calming properties. It was found to be one of the most effective oils against various bacteria.

If you’re interested in trying something different from Benzoyl Peroxide, organic thyme oil and moringa oil at a 1:1 ratio and then diluted with carrier oil is a great place to start for spot-treating acne.

Detoxifying teas are another remedy to try for acne. You can create your own tea with moringa leaf powder. Our bodies showcase health from the inside out. By cleaning your body of impurities, you help your body’s organs work more efficiently. Your skin can reap the benefits of healthy organs and a healthy digestive system. Not to mention, a healthy digestive system means more nutrient absorption.

All-Natural DIY Skin Serum

Skin serums are designed to protect the skin from free radicals and pollution in our everyday environment. Serums can also calm redness, improve the texture of your skin, help you maintain a radiant glow, and keep the skin moisturized and protected.

All-natural essential oils diluted with carrier oils can be used by themselves as skin serums. Moringa oil is an excellent choice. Moringa oil comes from the Moringa oleifera tree, native to India near the Himalayan Mountains. The oil is extracted from the seeds and because the kernel of the moringa seeds is relatively soft, it can be extracted by hand. The oil itself is light, spreads easily, and can be added to carrier oil like jojoba oil to protect, soften, and smooth the skin.

Other oils for skin serums include coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, vitamin E oil, and aloe.

All-Natural DIY Moisturizer with All-Natural Sunscreen

The final step, and quite possibly the most important, to any decent skincare routine are moisturizers. Dermatologists recommend moisturizers that contain sunscreen. Unfortunately, the more we learn about sunscreen, the more dangerous it seems. Sunscreen often contains toxic and hormone-disrupting ingredients.

Fortunately, you needn’t suffer from sunscreen’s potentially ill-effects. You can create your own all-natural moisturizer with all-natural sunscreen at home.

For a simple moisturizing sunscreen, just mix a cup of your favorite all-natural lotion like Mummy’s Miracle Moringa Baby Lotion with a couple teaspoons of non-nano zinc oxide powder.

Mixing a tablespoon each of carrot seed oil, red raspberry seed oil, and coconut oil along with ½ cup Shea butter, and several tablespoons of non-nano zinc oxide will create an all-natural SPF moisturizer that’s good for moderate sun exposure. Adding in several drops of 100% Moringa Oil is great for extra moisturizing benefits. For fragrance, you can add in other essential oils, but be careful not to use citrus oils or oils that increase photosensitivity.

Before it’s ready to use, you’ll need to melt down the ingredients. Simply heat up ½ cup to 1 ½ cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Combine all ingredients, except the zinc oxide, in a glass, heat-proof jar and place directly into the water in the saucepan. As the ingredients heat up, stir. Once everything is well combined, add the zinc oxide and stir as the mixture cools. Store in a cool dry place.

To use, simply swipe a finger or two into the mixture and rub it all over your face after washing, toning, exfoliating, and using a skin serum. If you haven’t used all of the moisturizer within six months, you’ll want to toss it and create a new batch.

You can also use a facial mask to moisturize the skin. This Moringa Moisturizing Face Mask Recipe utilizes moringa powder, avocado, raw honey, and lemon juice to create a powerful moisturizing mask for radiant skin. While it doesn’t have an SPF factor, it’s great for your nighttime skincare ritual.

Ancient cultures used nature to improve the look and feel of their skin, which goes to show that all-natural facial skincare routines don’t require expensive products. Chemical-laden cleansers, toners, and moisturizers aren’t your only option. Implement all-natural, holistic skin therapies to improve the look and feel of your skin.

Love + miracles,