My Zero Waste Skin Care Routine
Ok friends, before you get further into this blog post you have to know, I’m not a beauty blogger guys. Honestly, I don’t know a whole lot about skin care, but I do have a very simple zero waste skin care routine that works well for my skin. And this is what I want to share with you today! If you’re like me and don’t have a lot of time to commit to a daily skin care regime, this post is for you. Also, if you don’t want a complicated, expensive skin care routine, this blog post is also for you 🙂 We’re going to keep it really simple. My routine is a three step process–Cleanse, Tone, and Moisturize. And guess what else? It’s completely plastic free!
Cleanse
First step in my zero waste skin care routine is cleansing my skin. Rather than face wash that comes in plastic bottles, I use a vegan soap bar with organic and natural ingredients to wash my face. My favorite soap bar at the moment is this Dragonfruit Green Tea bar soap. The scent is really fresh and helps to wake me up in the morning! This bar is so gentle that I use it for body and face daily, and it doesn’t dry out my skin. I’m also a huge fan of the flower seed paper the soap is wrapped in that you can plant to grow wildflowers. This is a great way to help the bee population! You could also check your local farmers market for high quality organic soap bars. Just be sure to check the ingredients list to make sure there aren’t any ingredients that might irritate your skin.
I like to use my soap bar with a konjac sponge. If you are unfamiliar with konjac sponges, they are these plant derived sponges that are great for gently exfoliating the skin. Konjac sponges are made with the vegetable fibers of the Konjac plant and these sponges have been used in Japan for over one hundred years. When dry they are hard, but after soaking under water for a couple of minutes they become super soft and spongy. After using my sponge, I hang it in my bathroom to dry out. This helps it to last longer. Since these sponges are 100% plant based, at the end of their life, konjac sponges are compostable!
Tone
The second step in my zero waste skin care routine is tone. Now, let me just tell you, before using this plastic free toner, I didn’t use toner at all. I really didn’t know what I was missing out on until I started using it! Toner helps to clear away any excess dirt in your pores that you’ve missed with the soap in the first step. It’s an especially helpful skin care tool if you have acne prone or oily skin. I don’t have acne prone skin myself but love this toner all the same. And I’m telling you, this stuff really works. After washing my face, then following up with the toner, I still see dirt on my reusable facial round. I can see with my own eyes that the toner is doing its job. So if you haven’t tried toner before, this is important. Don’t skip this second step!
Moisturize
I told y’all this zero waste skin care routine was so simple. Maybe we should call it the minimalist’s skin care routine instead since there’s only three steps! Our last step is moisturize. I like to use a gentle, light weight, facial moisturizer. I use just a tiny bit all over my face and on my neck too. A little bit goes a very long way. I know some people also like to moisturize with various organic oils. This article in Forbes lists the best facial oils for every skin type; I think you might find it useful. I’ve used Argan oil in the past on my face and liked it. Moisturizing your skin is especially important during winter months. I’m not sure about you but my skin gets so dry that time of year.
UPDATE:
Although I still use the Juniperseed facial moisturizer I shared earlier in this post daily, I’ve recently added a new face lotion to the Tiny Yellow Bungalow shop that I want to introduce to you. It is the Yay For Earth Zero Waste Sensitive Skin Lotion. It is handcrafted, and only includes four high quality ingredients. This lotion has been an absolute crowd pleaser in the shop, with many customers saying this lotion has totally transformed their skin. Definitely give this face lotion a shot if you have sensitive skin!
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Ok, that’s my whole simple daily skin care routine, but I thought it’d be nice to also mention face masks. This isn’t something I do daily. It’s more like a special treat for my skin and self care ritual that I do ever few weeks. Ok, I do this maybe once per month if I’m being completely honest 🙂 #momlife I like to use this face mask powder that comes in a glass container. You basically mix the powder with water, toner, tea, etc to make a paste that you use as a face mask. You can also make your own DIY face masks often using ingredients straight from your kitchen! Here’s a list of homemade face masks that are dermatologist approved.
Protect Your Skin from the Sun
Oooo, also very important. Don’t forget to protect your skin from the sun’s harsh rays. I’ve got a blog post all about zero waste sunscreen. You should check it out if you are looking for sunscreen in plastic free packaging. Remember you can wear a hat to protect the skin on your face during those hot summer days or stick to the shade when you can!
If you want to see my zero waste skin care routine in action, be sure to check out my Youtube video! Yes, it’s most of the same information you see here, but you might want to see how that Konjac Sponge or zero waste toner work. I’ve also got other fun, informative videos about the zero waste lifestyle you’ll want to see including one on zero waste birthday parties and another all about my zero waste laundry routine 🙂
You might also enjoy these blog posts from Tiny Yellow Bungalow!
beginner’s guide to zero waste
5 simples switches for an eco friendly kitchen
Lastly, I want to know what does YOUR zero waste skin care routine look like? What have you found that works well for your skin? How do you tackle blemishes plastic free?
