Oh, the ongoing struggle of pore-cleaning! Truly, a few minutes of care a day is all you really need to keep your face clear, clean, and happy. Here are 8 simple tips + tricks:
1. Wash your face twice a day. Our skin is constantly attracting dirt, excreting waste, and shedding dead skin cells, so it’s important to keep up with it by cleansing twice a day, especially if you wear makeup. I use my Rose & Willow Facial Cleanser. This mild cleanser contains no harsh surfactants, so it doesn’t strip away my skin’s natural oils. Instead jojoba oil, Castile soap, and rosewater work together to gently remove dirt without drying out your face, and white willow bark, tea tree, and lavender help prevent and heal acne. You can make a simplified version of our cleanser with this DIY natural face wash recipe.
2. Always remove makeup. If you don’t wash your makeup off in the evening, it will clog your pores and result in acne. Not pretty. Looking for a natural makeup remover? Try our Makeup Remover! This silky, four-ingredient balm gently breaks down and “melts” makeup, making it easy to wipe away, leaving your skin soft and smooth thanks to organic coconut and jojoba oils. You can also use just plain coconut oil. Massage a little bit into your skin in circular motions to remove makeup, then use a warm, wet washcloth to gently wipe off excess coconut oil. The oil (and makeup) should come off easily without needing to tug on your skin. Splash your face with warm water. Our Makeup Remover and Coconut oil are both safe + effective for removing eye makeup.
3. Use a toner after your face wash. In addition to balancing your skin's pH level and tightening pores, toners remove excess oil as well as any dirt left behind by your cleanser (no cleanser is perfect!). Try my super-gentle, hydrating Rose & Tea Facial Toner.
4. Exfoliate once a week. Between shedding dry skin cells and perspiring, our skin excretes over a pound of waste per day (YUCK), so we’ve got to help it out by exfoliating at least once a week. Exfoliating — either with a scrub or dry brushing — removes dead skin buildup, improves blood flow, and firms skin. Avoid using body scrubs with large grains of salt, sugar, or other types of abrasive on your face as they can be too harsh on your skin. Instead, try one of our super gentle Cleansing Grains, available in Lavender & Chamomile or Rose & Hibiscus. They're made with oat and rice flours, plus finely ground herbs. Just add water! If you're looking to DIY this step, plain oats make a great gentle exfoliate - grind them up with a mortar and pestle, add water, and you've got a simplified version of our Cleansing Grains.
5. Deep clean with a mask weekly. After cleansing and exfoliating, I use a mask at least once a week, and I switch up the mask based on my skin's needs. If it's too oily or I'm seeing a lot of blackheads, I use my Charcoal Mask to really get in there to clean + detoxify my pores. Charcoal is a bit too harsh for very dry or sensitive skin, so the Matcha Mask is a great alternative and still rich in antioxidants. If my skin is in need of hydration, I use the Chocolate Mask. If it needs a little exfoliating and brightening, I go with my Rose Clay Mask or Tropical Enzyme Exfoliating Cleanser.
6. Try a natural acid facial peel. The natural alpha hydroxy acids and salicylic acid in lemon, papaya, pineapple, pumpkin, and strawberries make all of these ingredients fantastic non-abrasive exfoliants. Use the fresh juices or pulp to make 1-ingredient face masks. Read more about this (+ get recipes!) in my eBook, DIY Natural Beauty on a Budget. Or try the Tropical Enzyme Exfoliating Cleanser.
7. Stop touching your face! This is a biggie for me, too. Think about all the things you touch in a day, picking up dirt and oils with your fingers. Now, think about rubbing all of those things on your face. That's pretty much what you're doing every time you touch your face —you're increasing the amount of bacteria on your face, which leads to breakouts. Stop touching and especially stop picking!
8. Clean pillowcases weekly. If you're getting enough sleep, you spend between 7-9 hours a night with your face on a pillowcase, sweating and shedding dead skin. (I know, gross, right?) You gotta wash those things frequently! Toss 'em in with your regular laundry, or have backups so you can switch them out every week.
Looking for more natural beauty DIYs? Check out my eBook, DIY Natural Beauty on a Budget. It has over 40 recipes for natural masks, scrubs, and hair care using ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen, plus a detailed guide on how to use and blend essential oils. Happy making!
