The natural skincare cheat sheet
Before I get into the meat of it all, I want to highlight the companion guide, or “cheat sheet” as I’ve labeled it, which has been the inspiration and initial spark for this entire post.
The Essential Oil Skincare Cheat Sheet is a short, concise compilation of all the ways I’m using essential oils and healthy, natural products in my beauty routine. It sums up the main pillars of my beauty routine, and also includes essential oil DIY recipes I use on a regular basis.
You can download the cheat sheet for free, and use it as a guideline to refer back to while you’re cleaning up your beauty routine! The recipes I’ve included can’t be found anywhere else, so you’ll definitely want to have this one on hand.
Download the free guide
I’ll be going into a few details here about the tips I’ve included in the guide, so grab yours and let’s jump in!
Clean skincare secrets
When I was thinking about the elements of my skincare routine and what goes into maintaining a healthy complexion, I realized it is SO much more than finding a good cleanser.
This is something I didn’t learn or understand for a long time. I thought I just hadn’t yet come across the holy grail of cleansers, and that explained why my skin was always somehow both too oily and too dry at the same time, why my chin was forever broken out, and why I never felt comfortable showing my bare face to even my female roommates or close friends.
If you’ve been believing this lie, I’m here to tell you there is a better way!! You don’t have to slather your face in harsh ingredients or sculpt the perfect skin from pounds of makeup.
If you’re ready to start making some changes and seeing better results, read on, my friend.
1. Inside out: building beautiful skin from a solid foundation
We’re not talking about liquid matte foundation, ladies. The foundation I’m talking about here is your insides.
We all sort of know that what we eat matters, but how many of us actually pay attention to the nutrients we’re giving our bodies each day? Not enough, I’ll tell you that.
Our skin is our body’s largest organ, and it can’t perform at its highest level if it’s not being cared for properly. This doesn’t just mean you’re putting the right stuff on the outside. Our bodies need vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, proteins, water, and other nutrients in order to do what they were designed to do, and they can’t do a very good job if resources are depleted.
Why you should care about toxins
Additionally, our skin is designed to detoxify, meaning that any toxins we consume have to come out one way or another. Sometimes that’s, well, poop. (Everybody poops, people.) Other times, toxins are forced out through our skin. We experience this in the form of body odor, oily-ness, and acne.
Gross, right? But also kind of cool?
Toxins show up in our lives in many ways:
- In popular skincare and personal products
- In processed food
- In external exposures like car fumes, pollution, smoke, candles, etc.
While it’s basically impossible to remove every single potentially toxic element from your life, it is more than possible to start taking charge of the things you CAN control – the food you buy, the cleaning products you use, and the skincare, creams, cosmetics, and soaps you allow into your own home and body.
Water, vitamins, and supplements
One of the first changes to make that is virtually free is to start drinking more water. The amount you should aim for each day varies depending on your gender, age, and weight, but the number (in ounces) will be somewhere around half of your body weight.
While you work on building this habit, I’d recommend either logging your daily water intake in a bullet journal, a spreadsheet, a lil chart on your fridge, an app on your phone, whatever works best for you. I personally love a good water tracker app. Right now I’m using one called Plant Nanny, and every time I log my water for the day, I help my little digital plants grow! (If I don’t log it for a while, they start to die ☹️)
If you’re a Young Living fan like I am, here are a few of the top vitamins and supplements I’d recommend for skin support specifically:
- NingXia Red (This one is a daily MUST for me!! Read all about it.)
- Sulfurzyme
- Multigreens
- Super B
- Vitamin C
In general, other nutrients I focus on for healthy skin are:
- Collagen peptides
- Protein
- Antioxidants
Don’t have oils yet? When you get a Young Living starter kit with me, you also get:
– Direct support from me
– Access to the Member Library and my private community
– Wholesale discount on all products, including oils, supplements, Ningxia, skincare, and more!
Click here to get your starter kit – I can hardly wait to welcome you in!
2. Which skincare line to use
In general, your best success will come from a skincare line that is safe, non-toxic, doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients, and on the contrary it should be packed full of ingredients that feed, nourish, and help to heal your skin.
My skin is ultra-sensitive, and pretty much every skincare regimen I used in high school or college caused irritation, redness, puffiness, itching, burning, etc. etc. I pretty much thought that’s what skincare did, that if it didn’t burn a little it wasn’t working. Now I LAUGH.
Your skinCARE should not hurt you. It should not be the cause of flare-ups or even minor irritation.
Once I found essential oils and Young Living’s ART cleansing trio, I switched over and never looked back. It’s gentle but effective, and my skin has never looked better.
Side note: I also gradually got rid of all my old makeup and switched everything over to Young Living’s Savvy Minerals makeup. There’s so much to say about this makeup, I teach an entire workshop on just this.
ART skincare
What’s in the system: Cleanser, Toner, and Moisturizer
Who’s it for: All skin types
The gist: ART is the go-to skincare line. If skincare makes your head spin, start here. The core of it is just three straightforward products that can be used day or night, and fit seamlessly in any routine.
Orange Blossom
What’s in the system: Cleanser and Moisturizer
Who’s it for: Normal to oily skin
The gist: Orange Blossom is especially great for teens, men, or women with very low-maintenance skin needs. It’s a more neutral scent compared to ART’s more floral notes. Those with dry skin can use this system, but may also want to add in a serum or heavy moisturizer at night.
Bloom
What’s in the system: Cleanser, Brightening Essence, and Lotion
Who’s it for: All skin types
The gist: Bloom’s superpower is brightening and evening out skin tone. I love the instant dewy effect and tend to use this line in the morning before applying makeup, but I like to finish my day with ART for that deep clean feeling you get with a toner.
3. Using essential oils as skincare
This is where the free cheat sheet comes in handy. There are a lot of oils you can use as part of a natural skincare routine, but keep this in mind while you’re figuring this part out:
- Not all brands of essential oils are created equally. Many are NOT safe to use directly on the skin. This is why I’ll tell you over and over and over again that I only use Young Living.
- Every body is different. It may take some trial and error to figure out which oils work best for YOU. The chemical makeup of your body is different from mine, so an oil that works wonders for you may not be the best solution for me.
- Practice using your intuition. This might sound a little woo-woo hippie-dippy, but your body will tell you what it wants if you just take a second to listen. When you are naturally drawn to an oil, even (or especially) if you can’t pinpoint exactly why that is, start there!
My all-time favorite oil for skin
I’m not going to spoil the whole list here, but I will highlight my ultimate favorite essential oil for skin and tell you a little about it!
Lavender is known as the Swiss army knife of oils because it has so many benefits and uses. In an effort to be compliant, I’m not going to share exact examples here, but I will tell you two things:
- Never run out of Lavender; it’s good for literally everything.
- Do your research and draw your own conclusions 🙃 I’m not a doctor and can’t legally suggest anything about healing/ fixing/ solving health issues, but the research is out there if you look for it. Also, please do your best to read between the lines of everything I write.
4. Ways to use oils in your routine
Here are a few ideas to help you start implementing a cleaner and healthier skincare routine with the help of essential oils and other natural ingredients:
- Apply oils neat to your face following your cleansing routine. (Again, Young Living only.)
- If desired, spot treat targeted areas with oils rather than applying to your entire face.
- Combine your favorite skin support oils in a roller and top with a carrier (fatty plant-based oil) for easy application.
- Add a few drops to your moisturizer.
- Combine with bentonite clay for a face mask.
- Diffuse for calming, soothing environment; better sleep + less stress = healthier skin!
- Add Vitality oils to your water (in a glass or stainless steel container).
- Try out one of the recipes on the free cheat sheet.
Your best skin ever is in reach
The biggest thing to remember as you start (or continue) cleaning up your skincare routine is that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Take time to really build and solidify good habits, and if it’s not second nature immediately don’t give up or let yourself feel discouraged for long!
You might already have a lot of good healthy habits in place, or maybe at this point you’re just trying to drink less soda and more water. Wherever you’re starting, being kind to yourself and don’t stress if the progress feels slow. If you forget your vitamins one day, don’t beat yourself up. These habits will come more naturally the more you do them.
If you’re an all-in kind of person, go for it! Overhaul everything and kick some ass, woman.
If you’re dipping your toes in, start by replacing one product at time as your old stuff runs out. You, too, can kick ass at your own pace.
Whichever path you’ve chosen, send me a message and we’ll customize a shopping list for you together.
Cheers to you, mama, your best skin is within reach!
