I once watched the video of a famous young actress going through her skincare routine and wanted to cry. She used close to 20 products on her 20-something skin. It was overwhelming and unnecessary; she was beautiful and had perfect skin that needed so little. It was mind boggling. Personally, I would find all those steps burdensome and a waste of money. I love the simplicity of a straightforward skincare routine packed with plant-based ingredients — and so does my troubled skin.
After a lifetime of skin sensitivity and struggles, I have found that a simple routine that incorporates simple products benefits my sensitive skin the most.
What are my skin troubles? A bunch.
I can’t use products loaded with hard-core actives meant to be anti-aging ( acids, vitamins a & c). The other brands I have tried that incorporate these are too harsh for my skin and leave it red and painful.
Also, I have also found my acne-prone skin exaggerates my skincare woes immensely. Too much heavy oil in a product and I get clogged pores, acne and rosacea spots. Not enough hydration and my skin is dry and uncomfortable, with acne and rosacea spots. Too much exfoliation and I end up with rosacea. Too little exfoliation and I get acne. Ughh. It’s a tough balancing act.
Finally, I’ve noticed that chemicals are becoming more of an irritant for me lately, and even some of the most “safe” chemicals make my skin sad. I’ve found the more organic, plant-based ingredients a product uses the better it performs for my skin.
These issues made it hard to find my comfort zone with a natural skincare routine – and that’s a big reason Nathalie and I decided to develop our skincare line.
Here’s my lineup and how I use each product:
First, I cleanse with Starling’s Calm Cleanser. It keeps my skin free of redness and works well to balance oil production. This is my secret weapon to keep the breakouts at bay. It also contains Pink Kaolin Clay, which acts as a mild exfoliant. It keeps my skin gently exfoliated and fresh.
If my skin looks tired and needs an extra boost, I use Calm Cleanser on clean skin as a masque and leave it on for about three minutes. You can feel the clay and frankincense doing the good work of deep cleaning your pores. Then I remove with a warm, wet wash cloth.
Second, I apply Super Boost Hyaluronic Serum to my damp clean skin. I let it sink in for a good 30-40 seconds to make sure it is absorbed. If your skin has a slightly tacky feel, don’t worry: the serum sinks in beautifully and makes your skin feel so calm. Upon application, I can really feel the hydration boost happening. It creates a glow to my skin that I just can’t replicate with other products. So completely natural and healthy!
Last, I moisturize. During the day I use our Revive Anti-Aging Serum. It’s a light, non-greasy serum that sinks right in. It’s gentle but loaded with hard-working oils that brighten and combat uneven skin tone, improve moisture-barrier health, and create supple, firm skin. It works for me and keeps my skin hydrated and moisturized all day, while keeping acne spots at bay.
This brings me to my last note: We know we are missing a built-for-sensitive skin moisturizer. We’re working on it! At night I use our “moisturizer in development”. It is built for sensitive skin and contains no nuts, gluten or soy, and it’s free of irritants and chemically based ingredients. It’s working beautifully, but we’re still testing it for efficaciousness and stability. We hope to launch it by March of this year. Stay tuned!