Your body is meant to work hand-in-hand with nature. Your skin is your body’s largest organ and it’s responsible for transporting things from the outside world to your bloodstream and internal organs. As such, slathering on chemical after chemical doesn’t seem like such a great idea.
Your precious protector is made of skin cells, collagen, sebaceous glands, and other complicated science-y terms. But if you find that confusing, don’t get discouraged. Once you get down to the basics, it’s easy to take excellent care of your skin.
Today, we’ll discuss the best natural skincare routine for both men and women. It will reconnect your skin with Mother Nature!
Why is a Skincare Routine Important?
It might seem like the most natural skincare routine is to have no routine at all. However, all skin types need natural ingredients to help them thrive. Whether your goal is anti-aging or reducing breakouts, the right natural skincare routine can help you get there.
While a lot of nutrients from your diet get transported to your skin, the skin’s
microbiome and surface layers rarely come into contact with this essential nutrition. The skin requires nutrients to thrive. True botanicals can provide this nutrition without gross additives and preservatives.
Also, most people’s skin simply doesn’t shed itself fast enough in order to prevent clogged pores, breakouts, and dry skin. So it’s important to introduce gentle exfoliation, preferably with chemical exfoliants, to get rid of dead skin cells.
Another important reason to have a skincare routine is to kill acne-causing bacteria. Many skincare products have antibacterial ingredients that eliminate bacteria at the source, which prevents future breakouts.
Why Using Natural Products is Crucial
The body is not meant to come into contact with harmful chemicals that reduce symptoms without healing the cause. Preservatives designed to increase the shelf life of skincare products often lead to irritation, especially for sensitive skin, and some ingredients even inhibit the production of new skin cells.
Many mainstream skincare products contain carcinogens that have been linked to skin cancers, like parabens, sulfates, and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. It’s much better to stick to clean beauty. Better safe than sorry!
Sadly, a few brands ‘greenwash’ themselves, which means they use deceptive
packaging and wording to make their products seem natural. Yet they don’t use organic ingredients. Sticking to organic skin care products helps prevent exposure to dangerous pesticides and unnatural GMOs, also known as genetically modified organisms.
The Steps
Now that we know why a natural skincare routine is important, let’s look at how to build a routine tailored to your skin type!
STEP 1: CLEANSER
A cleanser is the first step in a skincare routine, unless you wear makeup. Always remove your makeup before cleansing. A cleanser will remove dirt, debris, and makeup particle stragglers that clog your pores and cause blackheads, whiteheads, and other forms of acne.
The right cleanser depends on your skin type:
If you have acne-prone or oily skin, try out a gel cleanser with antiseptic properties to pull oil from the pores while killing bacteria.
If you have dry or sensitive skin, stick with a gentle cream cleanser that is much more hydrating and less harsh on the skin.
If your skin type is more of a combination of dry and oily, a foam cleanser is basically the in-between of a gel and cream cleanser.
If you wear a lot of face makeup, give an oil-based cleanser a go. The oil in the cleanser mixes with your naturally-produced face oils to create a makeup-removing powerhouse that won’t clog your pores.
When picking out the right natural skin cleanser, there are some things to look for. First, don’t be deceived by green packaging and words like ‘more natural,’ ‘no parabens,’ and ‘97% naturally derived,’ because even that 3% of chemicals can be damaging to your skin.
Next, read the ingredient label and have your smartphone handy. Think Dirty is a free app that scans beauty products and tells you exactly what’s in them, as well as alerting you to potential carcinogen risks and other nasties you should know about.
Finally, be sure that there is a cruelty-free bunny printed somewhere on the package. That means the products weren’t tested on animals!
To use, you should use your cleanser morning and night to remove sweat from sleep and the dirt of the day. Read the back of the packaging for more specific directions.
STEP 2. TONER
Toners are an often neglected part of a skincare routine, yet their role is very important. Toners help balance the skin’s pH while minimizing the appearance of pores. They also provide a second-cleansing to the skin.
Toners are usually alcohol-based and very thin. They’re applied with the help of
a cotton round or are sprayed onto the face to remove excess dirt, oil, and makeup from the pores.
But since most mainstream toners are alcohol-based, they’re not suitable for very dry or sensitive skin types. PURA D’OR Rose Water is USDA Certified Organic and contains zero percent alcohol. It is great for all skin types and helps to calm irritated, acne-prone skin while clearing pores.
This natural and organic toner balances the skin’s pH to control excess oil production and leaves your skin looking radiant.
To use, gently spritz the product over your face and neck and hand-fan it to dry.
STEP 3: SERUM
Serums are skincare liquids that contain highly concentrated nutrients and active ingredients with immense benefits for skin health. Vitamin C serums are among the most popular since Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant and lightener that reduces the appearance of dark spots while encouraging new skin cell growth.
The PURA D’OR 25% Vitamin C Serum also includes a bonus derma roller that penetrates the skin’s surface layers to increase the serum’s depth ratio. This increases circulation in a safe, painless way and plumps up the skin for a youthful, wrinkle-free look.
The serum also has Retinol in its formulation. Retinol is a crucial anti-aging ingredient that boosts cell turnover and reduces the darkness of age spots and acne scars.
If you’re looking for smoother, softer, more even skin, Vitamin C Serum is a natural product you need in your beauty cabinet.
To use, apply this serum in the morning after cleansing and toning. Continue with your morning routine. At night, repeat this process.
Once or twice a week during your night routine, skip the toner and gently roll the derma roller across your skin. Apply Vitamin C serum and continue with the rest of your routine.
STEP 4: SEALANT
After using the rose water toner and Vitamin C serum, your skin will be very dewy and glowy. To protect this hydration, it’s important to seal it in with a natural, non-comedogenic (non-pore-clogging) sealant.
Vegetable glycerin is a natural hydration protectant that encases the skin in a sheath of anti-dryness protection. Though glycerin isn’t widely known, major celebrities like Selena Gomez and Ashley Graham swear by it to lock in much-needed moisture.
To learn more about glycerin, check out this helpful Vogue article.
There are two types of glycerin: animal-based and vegetable-based. Animal-based glycerin is typically what you find in the mainstream beauty products seen on drugstore shelves since it is cheaper to produce as a byproduct of the meat industry.
Note: Just because a product’s packaging says cruelty-free does NOT mean
that the ingredients are vegan-friendly. It just means that they aren’t tested on animals.
Not to worry! PURA D’OR Vegetable Glycerin is 100% vegetable based and USDA Certified Organic, so you don’t have to worry about harming our furry friends. Glycerin is a humectant, which means that it seals moisture from previous products AND draws in water from the air. In fact, it’s even more beneficial for dry skin than hyaluronic acid!
To use, just spray it on your face and neck to improve water retention.
STEP 5: MOISTURIZER
Moisturizer is a ride-or-die product that everybody needs. A common misconception is that people with oily skin should not be using moisturizer, but the truth is that everybody needs a little extra hydration in their skin!
The PURA D’OR Golden Glow Face Cream is a day and night cream that brings in tons of water and rare, exotic active ingredients from all over the world into one pot. It is formulated with 24K gold to keep moisture in and free radicals out. Its other ingredients, like Mediterranean rosemary (which increases blood flow), work together to boost skin function in all areas.
These anti-aging ingredients help to create firm, supple skin while reducing the appearance of wrinkles and preventing the production of new ones.
To use, massage a dime-sized amount into your face and neck morning and night.
STEP 6: FACE OIL
Face oils are non-comedogenic, lightweight oils that help to boost skin function
and reduce water evaporation. If you can’t tell by now, it’s extremely important for water to stay in the skin!
Even oily skin types require face oil. In fact, some skincare oils may even reduce the production of sebum (your natural skin oil) for less oiliness in the long run.
Argan oil is one of the most popular skincare oils on the market. PURA DOR’s Argan Oil is USDA Organic. It’s gentle and helps create a supple, baby-smooth face. It contains naturally-occurring antioxidants that reduce free radical interaction and can be used on the face, hair, nails, and body.
Rosehip seed oil is another fan favorite. It contains a wide array of fatty acids that heal the skin from the outside. It reduces the appearance of scars, stretch 
marks, and dark spots. Like its cousin Rose Water, rosehip seed oil balances the pH of the skin for more regulated sebum production.
PURA D’OR Rosehip Seed Oil is 100% Organic and pure for your peace of mind.
To use, apply a few drops and massage into the face and neck, morning and night, for a glowy, radiant finish.
For Men: Beard Oil
To men who are growing out a beard: It’s not as easy as it looks, is it? Grooming, growing, and maintaining your ‘stache and beard isn’t as simple as
just not shaving. You need to encourage the hair follicles to grow evenly and thickly for a less-sparse appearance.
PURA D’OR Beard Oil is formulated with organic, natural oils that boost beard growth and thickness. It contains argan and jojoba oils which condition the beard while reducing skin dryness for more comfort.
Argan oil is cold-pressed from kernels of the argan tree and protects beard hairs from breakage and tangles. Jojoba oil has natural antifungal and antibacterial properties that reduce ingrown hairs and keep your beard fresh.
To use, massage a few drops between your fingers to warm the oil up. Then, work the oil into the skin and beard and style as desired.
STEP 7: SUNSCREEN
Sunscreen is the last but not the least step of your natural skincare routine. Dermatologists recommend using at least SPF 30 to protect your skin from harmful UV radiation.
Be sure to use a natural mineral-based sunscreen instead of something with a chemical formulation. Also, ensure that the product is designed for the face and not the body since the average sunscreen is much too heavy to be used on delicate facial skin.
To use, follow the directions on the back of the sunscreen bottle in the morning, even if it’s cloudy out. You can skip this step before bed.
About PURA D’OR
PURA D’OR was founded in 2011 with one mission: to provide people all over the world with healthy, natural, organic skincare and beauty products that combine nature and science in a bottle.
We believe that purity in beauty is essential. That’s why we’re committed to searching the globe for the highest-quality ingredients without sacrificing plants, animals, or people. We’re 100 percent cruelty-free and fair trade.
Please read our website’s “Our Story” section to learn more about our journey towards healing the earth while giving our customers real results. Don’t forget to visit our full skincare catalog, too. Radiant, dewy, youthful skin is calling!