Need Help Choosing Natural Skin Care?
Ready-to-go routines for common skin types and concerns
Updated on October 30, 2018 Written by: 100% PURE®
Ready to rescue your suffering skin? A structured natural skin care routine could be just what you need. If you suffer from dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, large pores, melasma, or aging skin, follow this guide to get your clean beauty routine on track! We’ll help you identify your specific skin symptoms, and give you a breakdown of your ideal options. Get ready to meet your hand-picked skin rescue squad!
Natural Skin Care For: DRY SKIN
Common Dry Skin Symptoms:
- Itchiness
- Irritation
- Makeup ‘catches’ on dry spots
- Increased itchiness and irritation while wearing makeup
- Makeup flakes off
Your Facial Cleanser: Coconut Oil Cleansing Milk
This luxuriously rich and extra gentle facial cleanser only has a handful of ingredients, making it a great option for dry or sensitive skin types. Deeply moisturizing organic coconut oil and coconut milk plus hydrating organic coconut water create the ideal trio for nourishing drier skin types, while proteins from coconut replenish weakened, flaking skin and promote collagen production. Potassium cocoate is also derived from coconut, and serves as a super gentle cleansing agent for dry or sensitive skin types. Other cleanser options for dry skin: Argan Oil Creamy Cleanser and Blood Orange Cleansing Balm.
Your Facial Toner: Restorative Sea Culture Hydrating Toner
This natural toner spells instant, water drenching relief for dry skin. Chia water, hyaluronic acid (1g can retain up to six liters of water), algae, and sea kelp pack heavy doses of water, so applying them together within a single toner is a recipe for quenching thirsty skin. The intensely hydrating ingredients in this sea mineral-rich toner will replenish dry skin and re-plump where hydration and elasticity are lacking.
Your Facial Serum: Restorative Sea Culture Replenishing Serum
The ultra light, soft gel texture of this facial serum will pack hydration deep within skin’s pores, making for a long lasting thirst quencher to be locked in by your moisturizer. Seaweed polysaccharides hydrate and plump to return youthful elasticity and suppleness to dry skin, while olive squalane prolongs hydration.
Your Facial Moisturizer: Hydra Drench Cream
Hydrating superstars rose water, chia gel, nopal cactus, and hyaluronic acid provide a final seal to lock your lineup of H2O packed products into dry skin. Chia water and chia oil are packed with omega fatty acids to plump, firm, and fortify skin. Non-clogging oils from chia and coconut are paired with skin softening shea butter to retain all of those wonderful hydrating nutrients that were delivered into dry skin by your cleanser, toner, and serum. Other moisturizer options for dry skin: Restorative Sea Culture Extra Riche Creme.
Natural Skin Care For: OILY SKIN
Common Oily Skin Symptoms:
- Increased likelihood for blackheads due to buildup
- Increased likelihood for acne due to buildup
- Excess oil ‘catches’ dirt and environmental debris
- Excess shine on forehead, nose, chin
- Makeup slides off, clusters, or smears throughout the day
- Eye makeup creases and smudges more easily
Your Facial Cleanser: Tea Tree & Willow Clarifying Cleanser
The degreasing combination of tea tree and witch hazel cuts through excess oil to reduce buildup and shine; two common complaints for oily skin types. Purifying herbs and organic lemon water wash away dirt and grime caught within surface oil buildup and from within pores, resulting in a deep and refreshing cleanse for oily skin. Other cleanser options for oily skin: Charcoal Clay Cleanser.
Your Facial Toner: Tea Tree & Willow Clarifying Astringent
Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory turmeric, willow bark, and tea tree tone and soothe acne and inflammation caused by excess oil buildup. Load up a cotton ball with this purifying astringent and swipe your way to deeply cleansed, purified, and totally de-greased skin. With the soothing duo of cleanser and toner, your no-longer-oily skin will be prepped and primed without feeling dry or stripped.
Your Facial Serum: Green Tea EGCG Concentrate Serum
Stimulating doses of caffeine from yerba mate and green tea help to tighten pores, resulting in reduced sebum production. Ultra light base of organic aloe water and light, non-comedogenic oils of rosehip and avocado deeply penetrate skin to instill vital nourishment without being heavy or adding unnecessary oil to your skin.
Your Facial Moisturizer: Green Tea EGCG Concentrate Cream
As with your facial serum, caffeine from yerba mate and green tea will help to stimulate circulation and tighten pores, resulting in reduced sebum production. Green tea tea oil continues this stimulating effect while adding necessary nourishment for skin. Other moisturizer options for oily skin: Hydra Drench Cream.
Natural Skin Care For: SENSITIVE SKIN
Common Sensitive Skin Symptoms:
- Skin is easily irritated by certain ingredients
- Increased likelihood for redness, inflammation, and rashes
- Itching or burning sensations may occur when using the wrong product
- Often uses same products for years without changing, even if ingredients are unsafe for skin
- Less likely to wear more products for fear of triggering adverse skin reactions
PRO TIP: Got sensitive skin? Always remember to patch-test before using new skin care!
Your Facial Cleanser: Coconut Oil Cleansing Milk
The short ingredient list for this gently cleansing, hydrating, and moisturizing face wash makes for a safe and effective option for sensitive skin types. Skin healthy fatty acids plus deeply nourishing moisture from coconut derived ingredients will leave skin gently cleansed and ultra soft. Other cleanser options for sensitive skin: Argan Oil Creamy Cleanser.Argan Oil Creamy Cleanser..
Your Facial Toner: Restorative Sea Culture Hydrating Toner
Gentle aloe, chia water, and alcohol-free witch hazel are all super soothing and packed with hydration, skin plumping omega fatty acids, and anti-inflammatory benefits for sensitive skin. Delivering hydration is important for sensitive skin types because as your skin becomes dehydrated, sensitivity and risk of irritation increases exponentially.
Your Facial Serum: Restorative Sea Culture Replenishing Serum
This deeply hydrating serum has a light gel body that feels like a cool, soothing sip of water for skin. If you’d like to skip the serum, try a facial oil like our Argan Oil; an especially good option if you prefer to avoid or take it easy with essential oils.
Your Facial Moisturizer: Restorative Sea Culture Extra Riche Créme
This moisturizer feels rich and slightly thick, but spreads easily and rests lightly on skin. The nourishing minerals in sea vegetables and sea cultures hydrate and fortify any skin type, while remaining gentle enough for sensitive skin. Other moisturizer options for sensitive skin: Hydra Drench Cream.
Natural Skin Care For: LARGE PORES
Common Skin Symptoms of Large Pores:
- Increased oil production
- Increased ability to gather dirt and oil
- Increased likelihood for acne, blackheads
- More clogged pores
- Makeup settles inside pores
- Makeup appears less refined, smooth
Your Facial Cleanser: Charcoal Clay Cleanser
Activated bamboo charcoal and volcanic ash flush environmental debris like dirt, smog, and dust from deep within pores; a helpful asset when larger pores tend to allow for uninvited guests that can make pore look even larger. Charcoal also acts as a carbon magnet for debris and toxins, and volcanic ash and organic lemon water have the ability to constrict pores, therefore minimizing their appearance. Excess oil tends to be a major side effect of larger pores, and both lemon water and lemon extract are superb for degreasing skin.
Your Facial Toner: Tea Tree & Willow Clarifying Astringent
The potent botanical power of pure tea tree oil is a tried and true method for shrinking large, ‘open’ pores. Turmeric, willow bark, and tea tree tone and soothe while cutting through excess oil buildup: a major side effect of larger pores.
Your Facial Serum: Green Tea EGCG Concentrate Serum
The potent doses of caffeine from yerba mate and green tea help to tighten pores by stimulating and increasing circulation in skin. The extra boost of hydration from aloe and hyaluronic acid will instill hydration deep into pores after they’ve been purged by your cleanser and toner. PM serum option for large pores: Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants Potent PM Serum.
Your Facial Moisturizer: Green Tea EGCG Concentrate Cream
Keep with the pore-tightening by using a caffeine rich moisturizer with a lightweight body. The purifying essential oils in this formula will help to keep pores clean and clarified; remember, clogged pores = larger looking pores!
Natural Skin Care For: MELASMA
Common Skin Symptoms of Melasma:
- Can include dark spots, age spots, sun spots, and acne scars
- May look like increased quantity of freckles
- Spots form mainly on cheeks, nose, and forehead
- Can create a ‘mask’ over lighter, fresher skin, resulting in an overall dark or muddled skin tone
- Inhibits appearance of more youthful, glowing skin
Your Facial Cleanser: Fermented Rice Water Cleanser
We’re super excited about this particular line of naturally brightening products because A) they’re expertly formulated to yield specific results and B) they’re totally safe, natural, and organic. This brightening cleanser formula breaks down both dead and discolored skin at the skin’s top-most layer with natural enzymes from fermented rice water, pineapple, and papaya.
Your Facial Toner: Fermented Rice Water Toner
Double up your brightening routine with a skin softening, complexion balancing toner. The mega-brightening-blend of white mulberry, matsutake mushroom, licorice, lemon, and grapefruit are all naturally melanin-regulating ingredients that will lighten appearance of dark spots caused by age, hormonal change, or sun damage.
Your Facial Serum: Fermented Rice Water Serum
Deliver a third punch of skin-brightening ingredients to skin while delivering deep hydration from aloe and skin softening moisture from avocado oil. This organic serum contains a hefty dose of arbutin, a melanin-inhibitor extracted from the bearberry plant. This safe and effective skin brightener regulates melanin production: the pigment in our skin that overproduces during stress, UV overexposure, or hormonal change. You don’t want to stop melanin production altogether and cause a further imbalance in pigmentation, so using a carefully formulated natural skin brightening serum is important! PM serum options for melasma: Dark Spot Remover or Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants Potent PM Serum.
Your Facial Moisturizer: Green Tea EGCG Concentrate Cream
Caffeine naturally brightens and awakens skin, thanks to its potent antioxidant properties. This alkaloid can protect cells against that UV radiation, a main cause of melasma. Caffeine from both yerba mate and green tea also slows the photoaging process in skin, making this natural moisturizer a handy tool for not only softening skin, but preventing further skin darkening and pigmentation. PM moisturizer options for melasma: Multi-Vitamins + Antioxidants Ultra Riche PM Treatment or Retinol Restorative Overnight Balm.
Natural Skin Care For: AGING SKIN
Common Symptoms of Aging Skin:
- Skin appears crepey, thin, or dry
- Increased appearance of dark spots/ melasma
- Fine lines and wrinkles appear around eyes, lips, nose, jawline, and forehead
- Skin appears lackluster/ dull
- Skin appears to droop around eyelids, jawline, corners of mouth, and neck (loss of firmness)
Your Facial Cleanser: Blood Orange Cleansing Balm
The key to cleansing aging skin is keeping it hydrated, and infusing it with elasticity-boosting moisturizers. This cleansing balm is a luxurious, powerful cleanser that can loosen even the most stubborn makeup, dirt, and oil. Avocado, coconut, and olive oils enhance youthful suppleness in skin, while aiding in moisture retention and increased elasticity. Antibacterial and degreasing blood orange essential oil purifies while the moisturizing oils in this balm are wiped away, to reveal brighter, more supple skin.
Your Facial Toner: Restorative Sea Culture Hydrating Toner
Using gelatinous sea kelp, algae, and chia water, this toner applies thirst quenching hydration for increased suppleness and more plump, elastic feeling skin. Sea kelp and algae temporarily tighten the skin as they re-mineralize and draw out impurities, resulting in increased firmness and skin that’s supremely more supple to the touch. Other toner options for aging skin: Fermented Rice Water Toner.
Your Facial Serum: Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants Potent PM Serum
This anti-aging powerhouse is not to be trifled with. High dosages of vegan vitamins work skin care wonders for multiple signs of aging: 10% vitamin C boosts collagen and elastin production and brightens, 10% niacinamide increases ceramide levels for moisture and suppleness, and 10% vitamin E restores damaged skin and protects from future free radical damage. 1% retinol and 1% CoQ10 help to reverse sun damage and break down layers of dry, damaged skin to enhance cellular generation, resulting in fresh layers of more youthful skin. Daytime serum option for aging skin: Restorative Sea Culture Replenishing Serum.
Your Facial Moisturizer: Restorative Sea Culture Extra Riche Créme
This mega rich cream utilizes a deeply moisturizing mix of jojoba and coconut oils plus decadent shea and bacurri butters that soften and increase suppleness in dry, crepey, or aging skin. Skin plumping seaweed polysaccharides and red algae offer increased elasticity for aging skin, paired with skin healthy amino acids and nutrient-rich sea minerals. PM moisturizer options for aging skin: Multi-Vitamins + Antioxidants Ultra Riche PM Treatment or Retinol Restorative Overnight Balm.
How to Identify 6 Common Skin Concerns
On a bad day, the common skin types and concerns listed above can range from slightly inconvenient to downright disruptive. Skin irritations or frustrating patterns can make you feel powerless to their throes of redness, itchiness, and shine, and absolutely desperate for relief. If you’re still unsure about your skin type, check for your symptoms below!
Dry, Flaky Skin
Telltale signs of dry, thirsty skin include itching, irritation, or flaking. Your makeup (is it even worth wearing, when so much of it makes your skin itch?!) ‘catches’ on dry, scaly spots and never seems to apply evenly. Carefully applied makeup flakes off during the day and overall, skin feels tight, itchy, or irritated.
Oily Skin
Oily skin is well known for haunting teens during puberty, but this official skin type is a regular woe for millions of adults, too. Excess oil, aka sebum, production increases your likelihood for blackheads and acne; excess sebum catches and traps dirt and environmental debris thanks to its waxy texture. Shine seems to make a regular appearance on nose, chin, and forehead. Applying makeup can feel like a cruel joke: it slides off, gums up around creases, and is more susceptible to smearing (eye makeup on oily lids has a knack for creasing and smudging much more easily).
Sensitive Skin
This skin type has trouble trying new things, and isn’t likely to expand on its 1 or 2 piece skin care regimen due to the fact that so many variables seem to trigger adverse skin reactions. Skin is easily irritated by certain ingredients (making patch tests a necessity), and has to deal with an increased likelihood of redness, inflammation, and rashes on a daily basis. Itching or burning may occur seemingly at random, making this skin type less likely to leave a current conventional brand for a more natural alternative, for fear of adverse reactions.
Large Pores
Having larger pores tends to increase oil production, and enhances skin’s ability to gather dirt and oil within the pore itself; clogged pores lead to increased occurrence of acne and blackheads. Makeup application can be frustrating due to makeup visibly settling inside the pore, making a refined finish harder to achieve.
Melasma/ Uneven Pigmentation
‘Dark spots’ are the most recognizable name for this common skin care problem, and they tend to make themselves comfortable once they’ve sprung up unless routine action is taken to reverse their appearance. Most commonly caused by overexposure to the elements, or melasma, and age. Women are more likely to develop melasma than men, and can even suffer high hormone-triggered melasma during pregnancy.
Signs of Aging
Possibly the most googled beauty question, “how to look younger” is an obsession that has haunted women (and men!) for ages. The most common signs of aging include fine lines and wrinkles, loss of elasticity and suppleness, age or ‘sun’ spots, dullness, and drooping. Years of sun exposure can adversely affect skin, and most signs of aging are due to accumulated environmental damage.
Make cleansing a must. Finding the right cleanser for your skin type is absolutely crucial. With the right cleanser, you’ll be prepping and priming your skin to receive the beneficial nutrients and treatments that it needs from your other skin care products.
Don’t be afraid: skin care is your friend!We recommend practicing the patch test method for any new skin care, and to experiment until you try something that works. Don’t think that just because you have problematic skin symptoms, you can’t enjoy the maximum benefits of a full skin care regimen. Each and every ingredient is carefully selected by Susie Wang and her Product Development team to be not only made with the most high quality natural ingredients, but also optimally beneficial and synergistic with skin.
Keep a ritual. We don’t mean sticking with that outdated, drugstore face cream that’s packed with questionable synthetic ingredients for the next decade. We want you to dream big when it comes to skin care treatments for skin; this means acquiring and regularly utilizing a small army of customized products that specifically target your particular skin problems. Breaking the routine will only throw your skin out of whack -- keeping a healthy skin care routine will only increase your likelihood of positive results.
Want more natural skin care guides? Learn about the extensive benefits of green tea for skin, the top ingredients for fighting acne, or how we make ultra stable vitamin C for maximum potency! If you’re a makeup junkie, learn 10 ways to apply eyeshadow, find your perfect shade of blush, and check out how to pick the right foundation for your skin type! Keep up to date on useful goodies and guides on our blog feed!
- Tags: October-2018, Shopping Guides, Skin Care
We carefully hand-select products based on strict purity standards, and only recommend products we feel meet this criteria. 100% PURE™ may earn a small commission for products purchased through affiliate links.
The information in this article is for educational use, and not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be used as such.
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