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My main goal for 2023 was to develop and sustain a skincare routine. I am so glad that I stuck with it, and now it has become a key part of my nighttime routine. My body is used to it and I automatically feel tired when doing my evening skincare. I am calling it my eco-conscious skincare routine because I know it isn’t perfect. It can be hard to find products that are vegan, cruelty-free and good for sensitive skin/acne. Add this on without containing sweet almond oil which I am allergic to!
What do I mean by an eco-conscious skincare routine?
This is something I have just come up with! But what I mean is that maybe a product I use is vegan but maybe the entire company isn’t. I try to use cruelty-free brands. Sometimes I am okay with a product not being vegan if it is beeswax or something similar. Some products that I use aren’t cruelty-free or vegan which I am trying to change. Plastic is definitely an issue, but it is not currently my top priority with skincare.
My skincare routine
In this blog post, I am going to share my nighttime skincare routine. A lot of the products are the same for my morning and nighttime routine and this is a pretty basic routine because my skin is so sensitive. I like to stick with a new product until I am confident that it isn’t upsetting my routine. Then if there is another product I want to use, I will start using it in small amounts.
Step 1: Remove make-up/first cleanse
To start you should always remove your make-up! There’s nothing worse than falling asleep in makeup and seeing it all over your pillow the next morning. Something I used to do a lot when I was a teenager… I use micellar water with a reusable makeup round. Sometimes if I have more energy, I will use The Body Shop’s Camomile Cleansing Balm as the makeup literally melts away. The camomile balm is vegan, cruelty-free and eco-friendly as it comes in a tin which you can take back to the store.
I do like the Camomile Cleansing Balm but I am on the lookout for something else as it contains a pore-clogging ingredient at the top of the list! I use this pore-clogging ingredient checker. So far, the top of the list for me is The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser. But please let me know if you have any recommendations ♡.
Step 2: Second cleanse
To cleanse, I use the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser which is a brand that isn’t cruelty-free. When I bought the cleanser, I didn’t realise that they weren’t cruelty-free. Now that I know, I am aiming to use it all up because otherwise, it is wasteful. However, my skin is really sensitive so I’m a bit nervous about using a new cleanser. Originally I was using Simple’s cleanser but then found out that the brand isn’t cruelty-free and I think the moisturiser was pore-clogging.
I have now looked into if Cetaphil tests on animals, and they say that they only do so when required by law. I think this is for countries like China where it is the law. But, I think the products are made in China and shipped. So ultimately, they do test on animals and are not cruelty-free. Furthermore, the brand is owned by a parent company called Galderma, which is not cruelty-free either!
This product is vegan, but cruelty-free is a higher priority for me. The following products are what I am next going to try out. Thankfully Elf does travel minis so I can try it out without wasting money & product!
- Elf Holy Hydration! Daily Face Cleanser
- BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser
Continue reading: My eco-conscious skincare routine
Step 3: Treat the skin
For the last few months, I have been using the FaceTheory Porebright Serum N10 which I absolutely LOVE! It has really reduced the redness of my skin. Now the redness that is left is from current spots/ ones that I don’t leave alone.
Something that I love about this product is how few ingredients it has. The ingredients list – Aqua, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Sodium Lactate, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Azelaic Acid and Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice. They all have a purpose, and I already knew that Aloe Vera doesn’t upset me so I was good to go. I started off using just one drop for my whole face. Now, I use a few because I know my skin is used to it.
I first saw Claire mention her love of FaceTheory and I was so upset that most of their products have sweet almond oil in them. Then when I wanted to add a serum to my skincare routine, I came across the Porebright serum and was so happy. My cousin also recommended it to me last year, and I only wish I had started using it earlier.
Once or twice a week I am now using the CeraVe Resurfancy Retinol Serum. CeraVe is also not vegan or cruelty-free but this is something I will just have to ignore for now. Retinol is supposed to be really good for acne, and this seemed like the best one for sensitive skin. I am only using a pea-sized amount at the moment to try and minimise the irritation. Obviously, when I use this, I do not use the FaceTheory Serum.
Step 4: Moisturise
Once again, I am currently using Cetaphil because it is soothing. I am using the Daily Defence Moisturiser SPF 50 which I have been using for a few years now. I even mentioned it in ‘My Lockdown Favourites‘ blog post. This product isn’t vegan or cruelty-free so I desperately want to switch to something better. I love that the SPF is built into this product, as it always ensures that I wear suncream – even in the winter.
I have tried out The Inkey List Omega Water Cream moisturiser but it didn’t really suit me. Next, I would like to try out Purito Oat-in Calming Gel Cream which is vegan and cruelty-free. I think oat is a pretty safe bet, and it also contains squalane which hydrates and nourishes the skin.
For my morning skincare routine, I use pretty much exactly the same products. I also use Elf Hydrating Coconut Mist* for some extra hydration! The main sun cream I have been looking to try out for the AM is the Purito Daily Go-To Sunscreen.
I would really appreciate it if you could recommend me any vegan and cruelty-free products you use! I have combination, sensitive & acne-prone skin. I looked at Lush but unfortunately, most of their products contain almond or argan oil which I’m allergic to.
Do you have an eco-conscious skincare routine?
Caroline ♡
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This is pretty much how my nighttime skincare routine looks! I always do a double-cleanse, my skin always feels so refreshed afterwards! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I need to find another oil-based cleanser so I can continue this! x
Over the last couple of years, I have significantly reduced the number of skincare products I use. I use a Norwex cloth for cleansing. In the morning, I use a facial oil bar from Lush. At night, I use coconut oil.
I wish Lush had more products without argan/almond oil 🙁 I really think less is more with skincare!
I agree with you. When I think of all the money I spent over the years!
Such a brilliant and refreshing read. It really bothers me when I see influencers showing off their mountains of skincare, all I think is: why!?
Rosie
Thank you Rosie, totally agree!
Lovely post, Caroline! I’m also trying to be more eco conscious this year and this post has been helpful. I’ve never tried Cetaphil before, but I think it will work on my skin as well! x Penny | whatdidshetype.com
Thank you x
This is such a nice post, over the past year I’ve been upping my skincare game and this is great reference! Thanks for sharing
Thank you 🙂
A double cleanse is so important, always a must in my own skincare routine!
100%
I love your eco-conscious skincare routine! It’s great that Elf has minis, I wish more brands offered this. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, it would be so much better if more mini samples were offered!
Once can never go wrong with eco-conscious skincare as it not only good for the planet but also the skin. I have found over the years that you don’t need a ton of products as they say the less the better.
Definitely, thank you