My Daily Makeup and Skincare Routine (with links)

Switching to safer makeup and skincare products wasn’t the last part of my life I tackled, but it also wasn’t the first. It took me some time to make the connection between products being used outside of our body, where it seemed they were safe to be, and the health of our body on the inside. Here are a few pieces of data that caused me to switch initially:

Let’s start with my favorite because some of you have heard me saying one zillion times: our skin is our largest organ. Not our lungs, not our liver, not our large intestine - our skin! And that skin is not barrier as much as it is a sponge. It is porous and 60% or more of everything we apply to our skin is absorbed right into our bloodstream, organs and tissues.

On average, women use a minimum of 12 personal care products a day. From those 12 products they are exposed to an average 168 different chemicals. That is in just one day - every day! Take a second a tally up how many products you use throughout the day on your skin (count your skincare routine, makeup routine, hand soaps, lotions, hair products, sunscreen, bug sprays). I tallied mine and on an average day I use 15 different products!

The ingredients in personal care products are “regulated” by less than 2 pages of legislation that are 80 years old (passed in 1938) and the number of regulators inspecting the 3 million shipments of personal care products coming into the US every year is in the single digits. In the over 80 years since the legislation was passed tens of thousands of new chemicals have flooded the market.

And finally, many of these chemicals are known endocrine disruptors or linked to certain diseases or conditions. Having struggled for so long with my hormones, from cortisol to estrogen and insulin and thyroid - it was important to me to limit the amount of EDCs entering my body each day. Let’s face it, they are everywhere so trying to control it all will only drive us nuts, but I choose to control and prioritize what I can - like the products I personally apply and wear on my skin all day.

I know it can be daunting and there is a lot of greenwashing that happens in the beauty industry but I hope that by sharing the products I personally use every single day it will give you a glimpse into how great making these safer swaps can be. I have linked everything so you can read and explore on your own. And as always, I am here to help whenever you need.

My Daily Makeup and Skincare Routines

Morning Routine

If you have been following along on my Instagram stories, you’ve seen that I recently transitioned to using the Countertime Collection, Beautycounter’s most innovative line featuring their plant-derived Retinatural Complex. This collection is designed to visibly firm, brighten, and plump the skin and I am SEEING those results each day! Here is the order I use them in the morning:

Step 1: Lipid Defense Oil Cleanser
This cleanser is inspired by Asian beauty rituals. It is a luxurious (like I legit feel so fancy when I pick up the bottle), lightweight cleansing oil that gently yet effectively removes makeup and other impurities without stripping essential lipids from the skin. The lipid profile of your skin is important to keep it looking youthful! I love that you rub the oil cleanser all over your face so you feel it pulling off makeup and then add water and it turns into a milky consistency to cleanse it all away!

Step 2: Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence
Have you ever used an ESSENCE!?! I feel really hip, I have to say! An essence is similar to a toner but with more beneficial properties and actives that improve and maintain your skin’s moisture barrier. Over time your barrier function becomes depleted and this products helps renew and provide that hydration and resilience we all want. But for something so fancy and high performing its super easy to apply. Just splash a little into the palm of your hand and lightly press it into your skin.

Step 3: Tripeptide Radiance Serum
This is the most powerful step in the line in terms of overall amount of and strength of actives. It is formulates with a powerful blend of peptides, amino acids, and the plant-derived Retinatural Complex, to enhance the skin’s moisture barrier function, optimize hydration for a radiant complexion, visibly increase skin firmness and elasticity, while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. UM YES PLEASE. And retinol-like benefits without the retinol concerns. If you had to pick just one product I would say start here (but I think you’ll se best results also combining it with the Soft Cream - next)

Step 4: Antioxidant Soft Cream
I feel like this is the dark horse of the group. Pro tip: don’t overlook this as just another moisturizer. First of all, its purposely NOT called a day cream because you can use day or night for powerful results. It is formulated with the plant-derived Retinatural Complex and Nasturtium flower extract, to form a velvety, revitalizing cream that works to visibly plump and firm your skin while boosting hydration to protect skin from environmental stressors that can dry you out throughout the day. Skin is left healthy looking and glowing and there is actual data in addiiton to my own results to back this up. I’ve told this story a few times now but I has four days into using this line and went to do my makeup in the passenger seat mirror in my car. I opened the flap to see my reflection and was just staring trying to figure out why I looked different. I realized my face just looked brighter. Like BRIGHT around my eyes and cheeks especially. But don’t just take my word for it, a 4 week study found that 100% of users observed more glowing, radiant, and youthful-looking skin and 100% felt skin looked brighter. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?

Step 5: Ultra Renewal Eye Cream
I never really understood eye cream but I see results so I use it. I have a lot of scarring around my left eye from plastic surgery that was needed after childhood accident. I had been using the Rejuvenating collection which helped reduce the appearance of the scarring, along with the Overnight Resurfacing Peel (great for scarring and dark spots if used 2-3 nights a week). But switching to this eye cream has really helped move that progress forward. My scars will never be gone but they are less visible and more even in tone. I also notice less lines and much greater brightness around my eyes.

Deodorant: I rotate between a few because I love testing different scents and textures. Here are a few currently in rotation:

Makeup Routine

Foundation: I rotate between three depending on coverage needs.

Concealer: I rotate between two depending on coverage and which foundation I chose.

Bronzer:

Highlighter:

Eyeshadow:

Brow Pencil:

Mascara:

  • Beautycounter Volumizing Mascara (I have naturally long lashes. I know. Sorry. BUT here is a pro tip: If you want va-va-voom lashes apply the lengthening mascara first and then the volumizing on top!)

Eyeliner (rarely):

Lips:

Evening Routine

My evening routine is almost exactly the same as my morning routine except for two things. At night I use the Supreme Cream instead of the soft cream (you do not have to do this but I want to test the full line. For some, the supreme cream may be too rich). Also, twice a week I swap the Radiance Serum for the Overnight Resurfacing Peel for deep exfoliation and to address any sunspot/freckles (all linked below).

Step 1: Lipid Defense Oil Cleanser
This cleanser is inspired by Asian beauty rituals. It is a luxurious (like I legit feel so fancy when I pick up the bottle), lightweight cleansing oil that gently yet effectively removes makeup and other impurities without stripping essential lipids from the skin. The lipid profile of your skin is important to keep it looking youthful! I love that you rub the oil cleanser all over your face so you feel it pulling off makeup and then add water and it turns into a milky consistency to cleanse it all away!

Step 2: Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence
Have you ever used an ESSENCE!?! I feel really hip, I have to say! An essence is similar to a toner but with more beneficial properties and actives that improve and maintain your skin’s moisture barrier. Over time your barrier function becomes depleted and this products helps renew and provide that hydration and resilience we all want. But for something so fancy and high performing its super easy to apply. Just splash a little into the palm of your hand and lightly press it into your skin.

Step 3 (5 times a week): Tripeptide Radiance Serum
This is the most powerful step in the line in terms of overall amount of and strength of actives. It is formulates with a powerful blend of peptides, amino acids, and the plant-derived Retinatural Complex, to enhance the skin’s moisture barrier function, optimize hydration for a radiant complexion, visibly increase skin firmness and elasticity, while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. UM YES PLEASE. And retinol-like benefits without the retinol concerns. If you had to pick just one product I would say start here (but I think you’ll se best results also combining it with the Soft Cream - next)

Step 3 (2 times a week): Overnight Resurfacing Peel
Two nights a week I swap in the Overnight Resurfacing Peel for the Serum. The Peel is a safe but effective way to address pore size, exfoliation, dark spots and fine lines - while you sleep! It is formulated with 15 botanically-derived acids. You leave it on while you sleep and this AHA/BHA peel improves skin texture and minimizes the appearance of pores, fine lines, and dark spots without irritation or over-drying. Glycolic, lactic, and malic acids clear away dull surface skin cells, while hyaluronic acid and essential fatty acids soothe and nourish to reveal a brighter, more youthful-looking complexion when you wake up! (No joke. If you have been following me for awhile you know I was VERY skeptical but I saw results and so it is now part of my weekly routine!)

Step 4: Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream
Let me start by saying this product is NOT for everyone. If you have more “normal” or oily skin, this may be too much for you, in which case you should keep the Soft Cream in this step in the evening. I have normal skin that slants more dry most days so I am currently keeping it in the rotation. And it is THICK. I mean LUXURIOUSLY thick and creamy. It’s what you imagine a high end night cream to be but without any of the harmful chemicals or fragrance in most night creams. Supremely rich and deeply hydrating, the Supereme Cream supports elasticity and visibly firms while minimizing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. With continued use, you will wake up to more radiant, youthful-looking skin

Step 5: Ultra Renewal Eye Cream
I never really understood eye cream but I see results so I use it. I have a lot of scarring around my left eye from plastic surgery that was needed after childhood accident. I had been using the Rejuvenating collection which helped reduce the appearance of the scarring, along with the Overnight Resurfacing Peel (great for scarring and dark spots if used 2-3 nights a week). But switching to this eye cream has really helped move that progress forward. My scars will never be gone but they are less visible and more even in tone. I also notice less lines and much greater brightness around my eyes.

Want help making the switch the safer beauty?

Email me at emily@popofhealth.com (these will come directly to me) and let me know what you’re looking for (skincare, makeup, sunscreen, etc) and any skin goals or color matching needs. I will do the work for you so you can feel really confident in your safer swaps!

better beautyEmily PopsonComment