• Home
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • recipes
    • vegan recipes
    • gluten-free recipes
  • wellness
  • lifestyle
  • favorites
  • Contact

Meg 'n Matcha

sweet eats with a healthy twist

favorites, wellness · January 24, 2020

My Minimalist, Natural Skincare Routine

Pinterest Design Samplw

Clean beauty is trending right now, that’s for sure. But there are so many products that greenwash, are unnecessary, don’t work, or just flat out aren’t good for you. When it comes to clean beauty and skincare, it’s hard to know where to start! So today, I’m sharing my natural skincare routine, which is what I define as “minimalist” and super, super simple.

My History with Beauty & Skincare

I started developing beauty and skincare routines for myself in my early teenage years. I was 13 years old around 2009. My early teenage years occurred at the same time when the Youtube beauty community was beginning to flourish. These were the OG beauty Youtube days, with creators like Bethany Mota, Michelle Phan, and Bunny Meyer. I also watched smaller Youtubers like Kristee Vetter and Lindsey Hughes. Watching all of these different channels meant constantly seeing PR unboxings and tutorials that made me want to buy all the products. And that’s pretty much why I have a giant bag full of old makeup in my closet that I literally never use.

Makeup was my main focus for a while. But I quickly learned two things: it was expensive and I never had the time or patience to do a full face everyday. So I eventually settled on the makeup routine that I still use today. I only use mascara, eyeliner, and (eventually, please no one look at photos of me before I started using this) an eyebrow pencil. Skincare was something I never took seriously as a teenager. You’d think I would since lots of teens struggle with acne, but mine was never that bad. I’m so thankful for that! I used Clean & Clear products from time to time and washed my body with different varieties of Bath & Body Works shower gel. Using serums and moisturizers was something I never really felt the need to do. Natural skincare was clearly not a priority for me either.

Getting Into Natural Skincare

In my later teenage years, I had some skin-related health issues, like recurring staph infections. This is when I began to learn about natural skincare. I started using tea tree oil, as I had oily skin and never needed to moisturize. I also discovered the brand LUSH, and I still use their products from time to time today. With health issues on my mind, I began to realize that the ingredients I was putting on my body would also go into my body. I rapidly learned that a product doesn’t need harsh ingredients to be effective. And I decided that using more natural products was important to me.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time doing research and trying out different products to see what does and doesn’t work for my skin. I briefly talked about my favorite clean skincare products in my Why Beautycounter is Problematic blog post, but I want to share my natural skincare routine today in its entirety.

So enough chit chat! Let’s get into it!

1. Cleanser

I wash my face once a day, usually in the evening. Once a day works for me because overwashing can throw off the pH balance of the skin. The skin’s pH level is important because it is reliant on the skin’s acid mantle, which helps to protect it from bacteria and other nasty things. Overwashing can cause dry and tight skin. Face washes with too much exfoliating power can also cause this.

All my life I’ve heard that using cleansers that are water based was better than using oil based cleansers. I used to think that oil-based products would just make me super oily! This is something that I now realize is not true. The oil that our skin naturally produces is good for us, and constantly eliminating it can dry us out. This is why I use OY-L’s Face Wash. It’s literally the best smelling cleanser ever! It’s made with Manuka 20+ honey and oils- like hemp seed oil and grapeseed oil just to name a few. What they say on their website is true: “try it once and you will be devoted to it for a lifetime”.

Before I started using this product last year, I was rotating between a few cleansers from LUSH that just weren’t performing as well as I wanted. Now, I’m a loyal OY-L customer! It’s a very gentle cleanser that can work for any type of skin. My skin always looks so glowy and hydrated after using it. The Manuka honey works wonders when it comes to decreasing inflammation and balancing the skin’s pH balance!

2. Toner

Toner was never something I frequently used. I always thought they were too acidic and drying until I discovered OY-L’s Hydrating Facial Mist. Again, literally the best smelling product ever. Everyday, I look forward to getting out of the shower and just spraying the honey rose scent all over my face. It’s seriously divine! This mist is calming and brightening, with ingredients like rose hydrosol, aloe vera juice, and alcohol-free witch hazel. This is probably my favorite part of my natural skincare routine.

3. Moisturizer

My go-to moisturizer is TULA’s Hydrating Day & Night Cream. This stuff is pricey but so luxurious and so worth it. I will say that the ingredients are not as clean as I usually like, but dang- this cream is so smooth and soft and amazing! It seriously just sinks right into my skin. I feel so fresh and moisturized and like I just went to the spa after I apply it at night. It seriously makes you glow.

Like I mentioned before, this moisturizer does have a lengthy list of ingredients (which makes me nervous) and fragrance, but it does contain an active probiotic strain which helps to hydrate and lock in moisture. It just feels so amazing, I can’t stop using it.

4. Extras!

Masks

Trying out new face masks is one of my favorite things. I’ve use a variety of face masks from LUSH, including Cupcake, Don’t Look at Me (my favorite), Cup O’ Coffee, Mask of Magnaminty, and some of their jelly masks. Really, I do love all of these masks. I especially love how the fresh masks feel on the face right after they’ve been in the fridge. However, I never use them up by the expiration date. Recently, I’ve been using OY-L’s Exfoliating Manuka Mask and I love it. It has a heavenly lavender scent and is full of natural ingredients, like Manuka 20+ honey, blueberry & cranberry seeds, organic lavender buds, organic rose petals, and a variety of oils. It’s an exfoliating mask that isn’t too harsh, made in small batches.

I swear this post is NOT an ad for OY-L; I just love them this much!! Things I love about OY-L are that they’re based in Akron, use high quality ingredients, are super transparent, and have a bottle/jar refill program!

Shower Gel

I’ve, again, used a bunch of LUSH shower gels. My favorite is Rose Jam; it just smells SO good. A brand I’ve worked with before and have really been enjoying is Plant Apothecary. I featured them in my 2019 Self Care Gift Guide. Their body washes lather incredibly well. Their entire line is certified USDA organic, and they don’t use any weird ingredients. Most of their products are scented with essential oils rather than parfum/fragrance.

Lip Balm

Lips are skin too! My favorite lip balms are the Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lip Balm and Cocokind’s Mymatcha Stick. The Dr. Bronner’s lip balm is some of the most moisturizing I’ve ever tried, being made with organic beeswax, jojoba, avocado, and hemp oils. The Cocokind matcha stick can be used as a lip balm or to apply moisture wherever you may need, like under the eyes or on dry patches. It’s USDA organic and non-GMO with only a few ingredients: coconut oil, beeswax, and matcha powder. The shorter the ingredient list, the better!

 

I hope you guys enjoyed learning about my minimalist, natural skincare routine. Something I am looking for right now is lotion suggestions! I have yet to find a natural and clean lotion that I like, something that isn’t too greasy and just seeps right in. Leave me any suggestions below please! Same goes for shaving cream!! Leave any other natural skincare favorites, products that changed your life, or questions below in the comments. Thank you so much for reading!

 

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Posted In: favorites, wellness · Tagged: beauty, clean beauty, favorites, green beauty, minimalist, natural skincare, skincare, skincare routine, sustainability, sustainable beauty

You’ll Also Love

Key Bank building in Cleveland, OhioCleveland Small Businesses – A Travel Guide
2019 Sustainable Gift Guide
Sustainable Swaps: Easy + Cheap Things You Can Do

Comments

  1. Raquel says

    February 13, 2020 at 10:12 pm

    Thanks for sharing these products! I’m not a minimalist in the “cool” way, but in the “why buy things that will only end up in the trash or at a thrift store” way. So I try to buy quality stuff when I need something. These are great ideas!

    Reply
    • megnmatcha says

      February 16, 2020 at 4:04 pm

      I totally agree! Minimalism is trendy right now for some reason, but I think it’s important to only do it with the environment and your wellbeing in mind, rather than to be “cool”.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Next Post >

2020 Goals + 2019 Reflections

I’m Megan, the matcha loving foodie behind this blog. I'm here to share recipes for snacks and sweet treats that are good for the body, mind, & soul!
FeedFeed

stay updated

subscribe to receive regular news and exclusive content!

Privacy Policy
Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes: Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes: Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

Red Velvet Chickpea Cookie Dough

Red Velvet Chickpea Cookie Dough

Matcha White Chocolate Muffins Recipe (Gluten Free!)

Matcha White Chocolate Muffins Recipe (Gluten Free!)

Archives

Follow Me on the ‘Gram

⁣well, what a week it has been! i finished my fi ⁣well, what a week it has been! i finished my first week as a social media coordinator for a milwaukee start up @drinkzyn 🧡 i’m trying to build up our social media presence so if you feel inclined to give us a follow, go for it (and if you get a message about product samples, it’s from me lol)! i usually don’t like drinks with stevia, but ZYN’s turmeric-infused drinks are actually super delicious- especially the mango lychee flavor🥭 not an ad btw! but doing social media work for a B-Corp in a city i love is actually giving me some sense of purpose, which is something i haven’t had for a while.⠀
⠀
related to feeling a sense of purpose, today i got my second c*vid v*ccine (i was able to get a spare a few weeks ago), and my sister and I will hopefully (🤞🏻) be signing a lease for our new place in Milwaukee. i’m excited to live with her, especially after what she’s been through with her health this year. things seem to be getting better little by little... i feel like there’s finally things to look forward to and a little bit of hope.⠀
⠀
also, in regards to ig, i want to start getting back to my roots and sharing about wellness again. with the p*ndemic, i haven’t felt comfortable showing myself on ig mostly because i’ve gained a lot of weight and have been living with other people. so going forward, you’ll hopefully be seeing more of my face on my feed and posts about balance and living intentionally. food posts too of course!⠀
⠀
there’s a small life update for you guys. just wanted to do a brain dump i guess! oh, and i’m still obsessed with this photo of me from @milkshopphoto ngl 🥺 i look so happy!⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀
#abundantlife #milwaukeeblogger #celebratethesmallthings #createyourlife #intentionalliving #joyinthejourney #livingonpurpose #purposefulliving #smallwins #wellnessjourney #braindump #healthandwellbeing #healthylife #mkehome #mkefoodies #thenewhealthy #healthyish
ngl i’m loving this sample photo i created for @ ngl i’m loving this sample photo i created for @drinkzyn! ☀️🍋 it’s so... clear! and that’s something i honestly struggle with in my photography. there’s a fine balance of having enough contrast for something to be clear but not tooooo over-saturated and loud!
⁣happy (late) st. patty’s day!🍀 i’m perso ⁣happy (late) st. patty’s day!🍀 i’m personally celebrating with these mint matcha brownies from @simplemills 🤤🤤 so good and sooo easy to make!⠀
⠀
photo created for @simplemills
⁣this rose moon milk has gotten sooo much love f ⁣this rose moon milk has gotten sooo much love from you guys and I totally understand why! 😍🌹 but the real question is... would you like more moon milk recipes on the blog? maybe a purple one made with ube? or a blue one?? let me know!⠀
⠀
rose moon milk recipe linked in my bio!⠀
https://www.megnmatcha.com/rose-moon-milk-sleep-tonic/⠀
⠀
#moonmilk #herbaltea #sleeptonic #healthydrink #healthydrinks #tealatte #beautifulcuisines #thrivemags #letscookvegan #ayurvedicmedicine #ayurvedalifestyle #healingwithfood #roselatte #beetrootlatte #refinedsugarfree #foodartblog #drinkpink #pinklatte #foodtographyschool #foodphotographyandstyling #prettyfood #beautifulfood #mycanon #hotdrink #dairyfreelatte #dairyfreerecipes #healthyfoodblog #healthyfoodblogger #healthyinspo #pinkdrinks
⁣name a more perfect way to start your week than ⁣name a more perfect way to start your week than by making cupcakes 🤤🧁⠀
⠀
I’ve been working on these gluten free chocolate blackberry cupcakes forever and they’re FINALLY on the blog today! 🤗🍫 they’re so moist and indulgent you might have a hard time believing they’re gluten free and refined sugar free! and that frosting color tho?! 😍 grab the recipe via the link in my bio!⠀
⠀
https://megnmatcha.com/chocolate-blackberry-cupcakes/⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀
#glutenfreebaking #gfree #glutenfreecake #wheatfree #glutenfreecupcakes #glutenfreecakes #glutenfreefoodies #refinedsugarfreerecipes #refinedsugarfree #sansgluten #chocolatecupcakes #chocolatecupcake #chocolatecureseverything #cupcakestagram #dessertblogger #mycommontable #marthabakes #bakefromscratch #thrivemags #bakersgonnabake #foodwinewomen #foodblogeats #eatprettythings #thebakefeed #feedfeedbaking #feedfeedchocolate #sweeeeets
⁣apparently yesterday was national banana bread ⁣apparently yesterday was national banana bread day?!🍌 i had no clue, but i coincidentally made this healthy banana bread by @bromabakery and man oh man, it delivers! and it makes me weirdly nostalgic for the first stage of quarantine. crazy that was almost a year ago 😱⠀
⠀
i love making other bloggers’ recipes to get an idea of how the different ingredients work together and to get inspired to develop my own recipes. i’ve been in a creative funk lately, but i promise more original recipes will be hitting the blog soon! 💓⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀
#bananabread #bananabreadlover #bananabreadloaf #healthybananabread #glutenfreebananabread #moistbananabread #bananarecipes #glutenfreesweets #bromabakery #foodtographyschool #wecook #bakingtime #damnthatsdelish #thesugarfiles #imsomartha #foodstyling #naturallightphoto #foodphotographyandstyling #foodart #dessertphotography #foodblogger #thekitchn #huffposttaste #foodstylist #foodflatlay
⁣a berry good closeup hehe 🫐🍓 not my usual ⁣a berry good closeup hehe 🫐🍓 not my usual light & bright kinda style but hey, ya gotta mix it up sometimes! happy saturday! 🌿⠀
⠀
⠀
⠀
#foodtographyschool #foodtography #thefeedfeed @thefeedfeed #feedfeedbaking #microphotography #food52 #bakingblog #makemore #blackberries #macroshot #macroshots #freshberries #darktablemood #atthetable #f52 #foodphotographyandstyling #berries🍓 #thekitchn #foodart #huffposttaste #berrygood #finestberries #sweetnessworthsharing
See More Follow on Instagram
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 Meg 'n Matcha · Theme by 17th Avenue