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Simple,
Sustainable,
Joyful.
If these three words don't describe your current skincare routine, I'd like to help change that!
It may seem like I only ever talk about perfume here on the blog these days, but that's because when it comes to skincare, I believe that less is more. There are just a handful of products in the Twinkle Apothecary skincare collection, and my skincare advice never changes.
Cleanse, Tone, Moisturize.
That's all you need to do for healthy, glowing skin.
Get yourself a routine that feels simple and joyful to you, and stick to it. Twice per day, every day. The completely natural products in my collection work because they support your skin barrier and gently cleanse while allowing your skin to do what it's meant to do - balance and heal itself.
The following (very lo-fi) graphics are based on my personal AM & PM skincare routines, which have basically been my same skincare routines for the past 7+ years, ever since I made my first powder cleanser, toner, and facial oil!
Morning routine products: Eye Serum ($14) / Oil ($4-168) / Toner ($15-56) / Filter Balm ($5-30)
My personal morning routine consists of just these four products, but you can substitute or add whatever you like. I oil cleanse every morning, but will occasionally do a morning mask on the weekend with my powder cleanser.
Filter balm is my go-to moisturizer for day, because it takes the place of foundation/makeup by leaving my skin with a soft glow. If you prefer, you can use butter, just leave it at oil, or mix a bit of oil into your foundation!
You can even DIY a filter balm-esque glow by dipping a finger into your jar of highlight shimmer powder and mixing it up with an application of butter in your hand.
(Oh, and in case you're wondering about SPF - I would sandwich that in between the oil and filter balm.)
Nighttime routine products: Oil ($4-168) / Cleanser ($4-75) / Toner ($15-56) / Butter ($5-45)
This has been my basic nighttime routine for years. Never gets old! In fact, it never fails to make me happy. I just love the soothing scents, textures, and the feeling of putting myself to bed with clean, moisturized skin. My nighttime routine is like my own personal spa night, every single night. The only way to live!
That said, I do like to keep it simple. If I haven't worn makeup that day, I'll skip step 1 and go right for the powder cleanser. Personally, I use the cleanser base on its own most nights, mixing in the pore refining boost 1-3 times/week, and the exfoliating boost about 2-3 times/month. (My skin doesn't love being over-scrubbed - I suspect that it also doesn't need much scrubbing because it's SO well moisturized!)
You might notice that I'm including toner in step 2: cleanse. That's because I consider toner to be a second (and very necessary) step in the cleansing process. I don't cleanse without toning. And, I never skip moisturizing after!
One thing I love about my skincare collection is that it's customizable. It can be so simple, but there are also so many ways to change it up, depending on what's happening with your skin.
However, don't let all of the options confuse or overwhelm you - all you need to remember is cleanse, tone, and moisturize - and know that it doesn't really matter how you do it, as long as you do do it. Get a good routine going first. You'll discover how to make any necessary updates or tweaks over time!
In case you're curious, here are a few examples for changing it up:
You can always minimize and pare things down, or get fancy amp it up.
You can change the essential oil blends in your toner and oil, or go without.
You can substitute a hydrosol in place of a toner.
You can spot treat with or sub out a carrier oil.
You can make a pore refining mask or an exfoliating treatment out of the powder cleanser.
You can use the filter balm at night if you prefer it to the butter.
You can skip the oil and make butter your one-and-only moisturizer.
Acne spot treatment is always nice to have on hand.
You can get fancy and add massage tools or led light wands, mix fresh fruits and veggies into your powder cleanser to make a mask... whatever you think your skin needs!
My recommendation to everyone is always to start with the Starter Skincare Set ($55,) because it gives you at least a month (depending on how much and how often you use!) to test the full cleanse, tone, moisturize routine. Smaller individual samples are available for $4-$5 if you'd like to test out different versions of the oil and cleanser instead of, or in addition to the set!
For more information, or if you have more questions and need answers, I encourage you to sign up for my free Patreon membership and join in my monthly Q&A chat session! I answer questions from all members on the last weekend of every month, and it's totally free to join. The next one will take place October 27-29th and I hope to see you there!
But really, it can be so simple. Just cleanse, tone, and moisturize.
Try these routines and tell me what you think!
Stefanie
