How to Create the Perfect Natural Skin Care Routine

This post is a comprehensive guide on how you can create the best natural skin care routine for your skin.

Use the table of contents below to navigate the guide, and don’t forget to shop our natural skin care products when you’re done reading and ready to get started.

Let’s dive in!

Today, we know more than ever before how synthetic chemicals in skin care and cosmetics negatively affect our health.

Even more prominent brands are moving towards natural, microbiome-friendly skin care products.

And rightly so. The FDA is constantly recalling beauty products due to harmful chemicals.

If you are still relying on chemical-laden products as a part of your skin care, it’s time to switch to a natural skin care routine.

It’s also a great option if you have sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. Let’s start by going over the essential steps in every skin care routine.

Critical steps in a skin care routine

One thing to know about skin care routines is that order is everything.

For instance, using a moisturizer before washing your face will reduce its effectiveness and may even clog your pores. 

As we walk through each step, we’ll talk through how it helps your skin, how to do it properly, some commonly used ingredients, and their natural alternatives. 

Usually, the order for a daily skincare routine is as follows:

Step 1: Cleanse

A natural cleanser is the heart of any skin regimen. Your skin goes through a lot every day. It’s constantly exposed to toxins, oil, dirt, and other junk.

Washing your face keeps your skin clean and frees it from any impurities. 

Plus, it removes makeup, which may clog your pores. 

How to use:

Wash your face twice a day to avoid clogged pores, acne, and dull-looking skin.

The first step is soaking your face in warm water. Then, apply a small amount of cleanser to your face. Use your fingers to massage it in a circular motion. Continue this for 30 seconds and rinse with warm water. 

Pat your face dry with a towel. Avoid rubbing the skin or using a dirty towel.

Common Ingredients in cleansers:

• Retinol
• Salicylic acid
• Glycerin

Alternative natural ingredients to look for:

• Coconut oil
• Jojoba oil
• Olive oil
• Aloe vera
• Tea tree oil

If you’re looking for an all-natural, prebiotic face cleanser, check our Purifying Face Cleanser!

Step 2: Tone

Most people tend to ignore this step. However, using a toner makes a world of difference, especially when it comes to keeping your skin refreshed and vitalized. 

A toner works as a temporary tightener that shrinks your pores and frees oil, dirt, and other impurities. 

Besides, it cleans your skin to absorb the rest of the products in your routine.

How to use:

The most efficient way of using the toner is to apply it with clean hands.

You can take a few drops on your palm and apply it to your face. Alternatively, you can apply it using a cotton pad. Pat the cotton on your face, including the nose, chin, and forehead. 

Common Ingredients:

• Acetic acid
• Vitamin C
• Glycolic acid

Alternative natural ingredients to look for:

• Witch hazel
• Green tea
• Rosewater

Step 3: Hydrate

Hydrating your face with a facial serum gives you extra hydration and antioxidant protection for a more youthful appearance. 

The right serum has the following benefits:

• Brightening the skin
• Reducing the appearance of dark spots
• Making the skin smooth and plump
• Providing an even skin tone
• Improving the skin’s texture

How to use:

Take a small amount of serum and pat it on the skin with your fingertips. Avoid massaging it and allow your skin to absorb it naturally. 

Common Ingredients:

Most available facial serums are retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. Let’s understand a bit more about them:

• Retinol: It’s a stronger form of vitamin E that protects and smoothens the skin
• Vitamin C: It soothes the skin and balances the oil
• Hyaluronic acid: It’s a natural substance produced by the body. It aids in retaining moisture

Alternative natural ingredients to look for:

• Gotu Kola
• Caffeine
• Goji berry

Step 4: Moisturize

Keeping your skin moisturized is the key to that youthful and radiant look. 

Moisturizers have one very simple job: to imitate and support your skin’s natural oil production. It’s that simple!

By trapping moisture, they also prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizers also help in keeping your skin firm and plump.  

How to use:

Apply a small amount of moisturizer to the face using your fingertips. Gently massage to help your skin absorb the cream.

Common Ingredients:

• Menthol
• Lactic acid
• Vitamin C and E

Alternative natural ingredients to look for:

• Shea butter 
• Sunflower oil
• Jojoba oil

Step 5: Protect

You may think sunscreen is only for beach trips or poolside lounging, but here’s the thing: the sun never takes a day off.

While the sun does provide crucial vitamin D to your skin and body, UV rays and sun damage are one of the biggest obstacles to youthful, healthy skin.

However, sunscreens are one of the most notorious skincare products with harmful chemicals, so be sure to do your research and choose a natural alternative. 

How to use:

Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out in the sun and reapply at least every two hours.

Common Ingredients:

• Titanium Dioxide
• Zinc Oxide
• Oxybenzone

Alternative natural ingredients to look for:

• Octinoxate
• Oxybenzone
• Retinyl Palmitate

Pro-tip: It’s best to leave a few minutes between each skincare step. It allows optimal absorption of each product. 

More tips for boosting your skin’s natural health

Adding the following steps into your skincare regimen can further enhance the health and radiance of your skin.

And the best part? You don’t have to do them daily.

Let’s have a look at them.

Exfoliation

Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin using a granular substance. Exfoliation aids in removing bacteria, unclogging pores, and maintaining the skin’s balance. 

The result: clearer skin, fewer breakouts, and a more radiant complexion.

The frequency of using an exfoliant depends on the type of product. If you’re using an intense scrub, once a month is sufficient. 

Masks

Detox clay masks, sheet masks, and other forms of masks offer an alternative way of applying ingredients. 

You can think of them as a fun way to treat your skin with various ingredients. 

While they are not necessary, using them once or twice a month can go a long way. You can select one based on your skin concerns or type (more on that later in the post). 

Should your morning and evening routines be the same?

The short answer is no.

Your skin has different needs during the day and night. For instance, your skin needs protection against heat, dirt, and pollution during the day. 

While, at night, you need to pamper your skin after what it has been through during the day. 

Here’s an example daily and nightly routine. Feel free to copy it and tweak it to suit your needs.

Daytime Skincare Routine

Step 1: Cleanse

Step 2: Exfoliate (once per month or so)

Step 3: Moisturize + Protect

Nighttime Skincare Routine

Step 1: Cleanse

Step 2: Exfoliate (once per month or so)

Step 3: Hydrate + Moisturize

Now let’s understand how you can build your own skincare routine that perfectly suits your skin type.

How to get started with a natural skin care routine

Now that you know skincare routine best practices and some natural ingredients to look for, let’s talk about how to choose the right products.

Everything boils down to your skin type.

Some questions that can help you figure out your skin type include:

• Is your skin prone to dryness? If yes, in which areas?
• Can you see sebum on your skin? Does this lead to blocked pores? Do you need powder to hold makeup?
• Is your skin uniform in all areas of the face?

Dry Skin

You might have dry skin if you answered yes to the first question. You may also experience itchiness, tightness, or creases on your skin. 

Oily Skin

If you answered yes to the second question, you may have oily skin. If you run your finger across your face at the end of a long day and see excess oils, you probably fall into this category. 

Check out our comprehensive guide on how to form a natural skincare routine for oily skin.

Black Skin

Maintaining and healing black skin requires a much different approach to other skin types. Check out our post on how to form a natural skincare routine for black skin.

Combination Skin

Combination skin is a mix of the above scenarios.

Skin care routines for individual skin types

Now that you know your skin type and the steps of a skincare routine, it’s time to find products that fit your skin type.

Use this table to decide which products to look for as you build your routine:

Skin Type/Product	Dry	Oily	Combination
Cleanser	Cleansers with added moisture. Examples include cleansers with ceramides, oils, and hyaluronic acid	Oil-free and non-comedogenic cleansers. Examples include gel and foam cleansers	Lightweight cleanser with hydrating properties
Toner	Toners with oils and hyaluronic acid	Toners with salicylic acid (a BHA), alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), and witch hazel	Gentle, re-balancing toner with hydrating properties
Exfoliator	Gentle products with AHAs or fruit enzymes	Products with BHAs and/or AHAs	Gentle product with a balance of AHAs and BHAs
Moisturizer	Oil-based moisturizer	Oil-free and non-comedogenic moisturizer	A gel cream for daytime and oil-based formula for nighttime
Protection	Mineral sunscreen formulation	Mineral sunscreen formulation	Mineral sunscreen formulation

FAQs about building a natural skin care routine

What is natural skincare?

Natural skincare refers to products with ingredients primarily derived from the earth and sea. 

Common examples of natural products include essential oils, plant powders, witch hazel, and natural butter.

While most natural products are preservative-free or have plant-based preservatives, some products involve the use of non-plant-based preservatives. 

As the FDA doesn’t regulate the labels of skincare products, all brands may have a unique definition of natural products. 

So, it is best to examine the product label before buying them.

All in all, natural skincare is rooted in clean products devoid of irritating or harsh products. 

Why is a natural skincare routine beneficial?

You’re probably reading this because you’re sick of all the junk in traditional skin care products.

These synthetic chemicals and artificial ingredients do more than just hurt your skin, but are also quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, which can lead to other health issues.

Here are some other reasons natural skincare has become more mainstream:

• It’s gentler on the skin
• It’s eco-friendly
• It’s kind to animals (cruelty-free)
• It helps relieve the skin conditions often caused by irritants in synthetic skincare products

Natural alternatives to traditional skin care products

Once again, here are all the natural alternative ingredients to look for broken down by each step in your skincare routine:

Cleansers

• Coconut oil
• Jojoba oil
• Olive oil
• Aloe vera
• Tea tree oil

Toners

• Witch hazel
• Green tea
• Rosewater

Serum

• Gotu Kola
• Caffeine
• Goji berry

Moisturizers

• Shea butter 
• Sunflower oil
• Jojoba oil

Sunscreen

• Octinoxate
• Oxybenzone
• Retinyl Palmitate

Final thoughts

If you want to follow a natural skincare routine but don’t know how to go about it, the safest bet is to choose brands that provide products with natural ingredients.

For instance, all Aleavia products are chemical-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and made with natural ingredients from the earth and sea.

You can easily use them without having to worry about any of the side effects associated with synthetic skincare products.

We hope this post has been helpful in getting you started with your own skincare routine!