A guide to sustainable skincare

Figuring out a skincare routine can be hard as there are so many products to choose from and so confusing to figure out how to apply them, but it’s even harder to make sure your routine is sustainable too! My sustainable shopping list has lots of great sustainable skincare brands on it but getting the routine down is key. There’s no point in having products if you don’t know how to use them after all. DISCLAIMER: I’m not a dermatologist, an esthetician or any sort of skincare expert, but I have tried and tested ways to make my personal routine simple, minimal and sustainable which is why I’m sharing that with you.

Background and context of how I got into skincare (skip this if you don’t want or need context!)

Since I was old enough to buy and use my own moisturiser as well as since I’ve been wearing makeup, I’ve been buying Garnier and Nivea moisturisers and Garnier micellar water to remove makeup. Because those are the two products I consistently used, I then started to look at sustainable alternatives. When my creams and micellar water had finally run out fairly recently, at a similar time some of my friends had started to get into skincare which panicked me a bit. I’ve always been suspicious of products that claim to do more than is scientifically possible (I am a scientist after all) and I also don’t really enjoy adding fuss of complication to my rituals so I was initially not keen on complicating my skincare routine. However, I have realised that skincare is just as important as diet in protecting your skin from premature aging, skin cancer and breakouts so I made a resolve to try a bit harder, especially as I am in my 20s which is when signs of premature aging and poor lifestyle habits like smoking and bad diets start to show. Also, skincare rituals are a great form of self-care which I started incorporating into my daily life.

In terms of my skin type, I have always been lucky to have fairly normal predictable skin without acne or other major skin problems. I have brown skin (which affects my reaction to sunlight) and I have normal / combination skin which gets oily around the T-zone but can get dry around the mouth and cheeks, especially in the winter. I have always used a gel moisturiser as my skin doesn’t react well to overly moisturising or creamy products.

How do you create a skincare routine that is both safe, effective and sustainable?

If you are new to skincare like I was when I started taking this seriously last year, I would start with the very basics and essentials, before jumping into jade rollers and eye creams. These two images below really helped me figure out the essentials as well as the order of skincare products (I’m not sure where the first image is from but the second is from @theklog on Instagram).

The bare minimum of products I think are: oil-based cleanser and foam cleanser (otherwise known as double cleanser) if you wear makeup. The oil-based cleanser is to remove makeup, and the foam based cleanser washes this off completely and removes any other grease and dirt on your face - so if you aren’t wearing makeup a double cleanse is not really necessary. Next a good moisturiser - I think it’s good to have a day cream and a night cream, especially in the winter. Lastly, it is important to wear SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 30 to protect your skin from the sun.

Another good product is a toner which further cleanses the skin after using cleanser. I think toners are optional because a good cleanser will be enough to strip away dirt and excess oil from your face, but some people still use them, and I do use mine when I’ve worn makeup or just feel a bit oily. I think another must have is a chemical exfoliant - which - as scary as it sounds at first - is a game changer. Physical exfoliants damage your face (e.g. walnut shell granules and sugar) so chemical exfoliants are a brilliant product. They should be applied at night though as they make your skin sensitive to the sun. These products are things like lactic acid.

My sustainable skincare routine and products I use

I mentioned I have never had any major skincare issues but everyone has minor issues, I had a few! Since starting a proper skincare routine, I have noticed the skin-coloured bumps on my forehead have disappeared which were probably from not cleansing properly, similarly my blackheads on the side of my nose have really reduced, and my skin texture and feel in general is so much more even. I also feel like my skin is more plump and soft since finding the right moisturisers. I have some very fine lines on my forehead which I’ve been trying to tackle and I think this routine is helping.

Oil-based cleanser: Lush Jade Roller (£8.50 for 35g) I love this for removing makeup - I simply dampen a reusable makeup remover round (I use crochet ones), rub it on the bar and then rub it on my face to remove the makeup. I’ve been using it since September and I’ve barely scratched the surface so it lasts a long time (but FYI I don’t wear makeup every day, and even when I do, I don’t wear foundation).

Foam-based cleanser: Face Theory Freshening Face Wash C4 (£10.99 for 150ml) I love this face wash! I think most foam-based cleansers do a similar thing and I am happy with this one.

Toner: Face Theory Green-C Rebalancing Toner (£14.99 for 200ml) I don’t use this every day as toner can be over-stripping but I really like this and think it has helped to reduce blackheads and skin-coloured bumps

Exfoliator: The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA (£5.50 for 30ml) This is the first chemical exfoliant I’ve ever used so I went with a gentle one but actually this has been a game-changer for me and I’ve seen results in terms of skin texture smoothing for sure. The Ordinary is great in terms of sustainability and Deciem (the parent company) have a recycling scheme in-store with TerraCycle

Day cream: Nim Cosmetics Aloe Vera and Organic Hemp Seed Oil Gel Moisturiser (£14.90 for 60ml) This is the closest I’ve gotten to my drugstore moisturiser and I absolutely love it! It makes me look dewey and feels so hydrating.

Serum: Bybi Bakuchiol Booster (£11 for 15ml) This is a retinol alternative as I’m not old enough to use retinol yet - I use it for fine lines on my forehead and I think it is helping slightly but it is too soon to tell!

Night cream: Face Theory Relaxing Night Cream M10 (£10.99 for 50ml) - I really love this night cream - even though I avoid heavy creams for the day this is brilliant to use at night and I always wake up with my skin feeling plump and hydrated

SPF: Bybi Day Defence SPF 30 (£19 for 60ml) - I’m not the biggest fan of this and am looking for alternatives but it does sink in fairly well and doesn’t leave a white cast. I just don’t like how it feels on my skin as it feels a bit heavy!

Hope this was useful xx

By Farihah (@easypeasysustainability)