At farm markets I talk to a lot of customers about making changing in their skincare routines.  Usually someone is drawn to our products because they have a skin problem and are looking for a solution. Itchy scalp draws people to our Maine Seaweed rich shampoo bars.  Our Seaweed rich Island Face Scrub is appealing to women sick of breaking out way past their teenage years.  There is so much information that making skincare changes can be confusing.  

If you’re wanting to bring nature into your skincare routine here are three tips to follow-

• Listen to your body
• Give it time
• Don’t be afraid to experiment

Be the Boss of Your Body

You need to know and pay attention to your body so you can decide if a product works for you.  Everybody’s different and our bodies don’t react or respond in the same way.  Think about it like this- there can be a wide variety of factors that cause a skin ailment and even if a particular plant is known to have healing properties it might not be for you.  Perhaps you are allergic to an ingredient or you don’t like how it feels.  Then that product is not for you.  You have to be the judge.  It might be a great product but just not the right fit.  Very similar to falling in love with an outfit only to try it on and “Ugh”- great look just not on you.

Also as our bodies change, our skincare routine needs to change too.  As we age we often find we need more moisture to stop our skin from feeling so dry. This mean we need to find lotions and cremes that contain super moisturizing oils.  Seasons can also signal it’s time to alter our routine.  Summer skin needs to be exfoliated and in winter we definitely need to be making sure we are putting on lots of nourishing oils.

Time is on Your Side

Natural products can take awhile to work.  When someone is buying a shampoo bar I always talk about giving their hair time to detox.  It often can take two weeks for a new products nourishing effects to be fully noticed.  This is why you have to “know your body” so you can judge if a products is working for you.

Be Goldilocks to Find What’s Right For You

The great benefit of using natural skin products is how flexible they can be.  If your products are plant and natural oil based- that means no toxic ingredients then you can use them in a variety of different ways.  One example, when traveling I pack our Seaweed Shampoo Bar- it’s my shampoo, soap and I find it’s great to shave my legs with.  Another example, I use our Sweet Island Face Oil as a face cleaner, a friend mixes it with our Rose Petal Face Creme because she wants just a bit more moisture and a customer keeps her face happy by using it as a night creme on her face.  Another way to experiment is to play around with how often you use a product.  Maybe once a day is too much but once a week is just right.