A Skin Care Routine Order For Those Of Us Short On Time

What is your current skin care routine order?

Does it involve 5+ steps and take up a good bit of your morning and evening?

What would it look like to have a minimalist approach to skincare?

Can a minimalist skin care routine be just as effective as lengthier skin care regimens? 

We checked in with Anato’s founder, Celine, to get advice about what a potent yet minimalist skin care routine can look like. 

Céline has an active lifestyle. When she isn’t in the studio making products, filling orders, and living out her role as a chief alchemist, she is found outdoors. Whether she is bike commuting, mountain biking, surfing, SUPing, or even windsurfing, all of her time outdoors, exposed to the elements has given her reason to categorize her skin type as dry. Remember it’s lifestyle plus genetics that define your skin type. 

So hey, we figured a peek into Céline’s skin care routine order would shed some light into Anato's minimalist skin care and how it instills perennial beauty. When you use multifunctional products, infused with powerful plants, less can truly be more. Saving time reduces stress and ultimately helps your skin glow. See how below:

Celine's Minimalist Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin:

☼ UPON WAKING…

She starts by nourishing her morning skin with one of our elixirs. She opts for the Regenerative Rose Elixir.

Next, she protects her skin for the day ahead with Anato’s Ocean Friendly Sunblock.

☾ BEFORE BED…

Céline cleanses her skin with one of our oils*, the Baume Réparateur, or will use the Black Cedar Soap on particularly grimy days. Cleansing is a necessary step to remove the SPF and the day’s work. 

She purifies and exfoliates her skin one time a week, with our Kelp Forest Face Mask**.

The final step is to moisturize with one of our elixirs. Céline loves the calming and grounding scent of the arborescent serum for evening time. But on especially dry days, she uses the baume reparateur.

Yes - skin care can and should be that simple.

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Don’t have dry skin? We got you covered. We laid out the same routine for various skin types below. You will notice how similar they look - because all skin, despite its “type” serves the same purpose. Our skin acts as a barrier function to protect us from outside toxins. All skin types are yearning for nourishment, hydration, and balance.

Minimalist Skin Care Routine Order for
Oily/Combination Skin:

☼ UPON WAKING…

Cleanse with an elixir or oil based product*.

Nourish the skin with the Regenerative Rose Elixir.

Protect with an ocean friendly sunblock.

☾ BEFORE BED…

Cleanse with one of our elixirs*, or the Black Cedar Soap on particularly grimy days. This will remove the SPF, any makeup, and the day’s work. 

Purify and exfoliate two to three times a week with the Kelp Forest Face Mask. The kelp forest face mask also works great as an overnight spot treatment for pimples. 

Moisturize with the Arborescent Serum.

Minimalist Skin Care Routine Order for Sensitive Skin:

☼ UPON WAKING…

 Nourish the skin with one of our elixirs.

 Protect your skin with Anato’s Ocean Friendly Sunblock.

☾ BEFORE BED…

Cleanse with one of our oils*, or use the Black Cedar Soap on particularly grimy days. This will remove the day’s hard work along with the SPF and any makeup.

Purify and exfoliate one time per week with the Kelp Forest Face Mask**. 

Moisturize with one of our elixirs, or the Baume Réparateur if your skin is feeling itchy or particularly dry. 

Multiuse skincare for your hair

A quick skincare routine often accompanies a quick hair fix. Luckily, our Arborescent Serum contains superb quality Moringa oil - a tree crop that has particularly great benefits for the hair. It smoothes out and coats hair with vibrant minerals and vitamins to keep it strong and healthy. Simply take a few drops of the oil on your fingertips, and gently massage through the drier parts of your hair or scalp. 

Please make sure you are not regularly using soap on your face. See how we deconstruct the myth of face wash. Too much soap is drying and can get in the way of your natural, perennial beauty.

Our Kelp Forest Face Mask & Polish comes in powder form, for ultimate versatility. Blend it with a diverse array of liquids - from green tea, to apple cider vinegar, to olive oil or sunflower oil. Blend it with what your skin is asking for...

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But what about a toner? Is that a necessary part of a minimalist skin care routine? 

A toner’s traditional function is to remove any leftover oil, dirt, or makeup. 
The oil or balm cleansing method in a minimalist skincare routine does a thorough job at removing all dirt, oil, and makeup.

Nowadays, many toners are formulated to give specific skin benefits.
When using a multifunctional skincare line, like Anato, you receive so many plant powered benefits from each step, thus making a toner redundant.

The main ingredient in most toners is water. Some even have quite a bit of alcohol in them.

Anato does not want to sell water to our customers. Water is critical for healthy skin - but from the inside out. Additionally, a shelf-stable product with water will inevitably have preservatives in it. Many of these preservatives are considered toxic. If you want to add water to your skin care routine, splash or mist your face with lukewarm water before massaging the elixirs into your skin. 

This will provide the emulsion found in creams, without the fillers, preservatives, and other nasty additives.

And in regards to alcohol, alcohol is very drying and should be used on the skin very sparingly. It should never be used daily. Oily skin can handle some alcohol more so than dry or sensitive skin.

Still craving a toner?

We believe you know your skin best, and if your skin is craving a toner, we have a simple echinacea toner DIY recipe for you. We recommend repurposing your empty 3-in-1 super sanitizer bottle for this one.

Have some extra time on a self-care Sunday?

→  Jade Facial Rollers: This hand held tool, carved out of jade, brings fresh, nurturing blood flow to your skin’s surface. It can be used right after applying a serum to help drive the serum’s benefits deeper into your epidermis. 

→  Facial Acupuncture: Licensed acupuncturists use very fine, painless needles to activate the “qi” in certain parts of your body. This practice can help slow down signs of aging in the body, including aging skin. Seek out a licensed practitioner to make a plan for your personal health.

→  Make a delicious sun protective smoothie after a long day spent outdoors. Hydrate your skin from the inside out with perennial plants that help to fight off sun-induced damage. See the delicious smoothie recipe here.

→  Try out an armpit detox. The Kelp Forest Face Mask shows off its multifunctional glory - as a purifying and nourishing face mask, as a spot treatment for pimples, AND as an armpit detox. Learn what an armpit detox is, and how to incorporate the practice into your self-care routine here.

For other holistic, anti-aging tips, check out our free guide “Natural Alternative To Anti-Aging Cosmetic Procedures” and incorporate new practices into your skin care routine order.

Benefits of a Minimalist Skin Care Routine:

→  TIME SAVING - less steps means less time getting ready in the morning, and less time prepping for bed. Saving time generally reduces stress - and stress is no good for our overall health, definitely including our skin.

→  MONEY SAVING - when you buy one product that doubles as a cleanser and serum, you save money.

→  LESS WASTE - less products means less packaging gets thrown in the trash or recycling bin.

 IN CONCLUSION 

Simple is good for the mind! Less to remember, less to worry about. There are benefits to a minimalist skin care routine - for your skin, the planet, and your wallet. Using multiuse skincare is one of many habits to pick up along your Zero Waste Voyage.

More actionable steps for a minimalist lifestyle:

→  Pursue a zero waste lifestyle. Small actions can have a big impact. Choose even a single step from our article, Easy Zero Waste Swaps for Everyday Life.

→  Home organization advice - with a focus on minimalism in the bathroom - from a professional Bay Area home organizer.

→  Take the Zero Waste Quiz to help you determine the best next step for you to reverse climate change.

*We like to suggest products and resources to our audience that we trust: plastic-free products, minimalist essentials, green make-up etc. Please note that some of our links include affiliate links which means we get a small commission. This is a blog post with affiliate links. This disclosure is intended to comply with the US Federal Trade Commission Rules on marketing and advertising.