By:
Kaila McIntyre-Bader
Finding the right products for your skin can be confusing and frustrating. There are many things to take into account: skin type, daily routine, product ingredients, and the purpose of each skincare step. How is one to know which routine or which product is the right one?
My journey to understanding my personal skincare routine started in middle school, when I became completely and utterly self-conscious about my teenage skin and the annoying blemishes covering it. I wanted to look like all the girls in the Seventeen magazine I read, or the Hollywood movies I watched! I did some research, and all of it pointed me in the direction of over-the-counter products full of alcohol and salicylic acid to dry out my face and get rid of zits. I was willing to try anything, so I went to the drugstore and stocked up on cleansers with zit-zapping capabilities and oil-free moisturizers to keep me from getting a shiny T-zone.
Needless to say, they didn’t work. They also dried out my face to a point where it wasn’t making enough oils to keep my skin looking healthy and hydrated. Not only did I still have blemishes, but I also had irritated, flaky skin. My first mistake was using products full of chemicals and alcohol instead of natural products with calming ingredients. The alcohol and salicylic acid in both the cleanser and the moisturizer made my sensitive skin even more irritated, and I ended up with more blemishes since my skin began to overproduce oils to keep my skin moisturized, clogging my pores.
I didn’t realize any of this at the time, so I did some more research and stumbled upon astringents. Astringents are meant to tighten up pores and remove impurities, and to be used in between cleansing and moisturizing. I bought an alcohol based astringent and added it to my daily skincare routine, hoping it would be the solution to my problems. Sure enough, it dried out my skin even more! I felt so hopeless and frustrated!
It wasn’t until college that I started considering natural products. I was sure they wouldn’t work as well as the harsh chemicals that promised to get rid of my blemishes. I switched to cleansers and moisturizers with natural ingredients that calmed and moisturized my skin instead of stripped it of its natural oils. I also switched from an alcohol-based astringent to a natural face toner. The new face toner made all the difference in the world. Natural ingredients like rosewater and Eucalyptus reduced the appearance of enlarged pores, while essential oils moisturized my sensitive skin and gave it a healthy glow. For the first time in many years, my skin took on the texture and tone I’d been trying to attain for so long.
Natural face toners are a great way to make sure you spray or wipe away any impurities after you cleanse your skin and before you moisturize. It keeps your skin tight and closes your pores back up, giving your complexion a healthy, vibrant appearance. If you have both blemishes and dry skin, make sure to try out Apsara’s Rose Dew Natural Facial Toner for Combination Skin. Regular use will provide overall hydration and nourishment.
