Hey y’all-hope you’ve had a great week. It’s definitely been an adjustment for me getting back into the swing of my regular routine following lots of time off and short work weeks during the holidays! With the start of a new year comes contemplating positive lifestyle changes. Many people resolve to eat healthier or go to the gym more. However, health goes beyond the food you eat or your exercise routine. It also includes taking care of your skin and being mindful of what you put ON your body. In case there’s people out there who want to start off 2020 by upping their skincare game or switching to cleaner personal care products, I wanted to write a post to help ya’ll out. So today I’m sharing my clean skincare routine with Beautycounter.
I realize that I talk a lot about how much I love and use Beautycounter products, but I haven’t gone into extensive detail about which specific skincare products I use as part of my regular routine. Also, the Beautycounter Winter Sale is still happening through Monday, January 13. Not all of the products I’m going to share are included in this sale, but a few of them are. Also, keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different. There’s multiple basic skincare products included in the sale that might help you kick start a clean skincare routine!
As a disclaimer, I am a Beautycounter consultant, and any of the links in this post will take you directly to my personal Beautycounter website. I genuinely love Beautycounter products, and wholeheartedly support their mission to get safer products in the hands of everyone. In short, Beautycounter bans 1500 harmful or questionable ingredients from their products. These ingredients that Beautycounter bans are commonly found in other many other products on the market. They include irritants, allergens, carcinogens, and hormone disrupters. You can read more about Beautycounter’s mission and why I switched in this post.
My Evening Skincare Routine
First, I’m going to share my evening clean skincare routine with Beautycounter. There are more steps, and there are more variations in my evening routine than my morning routine. Here are the basic steps of my evening skincare routine:
- Makeup Remover
- Cleanser
- Toner
- Serum/Treatment
- Moisturizer
- Eye Cream
Now, I will go into a little more detail about each step and which products I use.
Step One: Remove Makeup
Although Beautycounter does advertise several of their cleansers as removing makeup, I prefer to double cleanse by using the cleansing balm as a makeup remover before my main cleanser. My skin feels better, and I like being sure I get all my makeup off so that my primary cleanser can really work its magic. I have been using the original formula of cleansing balm, which Beautycounter has discontinued. However, they have a new Lotus Glow cleansing balm with exact same function. You only need a small amount, and I have been using the same jar of cleansing balm almost nightly for over six months!
Step Two: Cleanse
I actually alternate between three different cleansers, which is a matter of personal preference. You can absolutely just pick one that is best suited to your skin type. I rotate among the Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser, Nourishing Cream Cleanser, and Nourishing Cream Exfoliator. My skin is on the oilier side, especially in the summer, and I get the occasional pimple. The Countercontrol line is designed for oily and/or acne-prone skin. Since my issues with these are minor, I use the wash instead of the full line. It has salicylic acid, and I love that it helps clean the gunk out of my pores. On some days I used the Nourishing Cream Cleanser instead, especially because I don’t want to dry my skin out too much during the colder months. In fact, when skin gets dehydrated, it will often compensate by producing extra oil, which is why it’s crucial that people with oily skin don’t completely strip their skin of moisture. Then a couple times a week I use the Nourishing Cream Exfoliator for extra exfoliation.
Step Three: Tone
After I cleanse, I use the Beautycounter Countermatch Hydra-Gel Radiance Toner. This is actually Beautycounter’s newest product. It just came out at the beginning of December. I put 1-2 pumps on a cotton swab, and then apply to my clean, dry face. Using a toner helps restore the pH to your face after cleansing, as well as remove any residual impurities. It also preps your skin to better absorb the treatment steps that follow. I’m so glad to have a toner back into my skincare routine. When I first switched to Beautycounter last April, they didn’t have a true toner yet that was comparable to the one I had been using. And I hadn’t found another clean alternative.
Step Four: Treat
Next up in my nighttime clean skincare routine with Beautycounter is the treatment step. Depending on the night, I use either the Overnight Resurfacing Peel or Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum. The Overnight Resurfacing Peel contains a gentle mixture of acids that improve skin tone and texture. This works for all skin types, and is a great addition to any skincare regimen. Although I didn’t have any major issues with skin tone or texture when I started using the Overnight Resurfacing Peel nine months ago, I can tell a subtle difference when I look back at old pictures. I use the peel 3-4 times a week on alternating nights. Right now, you can actually get a gift set that includes a full sized Overnight Resurfacing Peel plus a cream highlighter stick and illuminating glow cream for less than the price of the peel alone here.
On nights that I don’t use the Overnight Resurfacing Peel, I use the Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum as my treatment step. This anti-aging serum features the Retinatural Complex, which is a plant-based safe alternative to retinol. Think all of the anti-aging benefits of retinol, but without the irritation. The Countertime line is best suited for dry or mature skin. Since my skin doesn’t fall into either one of these categories but I want some anti-aging benefits, I only use select items from Countertime as opposed to the whole line.
Sidenote: If you’re interested in an anti-aging serum that is included in the Winter Sale, check out the Rejuvenating Radiance Serum. I actually ordered some of this to use after I use up my current bottle of Countertime serum, simply because the price is so good!
Step Five: Moisturize/Protect
For the moisturizing step of my evening skincare routine, I use then Countertime Antioxidant Soft Cream. This is actually the day cream from the Countertime line, but I use it as an anti-aging night cream as well since the Countertime night cream is too heavy for oily prone skin. This cream also has the Retinatural Complex. The Countertime Soft Cream isn’t on sale, but the Rejuvenating Night Cream is, which is a great alternative for an anti-aging night cream.
Then on some nights I swap out the Countertime Soft Cream for one of Beautycounter’s Facial Oils as my moisturizer, either the #1 Brightening Oil or #3 Balancing Oil. I use the #3 Balancing Oil most often, as it is best suited for my skin type. As I mentioned earlier, people with oily skin shouldn’t be afraid of moisturizing, since depriving the skin of oil actually causes it to overcompensate by producing excess oil. However, when I added the oils into my moisturizer it was a bit much for my skin. The facial oils work best for me if I use them as my moisturizer rather than in addition to my moisturizer on a given night. If your skin is normal to dry, then you might really love the extra hydration from adding a facial oil to your moisturizer. Right now, you can get a set of mini versions of all three Beautycounter facial oils for less than $25.This is a great way to try them out and see what works best for your skin.
Step Six: Eye Cream
The last step of my evening clean skincare routine is eye cream. I use the Countertime Ultra Renewal Eye Cream at night. Like other Countertime products, the eye cream contains the Retinatural Complex. However, it is specifically formulated for the delicate skin around the eyes. Counterime Eye Cream helps target both fine lines and dark circles in the eye area. A little bit goes a long way. I still have a lot left in the jar I’ve been using almost nightly for six months. Also, you can get a set that includes a full-sized Countertime Eye Cream and six sets of Eye Cooling Masks for less than the price of the eye cream alone in the Winter Sale here!
Beautycounter Charcoal Mask
A couple nights a week (sometimes three) I use the Beautycounter Charcoal Mask after my cleanser. I absolutely love this mask and I always feel like I’m having a luxurious at-home spa experience. The charcoal mask is a great addition to any skincare regimen, but it’s especially good for those with oily skin. The charcoal mask absorbs excess oil and pulls impurities out of your pores.
On the nights when I do a charcoal mask, I cleanse, mask, tone, moisturize, then eye cream.
My Morning Skincare Routine
My morning clean skincare routine with Beautycounter is much less involved than my evening skincare routine. This is a plus, because I’m short on time in the mornings! I have two versions of my morning skincare regimen: “Bare Essentials” and “If I Have Extra Time.” Most of the products I use in the morning are also part of my evening routine, so I won’t go into a ton of additional explanation here.
The Bare Essentials
At a bare minimum, my morning skincare routine consists of cleansing with either the Countercontrol Clear Pore Cleanser or Nourishing Cream Cleanser, and then moisturizing with Countertime Antioxidant Soft Cream. During the warmer months, when my skin is more oily, I will use the Countercontrol Matte Effect Gel Cream as my morning moisturizer. However, none of Beautycounter’s plain daytime moisturizers have SPF, so I follow up with my Beautycounter Dew Skin SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer. I consider this a bridge step between my skincare and makeup. Wearing SPF daily is my top anti-aging skincare tip!
If I Have Extra Time
If it’s a morning I’m a little less rushed, I will add the Countermatch Hydra-Gel Radiance Toner and the Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream into my morning skincare routine. The Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream in the original packaging is part of the Winter Sale. It is under $25, and makes a great nighttime eye cream as well. I actually used the Coutnermatch Eye Cream at night before Countertime debuted, and I really like it! The Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream really helps with dark circles!
Find Your Own Clean Skincare Routine
I hope that y’all enjoyed reading more about my clean skincare routine with Beautycounter. Also, I hope you learned more about the steps of a good skincare routine. If you are interested in learning more about what Beautycounter skincare products might work best for you, you can take this skincare quiz. Feel free to email me with your results. I would be honored to help you pick out clean skincare products that fit your needs and budget. Also, if you are wanting to switch over to clean beauty products in 2020, shopping the Beautycounter Winter Sale is a great way to get started. Shop all winter sale items here. Please let me know if you have any questions. Also, if you are interested in trying any Beautycounter samples, please send me an email. You can also DM me on Instagram.
I hope y’all have a lovely weekend!
-xoxo Liz
