Dear Friend,
Congratulations on your decision to start using a truly pure natural skincare line. You are on your way to kicking chemical products forever.
This quick guide is to help you transition from water/glycerin based skincare to oil based skincare as easily as possible.
Many of us desire to switch to truly natural, preservative free natural skincare formulations. However, some people may encounter an unexpected difficulty – their skin is addicted to water/glycerin formulas! Unfortunately, it may sometimes be difficult to start using completely different formulas and expect our skin to behave the exact same way as what we are used to. Totally pure skincare will act uniquely upon the skin and you may experience a period of adjustment to the new regimen.
After years of being treated with synthetic ingredients, silicones, preservatives and alcohols, skin cells develop a system of defense – they tend to stick closer together in the desperate attempt to defend from assault by synthetic chemicals while holding on to the moisture and lipids still remaining in the skin. Additionally, our skin craves surface moisture that water/glycerin formulations provide to the epidermis.
It is on this tight, defensive skin that we first apply our new oil-based skincare products and expect amazing results right away. Yet, we may be sadly disappointed if our skin does not absorb the oils immediately, becomes listless, flaky or too oily and sometimes feels itchy and uncomfortable. The cells are positioned so tightly together that the oil molecules that are much larger than those of glycerin and synthetic chemicals, have a much harder time absorbing into the skin. At this time many simply give up and decide that there is no escape from synthetics and revert back to the familiar chemical-laden skincare routine.
Please, be patient with your skin and give it a chance to get used to your new skincare regimen. Your skin and your health are worth it! Here are some suggestions that will help you succeed on your journey:
- At the very beginning of the process do a gentle scrub. Exfoliating should allow the lipid molecules in your new product better access to deeper layers of the epidermis. Continue exfoliating at least once every two - three weeks throughout the transition process. You don’t need to buy a special scrub – a simple mixture of sugar and honey will do, or you can get creative and use one of the multitude sugar scrub recipes you can find online. Please, do not exfoliate too often. More is not always better.
- Since in the beginning of the process your skin will still be very dependent on surface hydration provided by water/glycerin formulas, it will crave water on the surface. You can provide this surface hydration by simply splashing your skin with water that is as close to skin temperature as possible. The water should not be too cold to ensure that pores remain open and not too hot as to remain comfortable. Alternatively, you can use a wet washcloth on your skin for a few minutes by gently applying it to your skin or simply laying down with the washcloth on your face and taking a few minutes to rest. Again, make sure the temperature is as close to skin temperature as possible. As your skin transitions to oil based products, you will be able to skip this step. Your skin will get used to deeper hydration that the oils provide and will stop craving surface moisture. Once your skin surface is hydrated, follow up with your new moisturizer. Avoid touching your new products with wet hands – use spatula provided.
- You can try and quit synthetics cold turkey. This will not be easy, but the result will be worth it. Usually the transition lasts about 2-3 weeks, but can take longer, depending on your skin and treatment history. As your skin adjusts to the lack of harsh chemicals, it will relax, open up and start absorbing the lipid molecules. After each application, wait 10-15 minutes and tap off excess product gently with a tissue. Apply makeup as usual. After an adjustment period you will not recognize your skin – it will be absorbing your new product in greater amounts, trying to restore the lipids it has been denied for so long. At this stage you may experience an occasional breakout – a sure sign that your skin is abandoning its defenses and starting to absorb the nutrients. This issue is temporary and will go away after a few weeks.
However, if cold turkey is not for you and you want to try a longer, but easier approach, a gradual transition might be the way to go. Start adding some of your new oil-based product into your old glycerin-based product. Gradually, you will add more and more of the new product and eventually, as you run out of your old product, you will not need to replace it, and just switch to your oil-based formula entirely. This is a lengthier approach that can take a few months, but for some, this might be the easier way. This works for both face and body. Personally, it took me about 12 weeks to completely switch and can assure you that this process works!
I hope these suggestions will encourage you to switch away from synthetic skincare products. Your skin deserves better and the planet will be spared tons of synthetic chemicals and silicones dumped into the water supply day after day.