My Journey to Natural Skincare: Starting Small for Big Impact
Aelisa DieckmannShare
When I first considered switching to natural skincare, I felt completely overwhelmed. The beauty industry bombards us with countless products, ingredients I couldn't pronounce, and conflicting advice. There is this for that and this for this and where do I even begin? After some trial and error, I discovered that making this transition doesn't have to happen overnight. Here's how I started small but made glowing changes in my skincare routine.
Start With One Product: Your Daily Cleanser
I began my natural skincare journey by replacing my face wash. Well, first it was tallow and then I became brave enough to switch my face wash after my tallow journey went so well.
Since it's face wash is something I use daily and it washes off rather than staying on my skin, it felt like a low-risk first leap. I looked for cleansers with simple ingredients like aloe vera, honey, rose or plant-based oils. When I wasn't finding what I was looking for I decided to make my own. A couple trial and errors later and I had the Rose Face Wash.
The difference was subtle but noticeable - my skin felt less tight and irritated after washing. Clean but not stripped. Eureka!
I Would Encourage You To Read Labels, But Don't Obsess At first.
It is all very overwhelming. I tried memorizing lists of "toxic" ingredients to avoid, but this approach only adding anxiety. Instead, I adopted a simpler approach: fewer ingredients is generally better. Period. Under 10 natural ingredients is the creme de la creme for me. Simple and pure was the goal in making my all natural skincare products moving forward.
After my rose cleanser success, (which you can purchase here) I focused on leave-on products that may remain on my skin for hours - moisturizers, serums, and body lotions. I knew I loved tallow. It is deeply moisturizing an incredibly healing. Tallow was what our ancestors used for a moisturizer and that made me feel a whole lot better about slathering it all over my skin. My tallow is always 100 percent grass fed/grass finished tallow with no hormones used. It is a superfood for your skin and you will feel the difference. It's good.
One surprising benefit of going natural was discovering natural ingredients that I already had and could use in a pinch. Run out of face wash...unrefined coconut oil can become a makeup remover, occasional hair mask, and cuticle treatment.
Unrefined shea butter works as lip balm, hand cream, and dry patch soother. The natural gift(s) that keep on giving! Thanks nature!
Okay So Back To The Drawing Board - Don't Throw Everything Away at Once
The most sustainable approach isn't tossing everything out immediately. I finished products I already owned while gradually replacing them with natural alternatives. This gave me time to make and test new products I was curious about and it will help you save money and not waste what you already have.
Listen to Your Skin
The most important lesson was learning to observe how my skin responded. Some natural ingredients (looking at you, essential oils) can be just as irritating as synthetic ones. There also tends to be a detox period when switching over to natural products. You can read more about that here. Your skin is purging the impurities and the process isn't always fun but it is necessary.
Final Thoughts: Progress Over Perfection
I can't believe it has been a little over six months since this journey began. Some conventional products still work better for my needs and am ok with that for now until I can create a better alternative. The goal isn't perfection but progress toward healthier choices.
If you're just starting, remember that small, consistent changes add up.
Begin with one product, tallow is a great place to start. Learn as you go, and be kind to yourself (and your skin) throughout the process. Your natural skincare journey is personal, and there's no single "right" way to do it but I hope you will choose Pure Selah products for your skincare routine.