Most of us have health on our minds these days (a lot!). And while spending time in our self-imposed quarantines, we are trying to find ways to spend our time well. This means not just avoiding fighting with the kids, but proactively looking for ways to recharge and renew. I've been teaching my son to cook (although he picked up a few tips from Gordon Ramsey it seems). And my teenage daughter is actually cleaning and organizing her room.
Here's what Hana Lee, CEO of Melixir Vegan Skincare, says about recharging her routine, "First thing I'm doing every day is working out. I take an online cycling class and do my rowing machine for 10 minutes. Also, I am pescatarian, so I cook brunch with plant-based ingredients. For the facials, I use plant-based toner made of 100% organic green tea to balance my skin PH level, and layer with high-quality vegan Squalane oil to keep my skin moist."
As for me, I've spent an afternoon detoxing my beauty routine. The amount of beauty products I have is astounding (in my defense, I'm in the industry and get a ton of product at events). But some of the product I have has been sitting on shelves for literally years. This is true for skincare, mascara, lipsticks, etc. And yes, beauty products do expire! Many skin care products have an expiration date on them, but lots of cosmetics don't. Here's a general rule of thumb of how long you should hang onto your beauty products: Real Simple's product expiration checklist
Most of us are pretty aware that sunscreen can expire. But mascara only lasting 3-4 months? I have some mascaras that are probably 3-4 years! (well, not anymore. . .). So, weeding out the old stuff is one way you can clean up your beauty. But another way? Understanding the ingredients in your products and eliminating anything known to be toxic.
Most people don't know that 90% of hair care products on the US market contain toxic ingredients. It's one of the reasons we formulated MASAMI to be clean but effective. No parabens, phthalates or sulfates. In fact, we follow both EU and Whole Foods beauty standards which are on their site, so a helpful place to learn more if you want to know about the 100+ ingredients they ban. Educating yourself on what's in your products is a good start. You should be able to make informed decisions about what you put in and on your body.
While you're reevaluating your beauty products, another thing you can do is find high-performance clean multi-tasking products (so you don't need the 100's of "specialty" products but have hard-working go-to products). One of our favorites is Chuda Healing Hydrating Cream, it's amazing for healing and deeply hydrating your face, and it also works wonders on chapped hands (which many of us have now that we Purell hourly it seems!)
The upside of detoxing your beauty routine? Decluttering. I always feel liberated when my life is more organized. And I can actually see and find everything.
So while we're all cooped up, have at it. And send us a picture of your cleaned up beauty when you're done along with your thoughts on your new routine. It will inspire someone else to do the same.
