spa therapies Intuitive Skincare

Ever heard of intuitive eating? It’s a dietary style that does away with obsessive rule-following and restrictions, and instead advocates for tapping into your body’s actual hunger cues. Or more accurately call it a user-led nourishment experience.

Intuitive skincare is the same concept. Forget robotic adherence to a daily routine and instead nourish your skin with what it needs in that particular moment. Unlike bodily hunger cues, which can take some practice to tune into, your skin is an open book just waiting to tell you how to help it out.

Intuitive skincare is not some woo-woo, unscientific exercise. It’s about conducting an empirical investigation of your own face in terms of moisture levels, oil balance and texture, then linking what you observe to a probable cause and choosing products accordingly.

Why Practice Intuitive Skincare?

•Because it’s unlikely that your skin is the same every single day. Your skin is the barrier between you and the rest of the world. It faces a constant onslaught of environmental (and dietary) factors and it fluctuates accordingly.

We also tend to think of skincare in terms of am and pm routines, but your skin is set on a monthly cycle – not a 24-hour one. For better or worse, we’re at the mercy of our hormones, which means you could cycle through dryness, sensitivity, a radiant glow, acne and oiliness, all in the space of a month.

In short, your skin is constantly changing to meet challenges, so your skincare should be equally agile.

•Because it’s a golden opportunity for genuine self-car. If you’ve joined the Slow Beauty movement, then intuitive skincare is perfect. That’s because rather than racing through a routine, intuitive skincare forces you to slow down, notice, assess and respond lovingly.

It also helps you to practise answering the question ‘What do I need right now?’ (Hot tip: take this questioning practice into the rest of your life – to work, to the kitchen, to your relationships. It’s not selfish. You’re not prioritising your needs over others’. You’re just reminding yourself that selfcare is an investment and equally important)

• Because it’s good for the planet. The more mindfully we buy and use products, the less waste we create. Happy skin, happy planet. Win-win.

•Because it works. Too often, the skincare industry is focused on skin beauty rather than skin health. That’s putting the cart before the horse, because the glow-up we’re all looking for is actually just a byproduct of helping your skin barrier to function optimally. Opt for skin health, rather than piling on products to target surface-level imperfections, and say hello to the glow.

This is also the philosophy behind well ageing. By nourishing your skin, rather than trying to ‘combat the signs of ageing’, your skin will look happy and healthy no matter what stage of life you’re transitioning into.

How To Practise Intuitive Skincare

1. Take a good look at your face. Are you excessively oily come 3pm? Maybe your

By Skin Creamery

cleanser is too harsh.

Do you have a lot of very fine lines (not wrinkles)? Time to up the hydration.

Are any areas rough or bumpy to the touch? Perhaps reach for the exfoliator. Do you have sensitivity, possibly caused by an impaired lipid barrier? Skip the actives and increase the moisture.

2. In short, try to really notice what’s going on with your skin then feed it accordingly.

3. Curate a collection of interchangeable products

You do need a small selection of hard-working heroes that you can cherry-pick from based on your skin’s current needs. Make sure you’ve covered the basics: cleansing, toning, exfoliating, moisturising and protecting (SPF).

4. Try a skin fast. It’s the good advice that you won’t hear often. When things are getting a little out of hand, resist the temptation to try anything, which will probably wreak more havoc. Instead, try a skin fast. Strip back to gentle cleansing, moisturising and protecting to allow your skin to reset and rebalance itself as naturally as possible.

When you’re practising intuitive skincare, you want to know that you’re giving your skin the best.

About Skin Creamery: Recipient of The Beauty Shortlist Awards 2022, which celebrates the best products and brands in the natural beauty and wellness arena. Skin Creamery recently took home not one but two Editor’s Choice awards, for our Shower Oil and The Balm. Reason enough to give them a try!

You might be wondering--What is vegan skincare? What do I look for? How do I get started on a new skincare routine? Which companies offer vegan skincare products?

What Is Vegan Skincare?

To start, we'll keep it simple. To our minds, vegan skincare means that:

1.The product is made without any ingredients that come from an animal.

2.The skincare is also cruelty-free, meaning that it was produced without the use of animal testing.

Although there are other issues to consider such as natural vs. synthetic, organic vs. non-organic, or even the environmental impact of certain ingredients, these two principles are the most important.

What Is the Difference Between Regular and Vegan Skincare?

When we think about skincare, animal products don't immediately come to mind. At least, not like they do with food or drink. It's really easy to overlook the fact that many basic ingredients found in the most popular beauty products are not vegan. 'Regular skincare' might refer to readily available, over-the-counter, and mainstream products, which may or may not include vegan-friendly ingredients.

On the other hand, 'vegan skincare' can easily be misconstrued as something elite, expensive, and hard to find.

The only thing that differs between 'regular' and vegan skincare are the ingredients. Our goal is to find an option, that keep our skin gorgeous and glowing, without anything to do with the animals we love.

Which Skincare Ingredients are NOT Vegan?

While this is not a complete list of all of the skincare ingredients that are not vegan, these are the most commonly known and used in commercial skincare products.

•Lanolin - Used to soften and moisturize, this emollient is made from sheep's wool, and can easily be swapped with a plant-based oil (olive, jojoba, etc.) or butter (like coconut or shea)

• Beeswax - A natural wax produced by honey bees, it helps to keep liquids and solids together in a mixture, and can be substituted with a plantbased wax such as soy, candelilia, or carnauba.

• Glycerin - Traditionally made using animal fat, this moisturizing ingredient can be replaced by a vegetable glycerin instead.

• Squalene - This additive is often used for antiaging products and is primarily made from shark liver oil. You can also find plant-derived forms from olives or wheat germ.

• Stearic Acid - An emulsifier and emollient that is usually derived from an animal's stomach. It can simply be replaced by a plant-based stearic acid, which would also be less irritating to the skin.

• Oleic Acid (aka Tallow) - Though this skincare softener can be made using plant-derived fats (like coconut, almond, or olive), it's most commonly made from animal fat.

• Casein (or Sodium Caseinate) - A conditioning treatment that is made with cow's milk. An alternative can be created by using a plant-based milk instead.

Are Collagen and Elastin Vegan?

Until recently, collagen and elastin have been entirely animal-based. Both collagen and elastin are proteins extracted from the various parts of an animal, usually a cow. Collagen is made with fibrous proteins of the animal tissue, bone, skin, or ligaments, while elastin is created from the muscles, ligaments, and aortas of animals.

But, thankfully, science is truly coming along in the skincare world. There are now plant-based collagen options manufactured using yeast and bacteria. Pacifica has a range of vegan collagen skincare utilizing this new technology. In addition, the company, Geltor, has taken advantage of the fermentation process to invent a PETA-approved elastin ingredient for use in skincare.

Is Vegan Skincare Better?

Often, but not necessarily. You would think that any vegan skincare product would be the better choice (and when it comes to the animals, it always is!), but it really depends on how these non-animal ingredients interact with your own skin or skin type. Also, keep in mind, that every person is unique and reacts differently to certain ingredients.

Sometimes, using a petroleum-based product can wreak havoc on the skin due to the man-made chemicals. On the other hand, if you have sensitivities to nuts or seeds, you might want to be extra careful of natural oils that come from almonds, coconut, or sesame. What may work for one person may not work for another.

For the best chance at high-quality vegan skincare, here's what to strive for:

• Easy-to-understand ingredients (like natural oils, aloe vera, and plant-based waxes)

•Very few, if any, chemical additives or preservatives (which tend to be irritating to the skin)

• Organic or locally made (ideal, but not necessary for clear, healthy skin)

Are More Expensive Products Always A Better Choice?

It might be surprising to learn that many of the low-end skincare companies have a number of vegan products, while many of high end, more expensive brands have less.

Sadly, there isn't an easy “yes” or “no” answer to this question. Some affordable vegan skincare products may have better options than more expensive brands, or vice versa. It truly depends on the company and product itself. This is a great opportunity to do a bit of extra investigating on your own.

How Do I Start a Vegan Skincare Routine?

When you're embarking on a new beauty routine, it's best to stick with the basics. First, choose a vegan makeup remover (if you wear makeup), a cleanser, and a vegan moisturizer. Then, follow these simple steps every evening before bed (very important) and in the morning.

1. Remove Makeup - Make sure to use a cloth or product especially made for removing make up. In a pinch, a simple base oil (such as almond, coconut, or jojoba) will do the trick.

2. Cleanse - Wet skin using lukewarm water, use your fingers to apply cleanser, and gently massage into the skin for a minute or two. Rinse with lukewarm or cool water.

3. Moisturize - Before your face is completely dry, you can apply the vegan moisturizer (amount should be shown on the product) all over the skin using gentle upward and outward motions.

The alluring touchs when your skin needs it the most.

Toner - You can use this daily to remove any traces of dirt or impurities left in the pores of your skin after you wash your face. It also helps to restore your skin's pH level, smooths rough patches, and aids in improving skin tone.

Exfoliation - This process removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin using either a physical tool, cleansing grains, or chemicals. Be careful to choose the best option for your skin-type.

Serum - A serum is designed to deliver high concentrations of vitamin-rich ingredients. A few drops pressed into the skin before applying crueltyfree moisturizer is all that you need.

Eye Cream - To keep this area hydrated, try adding a tiny, pea-sized amount of cream around the eyes. Apply with your ring finger (will give the least amount of pressure) in slow, circular motions.

Lip Balm - This is probably the least necessary before bed, but also the most luxurious. Adding a super smooth swipe to your lips will make them even softer and more supple in the morning.