What One Week Of Vegan Skincare Looks & Feels Like

Photo: ShutterstockMost people assume that it’s all downhill for the body after we turn 25; that’s partially true. Although some of those hiccups depend entirely on our lifestyle (stress and diet), there are some things–like adult acne– that show up out of thin air. As I enter my late ’20s with a multitude of beauty woes, I’m looking to clean up my skincare routine…in the most literal sense.

For the past week, I’ve been laying off the makeup and using organic face and body products from Osmia Organics. My skin tends to get oily in the summer, so you can imagine my hesitation in using oil-based products, but it was refreshing to read and understand every ingredient on the bottle.

“Some basic things to avoid are parabens and phthalates (hormone/ endocrine disruptors), sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate (skin irritants), and synthetic colors and fragrances (possible carcinogens),” says Dr. Sarah Villafranco, founder of Osmia Organics.

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“I also try to encourage people to avoid any ingredients that start with PEG, end in ‘eth,’ or have a dash with a number, like polysorbate-20. These are all ingredients that have undergone ethoxylation, a process that releases 1,4dioxane, a known carcinogen to humans and aquatic species. Another sneaky ingredient is called ’emulsifying wax’ or ‘e-wax,’ also ethoxylated, which is used to emulsify creams and lotions.”

What I loved about my new routine is that almost all of it was done in the shower; a convenient method for those with busy work weeks. Each day, I started off with the Black Clay Facial Soap ($24) and immediately came to enjoy the minty tingle left by the mix of dead sea mud, avocado, almond and other oils that balance and nourish. One teeny pump of the Facial Calibration Serum ($50) on my damp skin after locked in all of those delicious ingredients.

If you’ve already taken the eco-friendly plunge, you’re probably thinking, “But, don’t kitchen items like coconut oil do the same thing?” Yes, they do, but if you’re not using a fractionated version, there’s an important catch, according to Dr. Villafranco:

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Photo: Shutterstock–“Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which gets absorbed very quickly by the skin. This is one reason people love [it] so much – no greasy residue on the surface of the skin. But, it can send a mixed message to the cells responsible for making sebum, the oily substance that keeps our skin supple and waterproof. Coconut oil penetrates the skin, telling the sebaceous glands to decrease sebum production, but leaving very little oil on the surface of the skin to keep it soft and prevent water loss. The result is skin that both feels drier to the touch and produces less of its own protective barrier.”

This applies to not just the face, but the body. Using the Coffee Mint Bar Soap ($12) was particularly difficult for me because, well…I hate bar soap. For years, I’ve blamed it for the dry patches on skin, but it turns out body lotions and cream washes are the real culprits.

“Poor little bar soap. The big companies have given it such a terrible reputation!,” says Villafranco.

“To clear all that up, hand-made bar soap… is made with sodium hydroxide (lye), but all the molecules get rearranged in the chemical reaction of forming soap – there’s zero lye in the final bar. In addition, cold-process soapmaking allows soap to retain its glycerin (which draws moisture to your skin) as opposed to the industrial soap making techniques in which glycerin is removed.

All you need to do to keep your bar soap healthy is put in in a dry spot between uses. A beautifully made bar of soap has far fewer ingredients and chemicals than a liquid wash, and (hopefully) does not come in a plastic container. Better for your skin, better for the planet.”

See results on the next page!

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