Skincare at 40

Skincare at 40 can be simple, natural, and zero-waste. Thankfully, I found hope at 40, after being forced to find my own skincare routine. I am half Canadian and Cuban with fair skin and olive tones. My grandmothers sat at opposite ends of the spectrum.  I always hoped my Cuban heritage would rule and provide me with a wrinkle-free, anti-aging look. The Cuban grandmother used the original Oil of Olay and had no wrinkles her entire life. The Canadian grandmother, however, had a ton of wrinkles (sorry Nana) and was buying miracle face cream weekly in hopes of ending the aging process. I was raised by a mother who regularly wore makeup but did not have a regular skincare routine. This made washing my face at night my only routine. I never used any creams or toners because of their drying or harsh effects. Trust me, I have tried everything: from my grandmother’s trusted product (which isn’t the same today) to very expensive products. It wasn’t easy to find anti-aging essentials that are good for both our bodies and the earth with ingredients we can pronounce

My esthetician told me very bluntly that I wasn’t getting younger and I needed to start a  skin care routine, before it was too late. I cringed. I told her I was hopeless. I shared these concerns with my friend Eren, the founder of The Home Farm. She told me to try her two products to tackle my problem. I agreed, with much skepticism. After two weeks I was thrilled to announce I had no outbreaks. Three years later, I have the best anti-aging skin care routine at 40, with no breakouts. 

Here is my simple skin care routine at 40. I start every morning with a shower and rinsing my face with only water. Once I step out of the shower and dry off, I start my facial skin-care routine. I start with The Home Farm’s Rose Cleanser and Toner (one product). Using a clean face cloth or old tea towel, I apply their Rose Toner directly to my skin,gently rubbing the product in. For those that have not yet transitioned to these zero-waste alternatives, cotton balls or pads also work well.  Then, using clean hands, I massage a small amount of The Home Farm Argan Oil into my face and neck. I repeat the same routine in the evening.

Here’s what I love about these products: I can pronounce the ingredients, they are 100% natural and organic, their packaging is zero waste,and I know their source. It is finally  possible to have over 40 skin care essentials in your medicine cabinet that are safe and clean for you and the planet.

What is Rose Toner? Rose petals are stepped or distilled with steam.The water extracts the healing properties of the rose petals.

Ingredients: 100% certified organic Rose Water.

Benefits:

• Cleanser
• Toner
• Acne-remedy
• Shrinks pores
• Reduces black heads
• Make-up remover
• Cell Support

Reference

What is Argan Oil and where does it come from? Argan oil comes from the flower and nut producing Argan Tree. The nut contains two to three small oil rich seeds, sometimes referred to as kernels. The tree blooms once a year in April and takes over a year to mature, ripening in between June and July of the following year.

Ingredients: 100% undiluted, certified organic, edible grade Moroccan Argan oil.

Argan Benefits: Argan is rich in essential nutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds that support our skin thanks to rich omega fatty acids, vitamin E, and linoleic acids. Some of the benefits that have been documented in research include:

• Moisturizing
• Protecting from Sun Damage
• Cancer prevention
• Soothing
• Treating Acne
• Anti-aging 
• Oil Reducing