Favorite Skincare Products 2024-09-12T05:58:22-08:00

The how and why list of skin, hair, and body care products I love.

GUA SHA

I’ve been using a gua sha stone on my face morning and night for years now, and it’s incredible how well it works for smoothing skin, reducing, fine lines, draining toxins, and relaxing my mind. I even use it on my belly with magnesium lotion for digestive support. See how HERE.

CLEANSERS

For years I thought cleansers were supposed to foam and leave my skin feeling striped and tight. Turns out I was very wrong. I am an oil cleanser convert, and I am never going back. Find my top picks below!

  • Oliveda Corrective Cleanser: The unique combination of bioactive Arbequina oil, hydroxytyrosol and French lavender make this a silky makeup remover and moisturizing facial cleanser at the same time, counteracting clogged pores while freeing the skin from excess sebum or residues of sunscreen, for every day.
  • DOPE Your Glow Deep Cleanser: This deep cleansing gel cleanses the skin of the face in a particularly gentle but intensive way without removing moisture.
  • Arbequina Cleansing Oil: This oil combines with the lipid layer similar to it, supporting the renewal process of the skin, moisturizing and giving the complexion a soft and gentle appearance with less visible pores
  • Countertime Lipid Defense Oil: My longtime favorite set to return fall 2024!

TONERS

Using a toner? Perhaps you should be! Toners are applied after cleansing, in the morning and at night. They help balance the skin’s pH and remove excess dirt, oil, makeup, and other impurities. All skin types can benefit from including a gentle, hydrating toner in their daily routine.

SERUMS

I love serums. They are especially smooth thin oils that deliver a concentrated amount of active ingredients and lock in moisture and enable the ingredients to penetrate the surface of the skin, ensuring they are effective whilst also protecting your skin from the impact of daily living.

  • Corrective Face Serum (aka “Botox in a bottle”: With the power of the magic paracress flower oil and hydroxytyrosol, this highly effective face serum has a lifting effect on the skin and reduces the appearance of enlarged pores. Strong olive tree antioxidants have balancing and regenerating properties to smooth the skin structure reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and high pigmentation. I AM SOLD.
  • Finer Pore DOPE Facial Elixir: This highly concentrated face elixir strengthens, firms, repairs, and regenerates stressed and dehydrated skin, thanks to its high concentration of anti-aging ingredients.
  • Cell Active Face Serum: This highly concentrated F06 Face Serum strengthens, tones, repairs and regenerates stressed and dehydrated skin with its highly concentrated anti-aging power. The elixir of fresh olive leaf cells contained in this serum is a true fountain of youth that is quickly absorbed into the skin.
  • Corrective Hyaluronic Serum: A highly effective combination of the protective and regenerating hydroxytyrosol with vegan hyaluronic acid, which provides a plump and moisturized skin.
  • DIME Super Firm Serum (20% off with code: LAURAB): formulated with a unique blend of peptides that help tighten, firm, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, especially around the forehead, eyes, and mouth.

DAYTIME MOISTURIZERS

Believe it or not, it is important to choose a daytime-specific moisturizer. Day creams are lightweight and focus primarily on brightening your complexion, maintaining hydration, and protecting your skin from sun and other environmental damage.

  • Oliveda Antioxidant Face Cream: This light cream refreshes my skin, prevents drying, and protects from free radicals. It’s great for days in the sun to both protect and nourish, and as I slowly transition and find new products, I can say with certainty that I am sold!
  • Dime Dewy Day Cream (20% off code: LAURAB): This ultra-hydrating cream infuses the skin with a multi-layered moisture system. A powerful blend of antioxidant ingredients ensures the skin remains hydrated and balanced while helping to reduce the appearance of and prevent signs of aging.
  • Mighty Plump Ceramide Water Cream: Set to return fall 2024.

NIGHTTIME MOISTURIZERS

Yep, nighttime-specific creams are key too. Our bodies (including our skin) repair while our minds go to rest at night, so it’s no surprise that moisturizing overnight is crucial to healthy, supple skin. The skin goes into repair mode while we sleep, making it the prime time to dose it with extra nutrients from effective night creams.

  • Oliveda Regeneration Intense Face Cream: With the new OLIVEDA line “Regeneration Intense” and the worldwide unique active complex “Intelligence of Nature”, OLIVEDA Olive Tree Pharmacy has designed a completely new generation of face cream, the F74. It does not differentiate between skin types, but recognizes the individual building sites of the skin through its own active complex “Intelligence of Nature” and regenerates and balances.
  • Chara Omni Stem Cell Cream (save 10% with code: RADICALROOTS): this is such a powerful cream! I grab it a couple times a year and the difference in fine lines is immediate.

FACIAL OILS

Oils aren’t just for cleansing and serums. Facial oils help reduce the signs of aging by providing deep hydration, lasting moisture, and powerful nutrients, to plump and restore the skin’s natural elasticity and moisture balance and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

  • Oliveda Cell Active Face Oil: The glow complex and the active mountain olive tree ingredients give the cells more energy which makes skin look smoother, more alive, and extra vibrant while protecting the skin from negative environmental impact. 
  • All Bright Brightening Oil: Set to return fall 2024)

SPF

Studies show that regular daily use of SPF on the face can reduce risk of squamous cell carcinoma by 40%, and melanoma by 50%. Plus, it prevents premature skin aging caused by the sun like wrinkles, sagging and age spots. BUT not all spf is that same. After just one application, harmful sunscreen ingredients such as oxybenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, and homosalate are all absorbed into your body, so much so that they have been detected in blood, breast milk, and urine samples weeks after discontinued use.

Keep reading for the ones we use and love.

  • Crunchi Sunlit SPF for face and body: Finally a replacement that works and is SAFE! Just in time for the summer months ahead. Safely guard against the sun’s damaging rays with Sunlight® Body SPF 30, a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen that is better for you, your family, and the planet.
  • Dime Tinted Glow Wonderscreen SPF (20% off code: LAURAB): This clean mineral sunscreen features a sheer tint (now available in three shades) for that gorgeous year-round glow.

MAKEUP

I am a makeup minimalist, so this list won’t be long, but I love that with the right highly-effective skincare regimen, I don’t feel the need for much makeup at all!

  • Crunchi: I’ve just started exploring the awesome products from Crunchi to replace my makeup, and so far I am sold. Loving the liquid concealer, highlighter, and mascara.
  • Toupes & Co (15% off code: MODERNMAMAS): I love both the concealer and the mascara. Organic, effective, and long-lasting too.
  • Dime Eyebrow Enhancing Gel (20% off code: LAURAB): I recently got microblading done so I love that this organizes, enhances, and helps regrowth!
  • Dime Wonderscreen (see SPF above)
  • Cream Blush and Bronzer from Beautycounter (back fall 2024): Thankfully I stocked up; these are my favorite!

HAIR

Also a minimalist here. I’ve used Beautycounter shampoo and conditioner for years, but I recently branched out to Oliveda’s scalp treatment and Prose’s made-to-order shampoo, conditioner, and curl cream. And I am SOLD!

BODY

Our bodies need skincare love too, and Oliveda has some of the best body care products I’ve ever used, from the ground up (hello, happy feet).

  • Anti-aging Body Cream: This especially light and extremely refreshing body cream absorbs quickly into the skin, but is still rich in skin care performance. The high concentration of fresh, green olive leaf cell elixir provides intense moisture, reduces skin irritation, and stimulates new cell regeneration. A nourishing combination of cold-pressed oils, herbal extracts, mango butter, and sweet almond oil protect and moisturize the skin, aiding in the improvement of a soft, silky smooth, and supple complexion. I love using this all over but especially notice a difference on my chest and arms.
  • Anti-aging Hand Cream: I clean a lot, I lift a lot, I spend a whole lot of time outside; In short, I use my hands (and I don’t plan on stopping). That said, my hands are showing the signs of age, but this rapidly absorbing hand cream dispenses with rough, dry hands and brittle nails, thanks to our premium plant oils, and extracts of both the olive leaf and bitter orange.
  • Softening Foot Balm: Like my hands, I use these feet (barefoot as often as possible), and it shows. And also like my hands, I am not planning to stop anytime soon. Enter this foot balm that contains natural extracts of camphor, menthol, rosemary, thyme, and the healing power of sage. Our exclusive mixture of herbs naturally revitalizes weary and tired feet, and bestows them with maximum, comprehensive care, all without having an oily texture to track around the house or into your sheets.

See more brilliant body care for whatever your needs (including some great sets) here!

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