Boost Your Glow With Less Skincare Products

Welcome back to the 7 Day Glow podcast. We are all different - what makes me Glow does not necessarily make you shine. In this episode of the 7 Day Glow Podcast we are going to talk about what makes YOU Glow, and what that has to do with your current skincare products. 

In our last episode I shared my story with you - how, after dealing with adult acne for 10 years, I threw out ALL of my skincare products and started completely over. The result was that I not only got the glowing, luminous skin I’d been longing for but I also got back a LOT of my me-time, saved money by just using three skincare products, and walked away with my own skincare business.

In the process of simplifying my skincare routine I found there were a lot of other things that affected my Glow. Such as exercise, the foods I ate, how busy I was, you name it. It all made a difference.

I also shared that when I developed my three piece skincare system into a business we conducted market research that consistently showed that many women defined beautiful as someone who had an inner glow. Someone that was healthy, confident, and clearly took good care of themselves.

In this episode I wanted to address Glow - I mean, the name of this podcast is 7 Day Glow - so talking about the word “Glow” just seems to make sense.

For the purposes of the 7 day glow podcast when we talk about “Glow” we are also talking about beauty, being beautiful, glowing, inner happiness, and self-care.

Think about someone that you know who truly glows. What makes you think of them as someone who glows? Do they have luminous skin, a sparkle in their eye? Vibrant Energy? Are they steady and confident?

Can you remember a time when you glowed or do you glow now? What does it feel like when you know you are glowing? Do you feel beautiful? Vibrant? Luminous? Happy? Glowing?

What would it take for you to Glow? Let’s do some self- assessment:

• Are you feeling calm and steady or busy and rushed? I just can’t feel like my best glowing self when I’m rushing from thing to thing. Stress reduction is very high on my personal Glow list, however some of us actually Glow more brightly when they are busy - I want to point out here that there is a difference between being BUSY and feeling rushed, harried or overwhelmed. Aim for the balance that makes you feel your best.

• Are you eating healthfully? I know this seems like an obvious question - but are you? Are you getting a balance of protein, fats, fruits, and vegetables. If not, rethink your diet to see where you can fit in a little more balance. If you are stressed, taking birth control, exercising to build muscle,  breastfeeding or pregnant you need more protein than at other times. 

• Are you getting regular exercise? Are you moving? I know some jobs require spending many hours seated, do you try to get up and move on a regular basis? Are you getting any exercise that gets your heart pumping and some sweat going daily? This is important to flush toxins from your body that may dampen your glow and zap your energy. I’ve got a hill I walk up most days of the week with my dog, and that does it for me. 

• Are you taking care of your face every day? I also know I need to take care of my skin so I feel like I look my best. I don’t need make-up to Glow but I know some women do feel like they need make-up to truly be at their best. So if you feel like you need make-up then make time each day to apply some - even if you are not going anywhere! If it makes you feel like your glowing best, do it. I like my mascara, and I actually wore it more in the first couple weeks after having my baby than any other time, even tho I wasn’t going anywhere! It just made me feel pretty when I was tired and always had some kind of body fluid on me. 

• Are you drinking enough ( or any ) water? With caring for my skin I know I need to drink plenty of water. We’ll be devoting an entire podcast to water in the future but for now aim to drink at least eight 8oz glasses a day of water (and no, coffee and pop do not count!)

• Do you have a stable home life? I think this is something many women fall into and I think many of us will do ANYTHING to keep that home life stable because it makes such a huge difference in their personal happiness. Sometimes it’s difficult - I hate to say that - but it’s the truth. For example if you live in a household with emotional teens - it’s pretty tough to keep a calm stable atmosphere - but I will assure you that if you make an effort to try to keep yourself stable in the midst of teen chaos it may actually help the rest of the family stay a little calmer too. 

And I’d be irresponsible here if I did not say that if you are in an abusive relationship - emotionally or physically - to get help and support. Reach out to a close family member, friend or organization that can help you to safely deal with the situation. Because you cannot glow if you are being abused.

• Are you overworked? My work life balance also plays a HUGE part in my Glow. If I’m tired and drained and not getting enough personal time it really dampens my Glow.

• Are you getting enough sleep? Shoot for a good solid night’s sleep on a consistent basis. It’s not called beauty sleep for nothing.

Did I miss anything? Remember, we are all different so there are most likely things on your list that I have not addressed here. If so, shoot me a message so I’m sure to include them in future podcasts.

We’ll be diving deep into all of the items I’ve listed above in future podcasts, for now take time to make a list of things you need to address to keep you at your best. Remember - your environment, stress, water intake, healthy foods, exercise and so much more plays into your personal Glow. In fact, it ALL affects your glow. 

Another thing that really affects your glow is the skincare products you use.

I am a natural skincare formulator and a biologist. I have been formulating skincare products for almost 10 years now and over the years I’ve had the chance to review A LOT of skincare programs. Big Brand Beauty really likes the 10 piece skincare program so most likely you are most familiar with this type of beauty system.

The 10 piece skincare program is any program that has many pieces. This can include any combination of the following products: make-up remover, cleanser, toner, serum, face oil, eye product, lip treatment, spot treatment, exfoliator, moisturizer and within that a customer may use multiple types of exfoliators such as a mask and a scrub and layers of serums and face oils or types of moisturizers.

10 piece skincare systems can be complicated to say the least. For example - Often there is not just one cleanser to choose from - there may be a cleanser for dry skin, oily skin, aging skin, normal skin. An exfoliating cleanser, hydrating cleanser, or brightening cleanser. You get the drift.

If you are using more than four products each day to address your skin needs then you can probably consider yourself as using a 10 piece system (even if you only use 8 pieces). 

So why do I want to talk about a big skincare system on a day when I’m also talking about your Glow? Because harnessing yourself to a large, demanding skincare system can really affect your glow - and not in the way you think it would…

• Using a lot of products on your face every day takes a lot of time - sucking up valuable me-time that could be better used to balance other areas of your life that need to be addressed, like finding time to exercise or taking some time to meditate to stay calmer.

• These skincare products really add up in terms of cost. This is money that might be better spent on healthier, organic food choices, or to go toward a massage or professional facial that would really boost your glow.

• You may be putting just more of the same in many layers on your skin. A lot of these big programs are actually using the same ingredients over and over repackaged in different ways to increase the money you spend on their system. For example, Your serum, face oil and moisturizer might all include the exact same oils and active ingredients - they are just made a little different to encourage you to buy them and spend more money. Really look at your ingredients. When I started my skincare company I did an analysis of several top beauty brand lines - including all natural and traditional companies. What I found really surprised me. Many companies were just using the same ingredients over and over and repackaging them. How many times do you need to apply the same ingredient to your skin? Once. Once. Once. Not 8 different times in 8 different labeled products. The truth is when ingredients are bought in large bulk the price of that ingredient goes down dramatically. So companies tend to purchase less ingredients in greater sizes and then try to use those ingredients across their product lines to increase margins. Look for products that have different ingredients between them. When I designed the 7 Day Glow three piece system I made sure that every ingredient in each piece was different and would work in synergy between the products so that when you use all three pieces you are actually applying 100 different ingredients to your skin - each bringing more to the table in terms of skin loving nutrients.

• How many moisturizers are you putting on your skin? If you are using a face oil, moisturizing mist, serum and a moisturizer you may be using four moisturizers. How many do you need? Now I’ll be the first to say that serums can differ dramatically between companies - however many companies call a face oil a serum. You really just need one well made moisturizer that includes ingredients to address aging, spots, and sun damage. If you cannot find that in one moisturizer then add a serum or face oil to act as a booster to your moisturizer. Personally I prefer face oils for moisturizing but I know quite a few love a good cream - that’s fine but DO look at your labels and read the descriptions on your products to ensure they are doing what you want them to do.

Really you just need three products to adequately address your skin needs. One - you need a good quality cleanser. Two - you need some type of moisturizer. Now, if you are using a cleansing oil you might be able to knock out cleansing and moisturizing with that one product - but be sure you are using a cleanser that also is made with nutrient rich oils. Three - you need some way of exfoliating your skin to remove dead skin cells and excess oil.

That’s it. Three things - cleanser, moisturizer, exfoliator. Beyond that you may choose to also use a treatment for specific issues like age spots.

Today I have homework for you. Go to your skincare cabinet and take out all of your skincare products. Group them by what they do - cleanse, moisturize, exfoliate, treatment. 

Group your products like this:

• Cleanser - its cleanser if it takes make up, oil, or debris off your skin - this includes makeup remover, wipes, cleansers, cleansing oil, cleansing cream, exfoliating cleanser.

• Moisturizer - this is anything that adds suppleness, moisture, or water to your skin - in this category include cream moisturizer, eye cream, face oil, serums that are oils (you’ll know the difference, if its an oil its an oil), toner, elixir, liquid moisturizers, moisturizing mists, facial steaming products, moisturizing masks.

• Exfoliators - this includes facial scrubs (but if you have an exfoliating cleanser put it in the cleanser pile), clay masks, gel AHA and BHA masks. 

• Treatments - any medication, targeting serums that are not face oils (again, you’ll know the difference because they won’t be oil), and specialty treatments that just don’t fit anywhere else.

Next I want you to choose the following:

First, your favorite cleanser. Just pick one. If you wear make-up you are allowed to choose a make-up remover or something to use for double cleansing (if you don’t know what double cleansing is don’t worry - we’ll be covering that in a future podcast.)

Next choose your favorite moisturizer - just pick one!

Then pick a favorite exfoliator - again - just one.

And lastly really look at those treatments. If you are seeing a doctor for a specific issue definitely keep doing what your doctor instructs. But you may find you have a pile of treatments you use only once in awhile. If that’s the case don’t pick any of them because honestly - you need to use a product consistently as instructed to see results. 

Now I’m going to ask you to try a little experiment. Just use those three or four products you’ve pulled from your pile. That’s it. Do this for six weeks and see what happens.

Okay okay I know some of you are crying out “but I need my face oil/eye cream/serum because my moisturizer just doesn’t do it all.” If that is the case then look carefully at these products. Look at their ingredients - what is in the serum that is not in the moisturizer? Why do you feel like you need more than one product? If you truly feel like you need both products to properly feed your skin then use them both and count that bundle as one moisturizer until they are used up, then find a better moisturizer. 

Of course now I’m obligated to suggest you check out 7 Day Glow’s INFUSE moisturizing oil because - well - I own the company and it’s what pays the bills. You can find INFUSE at 7dayglow.com BUT you can find other well rounded moisturizers on the market. Look for one that actually does the job for you - it should include good healthy skin oils, natural preservatives and natural emulsifiers if it's a water based formula and it definitely should include something to address aging and damage like collagen and ceramides. 

You can continue to use a separate product for your eyes or you can opt to use the same moisturizer CAREFULLY around your eyes. 

Do this for six weeks - do you see positive change? No change? Is your skin worse? If your skin is worse then you need to assess why it's worse - obviously your products are not working but why? What do you really need? What’s missing that was supplied by a different product? Then go see if you can find a multi-use product that can moisturize and address your skin needs.

Now do NOT go to your local beauty counter and say I have x y and z and I need something for all of this because most likely the clerk is going to try to sell you a separate product for every issue you list. The goal here is to find ONE product that will address all or most of your needs. I highly recommend using an internet search engine to start looking. BREAK

Keep in mind, a really good skincare product is not necessarily going to be cheap. Quality ingredients cost money, they are expensive to source and make so expect to pay more for them. That said, they usually will last longer and you’ll be saving on the many other products you have eliminated from your current routine.

Also, not everyone needs a very expensive facial cream to have their skincare needs met. A lot of our customers find that for at least half the year they can just use one great cleansing oil and their skin is happy and balanced. Remember - we are all different. We’ll get into this more in depth in future episodes. For now just know that you need to address three things with your skin - cleanse, moisturize (even if it's with your cleansing oil), and exfoliate. 

If you really struggle, don’t have time for this and want to buy something you know comes from a reliable source - head over to 7dayglow.com and check out our three piece system. Don’t worry - it comes with a satisfaction guarantee. I’m only mentioning that because I don’t want to add to your stress by suggesting you go on a wild goose chase.

At the same time I want to be transparent and for you to trust me so I’m not going to say there are no other products on the market that can meet your needs with one product, you might have to do some research though to find them. The reason it's difficult to find these products is because most skincare companies are in the business of selling skincare products - so the more they can sell to you the more money they make. I’m not saying they don’t want to also provide you with amazing skincare products - I believe they all want to do that - but as the consumer you need to use good judgement and common sense.

Now...WHY am I so determined to get you to use less products? Because by reducing your products to just three or four you will…

First, gain more time to spend on other things that give you joy or with your family.

Second, you will save money. Even if you replace your cheaper products with expensive ones - in the long run you will save money because your skin will look great and you won’t need special treatments later.

Third, you will be less stressed. You will have a few products you love and be confident with. Just by virtue of the time saved you will be less stressed.

Fourth, your bathroom cabinets will be beautifully organized and that too will decrease your stress level.

Fifth, you will feel more in control and with that comes self-confidence, which we already learned helps you GLOW.

We covered a lot of ground in today’s podcast. In this podcast you should have identified what makes you glow and maybe even discovered a few areas you need to work on to help boost your glow. And you’ve got a strategy here to kick start your glow easily with the products you already are using by reducing the number you use, which in turn will help free up time, money, and give you more control and self confidence. 

Thank you so much for hanging out with me today! I’m super excited to help you on your journey to Glow. In our next episode we’ll be diving deep into the differences between oil based skincare and water based skincare formulations. I’ll see you in the next episode!

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I'm Alyssa Van Doorn.

I am the natural skincare formulator, biologist, certified clinical aromatherapist, and obsessed self-care advocate who founded 7 Day Glow's holistic, simple skincare approach. I'm on a mission to empower women with the tools they need to find and maintain their Glow simply and with confidence.

Notice: These statements and blog content have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information in our articles and podcasts are not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and are not intended as medical advice. The content of these blogs, podcasts and associated products is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using products or following blog/podcast advice.