What’s New In My Cruelty-Free Midlife Skincare Routine
I’m happy with my cruelty-free midlife skincare routine yet continue to sample new products and often upgrade my favorites. Today I’m sharing some new finds and things I have decided to move on from. Everything I use is cruelty-free and most are clean products that don’t contain nasty chemicals.
What I’ve Added To My Skincare Routine
I’ve added this BiossanceĀ Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil to my morning and evening routine.Ā I’m a big fan of the soothing properties of rose oil and vitamin C is a vital antioxidant for our skin. Squalane is popping up everywhere as the newest wonder ingredient that binds more moisture to your skin than even hyaluronic acid. Biossance also sells a large plastic bottle of 100% Pure Sugarcane Squalane Oil you can use on your face, hair, and body and is very highly reviewed.
I’ve been a fan of the Herbivore Botanical Lapis Facial Oil for years. It contains blue tansy oil which is anti-inflammatory and antibacterial so helps soothe my rosacea by reducing redness and calming everything down. It sits on my bedside table and I massage in a few drops before I go to sleep.
Now I am an even bigger fan of their Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Mist. This stuff smells so amazing I wish I could buy it by the gallon. It’s a hydrating mist made of soothing vegan hyaluronic acid, rose hydrosol, coconut water, and hibiscus extract. I spray it on before I apply my foundation and just before I turn out the lights at night.
This Ilia Lip Mask is intended to be used twice a day but I just dab a small amount on my lips once each night and my lips have never felt better. It’s loaded with hyaluronic acid and papaya enzymes which slough away dead skin. I used to use a “gentle” lip scrub to remove flakes but at my age, no scrubs are gentle enough.
What I’ve Removed From My Skincare Routine
Niod neck Elasticity Catalyst has great reviews and after 2 bottles, I can say I see no miraculous improvements in the skin on my neck. People give it high reviews and it has an ingredient list as long as my arm, but it just didn’t do it for me.
I’ve used this B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum off and on for several years and have just never been bowled over, so I won’t be replacing it. There are so many great hyaluronic products on the market I’d rather move on. Drunk Elephant is a great line and I love buying their Littles 4.0 for travel, but at home, I’d rather use other things. Their T. L. C. Sukuri Baby Facial will always have a place in my skincare routine because it’s amazing…but the B-Hydra is just average for me.
This Barrier + Foaming Oil Hydrating Cleanser is just ok. It really feels just like Cetaphil on my skin which is much more affordable.
More Cruelty-Free Skincare
See alsoĀ Skincare Acids to Use in Midlife
What do you rely on in your skincare routine? What’s your go-to best product?
Thanks for reading ladies and remember to wear what makes you feel confident.
I also use a lot of Drunk Elephant products and do like them. The other day on your blog you spoke about eye creams and one of your friends mentioned said they had one that really worked but I could not catch name. I have dark circles and puffiness above and below my eyes but I am not interested in doing surgery and ideas?
Dark circles are a tough one. I use concealer but sometimes even that wonāt help. Iām sorry I donāt remember who mention their eye cream.
I was given a demonstration of an eye cream at a mall store called Lavelier. It was very effective. But I couldn’t justify spending $360 on a syringe bottle of it.i would love to find a lower price alternative.
Also wanted to mention that I like Mad Hippie cream cleanser. A bit pricey but I bought when Ulta had a “buy one, get one at 40% off” sale. Yay!
Thatās a great line!! I always stock up during sales which is why I share with you.
Oh great. Just what I need. More sh-tuff to buy. I can’t wait to try several of your suggestions!! Again, I am so thankful you choose cruelty free, and I appreciate that you mention how you use each product. Thanks!
lol, sorryā¦.I love trying new products and just have to share! XX
I grin at the term “midlife.” If I’m in my midlife then I guess I get another 70 years. I’m old. I own it.
lol!! Exactly
The Drunk Elephant Baby Facial and the Ilia lip mask sound promising. Ordering the small size DE and regular size Ilia to give them a try. Seems as though the pumps on the DE facial product have a failure issue. Have you experienced this failure in the past?
I havenāt had that issue with the Baby Sukuri. I also put the tiny little stopper back on after I use it
The best resource I have found in skin care is @ranellamd. She is a very well respected dermatologist in MA. I am 70 and have learned so much from her. She is funny but extremely knowledgeable. Check her out!
Thanks I will
Still looking for a vertical lip- line corrector. I have tried everything with little to no success. Anyone?
Not me. Botox and filler is all Iāve heard about. I just donāt think a cream will fix mine
Jennifer,
Which eye primer do you use? I searched your blog and couldn’t find…
Thx,
Betsy
I love and use this one https://shopstyle.it/l/bv5Pm
Thank you! (Unable to reply to actual rec)
Linnie, me, too. Juvederm or some other filler is on my wish list. Both my mom and sister had it done with great success. I read somewhere that using a lip plumper helps. I haven’t yet, but I’m going to try
O-Plump by Smashbox, which a friend recommended. I also read that a pore minimizer helps, so I bought Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer, which also happens to be by Smashbox. I do think it helps, but not a lot. Between the pore minimizer, a nude colored lip liner, and a reverse lip liner, I was able to wear lipstick again recently on an evening out — for a while anyway. I miss wearing lipstick. š
I do like that primer. I also use my eye primer around my lips which helps keep lipstick in place.
First and foremost, I like to focus on thoroughly cleaning my face twice a day. I simply use the Costco store brand facial wipes. Once a week, I use Rodan and Fields micro-dermabrasion paste. Iāve been using the Derma E vitamin c moisturizer. If my skin seems more dry, I mix a drop of bio-oil into the moisturizer first. Itās a quick way to pump a bit more moisture into my skin.
I just read that 80% of women do not have a skin care routine and their main concern was the cost.
Thatās wild. You can have a great skin care routine at every price.
I too, have mild rosacea & I’ve had really good luck with Dr Weil’s Mega Mushroom line from Origins. It seems to soothe & moisturize my skin. Knock on wood, I haven’t had a breakout in years. I’m also diligent about putting sunscreen on these days, at least on my face. My current fav is Elta MD #44. I use it mostly & it serves as my foundation.
I love the information that I gain from you & your readers. Thank you!
Love love love the Biossance line! I too like to use green, cruelty-free products. I find the Think Dirty app very useful and have changed out face care and makeup products because of the alarming ingredients their research has discovered in them.
Jennifer, have you ever tried BeautyCounter products? Iāve heard a lot about them but have never tried any of them. Curious as to whether or not you have an opinion.
Hi Jennifer,
I thought I would share a recent incident I have experienced with L’Oreal Revitalift. A few days ago, I thought I would try it as a change of moisturizer. I have used L’Oreal products for years and have always been happy with them. This time, though, after only 1 day my cheeks became red. At first, I thought that perhaps I simply had a bit too much exposure to the sun and continued using the Revitalift. The redness spread to my forehead and neck plus my face became swollen. Since the Revitalift has been the only difference I have made in my beauty routine or in my diet, it seems that the allergic reaction can only be attributed to the Revitalift. This morning, after a thorough online search, I found that, although uncommon, there has been other reported reactions. Just a cautionary comment for my fellow readers.
Thank you for giving us your review of your current products used. I found the reasons why you stopped using a product very interesting and helpful!
I have beenthough so many serums, moisturizing products and anti-aging miracle cures that I should be a very wealthy woman! šš right now I am trying Timeless vitamin C serum and their Matrixyl 3000 serum. See how thatā works. Do enjoy seeing what other women are using.
Neck Elasticity Catalyst. Now I’ve seen everything.
Oh but thereās more:) I promise
Once our necks are wrinkled, there is no magic solution other than costly surgery. We are old enough to realize that weāre being fooled by advertising.
Iām using up all my cleansers, serums & creams before switching to clean. I thought Iād try Philosophy. Has anyone tried this line?
I havenāt so keep me posted
Iām not an avid user of skin care products but I do have a touch of rosacea and did notice my skin is becoming much more dry. I started using Honeyskin a week ago and am impressed with the texture after just this short period of time.
I glean so much from your blog and thank you for all the time you spend in preparation. I will be adding the Biossance to my routine.
I’ve been listening to you and I am slowly replacing my products with cruelty free products. It just makes sense to me and I don’t know why it has taken me so long. Thank you.
I always use cruelty-free products too, so I really appreciate these recommendations. Do you have a recommendation for a product to fade age spots/sun damage?
I had to quit using Retin A a few years ago. I recently have replaced it with Biossance squalane+ phyto-retinol serum which contains bukuchiol. I am really enjoying it and liked that you could buy a small bottle to try first.
Thank you very much for this wonderful post. Iām slowly replacing my products with cruelty-free ones. I respect your opinions. Thank you for your honesty!
There are so many excellent products, we can always find a great alternative thatās not tested on animals.
I too am a big fan of the Herbivore products and use both their Prism Oil and their Emerald Oil (a CBD based oil that is great for calming skin that tends toward redness). I also love Dr. Jart Cicapair cream. Hydrating and incredibly soothing for irritated or sun exposed skin for those times that your sunscreen didn’t protect you as much as you hoped or are just having a flair up of redness. I also use it after any BHA/AHA masks just to protect my skin barrier. Thanks for the great suggestions, I see several I now want to try!
Iāll check out Dr Jart. Iāve heard that name mentioned before. Which mask do you like?
I use Mary Kay and I am pretty faithful to clinique . I also like Thrive cosmetics.
Sticking with what you love and what your skin loves is smart!