Skincare routines do not have to be complicated to achieve a truly healthy complexion. It is time to pare-back and move away from confusing, lengthy, ever-changing regimes that are hard to maintain, or worse, lead to irritation. Skincare regimes can and should make life easier, streamlining our days with solutions that benefit skin first and foremost to deliver the results we want. Your perfect, minimalist routine is just ahead, as we unpack the basic needs of skin and how you can meet those needs in two simple yet powerful steps.

Understanding Skin’s Basic Needs

While no two complexions are exactly the same, there are elemental needs and aspects of a daily routine that are beneficial for all skin types. They include four basic steps: cleanse, hydrate, moisturize and protect with sunscreen. The importance of a hydration step to combat water loss is probably the one that is most often missed. But all skin types need more water—one of the basic building blocks of skin cells and a must for proper dermal function. Many of the most common skin concerns, including fine lines and breakouts, are actually the result of dehydrated skin and the cascade of issues it can cause. Moisturizing on the other hand has been a part of how we care for our complexions for ages. What we now know is the importance of nourishing oils to fortify the skin barrier, our first line of defense against environmental aggressors, effectively sealing the outermost layers of the skin to prevent water from escaping and bacteria or irritants from getting in. These basic needs of all skin form the foundation of our three-step routine: the cleansing Active Renewal Cleanser, the hydrating Active Treatment Essence and the moisturizing Active Botanical Serum. But achieving a streamlined routine that effectively transformed all skin called for formulas that were meticulously crafted and uniquely multi-beneficial.

Abundant Nutrition, Actives and Benefits

Why use half a dozen products when two can do the job just as well, if not better? Why produce product after product for that matter, when one can deliver a multitude of benefits, meaning fewer products are needed, fewer are produced, and less natural resources are utilized? This is the basis of our fewer philosophy and commitment to simplifying your routine by offering consciously crafted, multi-active skincare, where each step delivers the results of an entire shelf of products. What makes this approach possible is Phyto Radiance Infusion, our proprietary, 21-day formulation process. Methodical, carefully calibrated and temperature-controlled, this three-week process allows us to harness potent skin nutrition from the world’s most nutrient-dense whole botanicals in the most optimal ratios and infuse them into our formulas. Think of this nutrition as the ideal skin food that helps all complexions thrive. This means Active Treatment Essence is much more than just the ultimate hydration step. With 70+ nutrients, micro-exfoliating plant acids and enzymes, hyaluronic acid, fermented nutrients and probiotics, plant stem cells, niacinamide, antioxidants and clinical percentages of vitamin C, our Essence is your (optimally calibrated) hydrating, exfoliating, brightening, balancing and renewing steps all rolled into one. As for Active Botanical Serum, your skin receives 60+ skin-beautifying vitamins, including vitamin A as beta carotene, which the skin converts into the collagen-helper retinol, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants, phytoceramides, amino acids and omega fatty acids, making it your retinol step, day cream and night cream, for game-changing moisture that supports the skin’s natural power of balance, renewal and radiance. Even better, our products are designed to pair perfectly, which means you never have to worry about the irritation that mixing multiple active products can lead to, and crafted to be seasonless, supporting skin year-round. 

The Right Way to Layer Products

Even in the simplest routines, applying products in the right order will help you get the most out of your skincare. This simple rule of thumb will help: always apply lightest to heaviest. Water-based hydration should always come first. If skin cells are hydrated, it improves overall dermal function and will help support the performance of subsequent products. Oil-based moisture follows hydration for good reason, since it essentially locks in all of that vital, balancing hydration. Cleanse with Active Renewal Cleanser, apply Active Treatment Essence first, followed by Active Botanical Serum to reveal a healthy, radiant glow.

The Simple Routine For Radiant Skin: Morning & Evening

CLEANSE the SKIN
Wash thoroughly with Active Renewal Cleanser to remove all makeup and any surface dirt and pollutants. 

HYDRATE with ACTIVE TREATMENT ESSENCE
Dispense one-third of a dropper into the palm of your hand. Saturate both hands, then apply to skin by patting and pressing in for 5-10 seconds.

MOISTURIZE with ACTIVE BOTANICAL SERUM
Place 5-6 drops into the palm of your hand and quickly rub the palms together to further activate. Using both hands, push and press into skin for up to one minute.

PROTECT with SUNSCREEN (AM only)
Apply a full-spectrum sunscreen with a high SPF for daily protection.

Related Reading: What Does Natural Skincare Mean?