Guide to Developing a Natural Skincare Routine with BOTA™

Starting a new skincare routine can be scary, and you may not know where to begin. Just like BOTA ingredients, a natural daily regime can and should be simple. In this guide, we will walk you through how to form a well-rounded, natural skincare routine. We’ll walk you through the three main pillars needed to achieve glowing skin: a healthy diet, proper hygiene, and using plant-based skincare ingredients.

If you’ve found your way to this skincare guide, you’ve probably come to the realization that incorporating simple ingredients into your routine is much healthier for your skin and the environment. Although we understand that simple ingredients should be used, it’s just as important to have a simple overall wellness routine as well. The 12-step skincare routine we see in the media is often unnecessary and can do more harm than good. If you want to achieve glowing skin, all you have to do is bring it back to basics with a healthy diet, proper hygiene, and using plant-based ingredients on your skin!

1. Healthy diet: Science has shared this for years, but genuinely radiant skin starts from within. It takes about 21 days for your skin cells to turnover and replenishes. So oftentimes, what you see on your skin, whether that be blemishes or dry, cracked skin, is often from the habits and diet you exhibited a few weeks back. Everyone’s bodies are different, but often when you eat a diet high in added sugars, salts, and processed foods, those foods will cause the skin to break out, have excess oil, or even dry out. That’s why it’s essential to have a diet full of vegetables, fruits, high-quality proteins, and more, which we will dig deeper into later in this guide.
2. Proper hygiene: Another surprising factor that plays into getting naturally healthy skin is hygiene – keeping both your body and environment clean. We all have our own ways of making sure our personal hygiene stays to par, and it can definitely vary from person to person, but frequently we don’t think about how our environmental hygiene determines skin health as well! Environmental hygiene can range from keeping your bedsheets, home, clothes, and personal items as clean as can be.
3. Natural ingredients: The third pillar to attaining naturally healthy skin is, of course, using plant-based skincare products that are kind to your skin. Modern-day skincare products are packed with hundreds of untested chemicals that can leave long term damage on your skin. Frequently, these products are not just potentially dangerous but simply not very effective. To achieve glowing skin, it’s essential to switch over to a skincare line that is both natural and effective, like BOTA.

Taking care of your skin promptly first thing in the morning is essential for a healthy complexion. Below we outline a simple morning skincare routine utilizing fan-favorite BOTA products!

1. Start with a cleanser:

   Every morning should begin by enjoying something you love! For us, that’s awakening to a new day with a fresh face by using our favorite cleanser. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser of your choice, pat your face dry with a washcloth, then get ready for BOTA™.

2. Apply a protective skin toner:

   After cleansing, you’ll want to head for BOTA™ Balancing Micellar Cleansing Toner. Toners are an absorbing liquid that helps remove dirt and makeup, corrects and balances skin tone, and helps control oil. Toners are excellent for keeping your pores clean and closed.

   BOTA™ Balancing Micellar Cleansing Toner gives you all the renewing benefits of your favorite skin toner, but with ingredients that are kind to your skin. BOTA Balancing Micellar Cleansing Toner should be used on clean, dry skin, and applied with a cotton ball. Our toner can be used in the morning, at night, or both, depending on your skin type.

3. Hydrate with a hyaluronic acid serum:

   After your skin has been cleansed and you’ve applied a toner, your skin will be craving moisture. Before applying any old moisturizer, we recommend starting with a base of BOTA Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Hyaluronic acid helps your skin retain moisture more efficiently. With hyaluronic acid, your skin can better retain moisture from eye serums and other moisturizers.

   BOTA Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum gives your skin a beautiful natural glow. Combined with the skin-calming benefits of hemp extract, this serum maintains the skin’s pH balance. Vitamins A, C, D, and E provide essential nutrients that are ultra-hydrating, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

4. Renew with a daily eye serum:

   The eyes are the most remarkable, yet delicate, feature on the face. Since the skin around the eyes is so thin, it’s much more prone to dryness, redness, and irritation. That’s where eye serums come in.

   BOTA ™’s Balancing Daily Eye Serum is specially formulated for the thin skin under your eyes. With BOTA ™’s Balancing Daily Eye Serum, the delicate skin will be soothed and nourished with honeysuckle, fresh rosewater, and high-quality hemp extract.

5. Nourish your face with a plant-based moisturizer:

   After applying BOTA Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid, you’ll want to lather on the rest of your eye serums, such as above, and moisturizers from the thinnest consistency to the thickets. Often, this means that moisturizers come last. Plant-based moisturizers help replace the natural oils lost through cleansing and keep your skin protected throughout the day.

   BOTA™ Pollution Defense Daily Face Lotion combines honeysuckle, cocoa butter, and hemp extract to give you a daily moisturizer that’s more than just effective, but made with ingredients you can trust.

After a long day of going to the office, the gym, or getting dinner with friends, you’ll want to adapt a nightly routine to cleanse and calm your skin before going to bed. Below is BOTAs tried and true nighttime skincare routine that will not only wash away your day but leave your skin feeling nourished.

1. Once again, cleanse!:

   As the day goes on, more and more dirt, sweat, and oil will naturally accumulate onto your skin. It’s important to wash your face each night before bed to rid your face of all dirt and make sure it doesn’t start accumulating on your pillow. If you use a cleanser twice per day, we recommend using a gentle, plant-based product.

2. Regenerate with a clay mask:

   After removing the oil, sweat, and dirt from your skin, you’ll want to turn to BOTA™ Regenerating Clay Mask to use once per week. Clay masks are great for removing dead skin cells, picking up excess oil and dirt on your face, and helping to close your pores.

   BOTA™ Regenerating Clay Mask combines plant-based jojoba seed oil, aloe, and hemp extract to give your skin all the beautiful benefits of a clay mask but powered by plants. Use this mask 1-2 times per week, leaving on until dry. Wash the mask off with warm water.

3. Refresh with an eye cream:

   While you sleep, your skin has uninterrupted time to soak in all those nourishing ingredients and products you apply, so this is the perfect time to apply a nourishing eye cream. Eye creams are a fantastic way to help the delicate skin under your eyes stay hydrated and looking fresh.

   BOTA™ Defending Cashmere Eye Crème combines natural ingredients like apricot oil, avocado oil, and hemp extract that beautifully refreshes the skin under your eyes while you sleep.

4. Hydrate with a face cream:

   Just like with the eye cream, at night, your skin has the ability to have uninterrupted care. This means it’s essential to apply nourishing face cream to give your skin moisturization from dusk till dawn. Face creams not only add a protective barrier to your skin but also promote skin elasticity.

   Finish off your nightly skincare routine with BOTA™ De-Stressing Nightly Face Crème. This night crème mixes cocoa butter, hemp extract, and lavender to soothe your skin all night.
   sleep.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the 113+ compounds found in hemp plants. It’s a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that has the ability to act on cannabinoid receptors that are part of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). Plant cannabinoids, also known as phytocannabinoids, bind with this system which helps regulate certain vital functions of the body, including sleep, appetite, immune, pleasure, pain, inflammation, and more!

When the ECS is in sync, the human body is able to achieve what is called homeostasis, which means your body is operating at optimal human performance.

In many ways, CBD-infused skincare products work just like any other CBD product, the tinctures, gummies, or capsules you might already be using. With plant-based CBD skincare, the therapeutic potential is delivered directly to receptors that can help influence the health and appearance of your skin.

Although many companies promote products designed to nourish your skin, it’s important to remember that healthy skin begins within.

The foods you select will do more for the health and appearance of your skin than any chemical-based lotion, mask or serum could ever accomplish.

A balanced diet, one that includes lean protein, fresh vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and healthy fats, can significantly enhance your natural skincare efforts. Since no single nutrient can enhance your glow on its own, maximize your radiance by including plenty of the following suggestions: ⁹

Leafy Greens

Leafy green vegetables contain high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin. Carotene compounds are shown to provide protection from environmental damage and enhance moisture retention. Perfect in salads and smoothies, leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard also contain ample amounts of vitamins A, C, and calcium, nutrients beneficial to skin health. ¹⁰

Oats

Oats are high in selenium, an antioxidant compound that protects cells from damage. Brown rice, sunflower seeds, and cottage cheese are also good choices for ensuring an adequate supply of selenium in your diet. ¹¹

Grapes

Black, red, and green grapes provide a combination of resveratrol and ellagic acid, two natural compounds that helps skin cell regeneration. These compounds also protect skin from the effects of oxidative stress, free-radical damage, and inflammation. Other sources of resveratrol include dark chocolate, blueberries, bilberries, and cranberries. ¹²

Salmon

Salmon is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, heart-healthy fats that can have a significant impact on the appearance of your skin. The anti-inflammatory properties could help calm the symptoms of rosacea and acne. Hemp seeds, walnuts, shrimp, and plant oils are also high in omega-3s. ¹³

Garlic

Herbs and spices can have considerable benefits for the health and appearance of your skin. Research suggests that garlic reduces the production of AGE’s (advanced glycation end products), compounds that can accumulate in your skin and cause structural changes. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and oregano also inhibit the production of AGE’s.

To optimize the skincare benefits of a healthy diet, it’s essential to incorporate a variety of colors. A mix of red, green, yellow, orange, and purple fruits and vegetables will ensure you get an ample supply of essential vitamins, minerals that promote healthy skin. Plants high in red pigments contain lycopene and anthocyanins, while orange fruits in vegetables are high in vitamins A, C, and lycopene. Blue plants contain flavonoids and phytochemicals, shown to help aid in the signs of aging. ¹⁴

SOURCES:

9. Good Housekeeping.com. (2019 April 11) 20 Foods for Better, Healthier, Younger-Looking Skin.
10. Unlock Foods.ca. (2017 November 09) All About Dark Leafy Greens
11. Healthline. (2018 January 16) 20 Foods Rich in Selenium.
12. Medical Daily. (2016 September 29) 7 Foods and Drinks That Contain Resveratrol: Natural Compound Can Help Reduce Inflammation.
13. National Institute of Health. (2019 July 11) Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
14. Food Revolution Network. (2017 December 08) Eating the Rainbow: Why Eating a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables is Important for Optimal Health.