Which skincare routine suits me?

An important question to ask yourself is: how does your skin feel right now? If your skin quickly feels irritated and red, calming is the first step. If it feels looser and less firm than a few years ago, strengthening is the first step. If your skin feels dry, tight and rough, nourishing is the first step. That is what our three routines are based on, each with the same cleanser and the same cream, and a different serum in the middle to personalise your routine.

Your skin feels Route Serum
quickly red or irritated Calming Cucumber Serum
less firm, fine lines are more noticeable Strengthening Pumpkin Serum
dry, tight or rough Nourishing Avocado Serum

With that, we immediately debunk one of the biggest myths in beauty land: that you need twelve products. In fact, doing more is often not better. Your skin becomes overstimulated and confused.

Choose your skincare routine

What is my skin type? Look at your skin condition instead

Most skincare guides treat your skin as a fixed given. Researchers who measured sebum production in the same faces for a whole year saw something different. The values shifted with the seasons, peaking in summer, and so strongly that the same person fell into a different category in one season than in another. They therefore proposed only speaking of combination skin if the difference between the T-zone and the cheeks persists for more than two seasons.

A later study followed 89 women for thirteen months. There too, the skin changed with the weather: at lower temperatures and in drier air, the skin became flakier. The skin that flakes in February is the same skin that does not flake in July.

Both studies were carried out with Korean participants, in a different climate from ours, so the figures do not translate one to one. The idea behind them does: your skin is not a type, your skin is a state or a condition at that moment. That is why we do not ask which box you fit into, but what your skin needs right now. Would you still like to read about the classic skin types? You can find them in our blog on natural facial care per skin type.

Skincare routine for sensitive skin: calming

Does this sound familiar? Your skin quickly turns red or feels warm or tight after washing. Then what your skin needs most right now is rest.

The calming routine is built around the Cucumber Serum. It contains cucumber seed oil, rice bran oil, oat oil and squalane from olives, complemented by bisabolol and rosemary. This combination of plant-based fatty acids and soothing plant extracts feels calming and helps support the skin barrier. This gives your skin the space to settle down, without extra irritation.

The routine, morning and evening:

  1. Cleanse: wet your face, massage in 2 to 3 pumps of Carrot Cleanser and remove with a lukewarm, damp washcloth.
  2. Serum: apply 1 to 2 pumps of Cucumber Serum to your face and neck.
  3. Cream: finish with a pea-sized amount of Tomato Base Cream.

During the day, finish your routine with sun protection.

Do you have eczema, rosacea or skin that reacts to almost everything? The routine is gently formulated, but every skin reacts differently. Try a new product on a small patch of skin first and consult your GP or dermatologist if symptoms persist.

Would you rather try it first? Start with the Cucumber Trial Set.

View the Cucumber Set
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Skincare routine for mature skin: strengthening

Does this sound familiar? Your skin feels less firm than a few years ago, fine lines are more noticeable and your skin seems to recover more slowly, for example after a busy period or a bad night. Then your skin could use some extra support.

The strengthening routine is built around the Pumpkin Serum. It is an oil blend of pumpkin seed oil, borage, chia, broccoli and sea buckthorn, with Q10. The essential fatty acids nourish the skin barrier and the antioxidants help protect the skin. It is not a wrinkle treatment: wrinkles that are already there will not go away. It does support the firmness and resilience of the skin.

The routine, morning and evening:

  1. Cleanse: wet your face, massage in 2 to 3 pumps of Carrot Cleanser and remove with a lukewarm, damp washcloth.
  2. Serum: apply 1 to 2 pumps of Pumpkin Serum to your face and neck.
  3. Cream: finish with a pea-sized amount of Tomato Base Cream.

During the day, finish your routine with sun protection. Especially for mature skin, this is an important step.

Would you rather try it first? Start with the Pumpkin Trial Set.

View the Pumpkin Set
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Skincare routine for dry skin: nourishing

Does this sound familiar? Your skin feels dry to very dry, rough or flaky in places, and feels tight after showering. Then what your skin needs most is nourishment.

The nourishing routine is built around the Avocado Serum. It contains avocado oil, hemp seed oil, elderberry seed oil and oat, with Q10. The high concentration of skin-supporting lipids helps reduce moisture loss from the skin. That is exactly what dry skin is about: helping to retain the moisture that is already in the skin. But skin can only retain moisture if it is there in the first place. So do not forget to drink enough water and tea.

The routine, morning and evening:

  1. Cleanse: wet your face, massage in 2 to 3 pumps of Carrot Cleanser and remove with a lukewarm, damp washcloth.
  2. Serum: apply 1 to 2 pumps of Avocado Serum to your face and neck.
  3. Cream: finish with a pea-sized amount of Tomato Base Cream.

Extra tip: twice a week in the evening, apply a little more serum and skip the cream. That way the serum works as a nourishing overnight mask.

Would you rather try it first? Start with the Avocado Trial Set.

View the Avocado Set

Who developed these routines?

The three routines were not dreamed up by a marketing department. Co-founder Cathy ran her own beauty salon for 30 years and saw every day how different skins react to skincare. She also completed training in cosmetic formulation.

Together with a professional cosmetic chemist, she worked on the formulas for two years, developing them in a professional laboratory. We deliberately chose ingredients that have been widely researched, such as squalane, Q10 and plant oils rich in essential fatty acids. This is how we combine hands-on experience with formulation expertise.

Which products do you really need in your skincare routine?

You may have noticed: the cleanser and the cream are the same in all three routines. That is a deliberate choice. One size fits (almost) all: for a very large number of people, a consistent, simple routine is more than enough. The difference between ten day creams, creams "for men" or "for women" and cleansers in all kinds of scents is mostly marketing. And all those extra layers tend to make your skin more unsettled rather than better.

The Carrot Cleanser cleanses with plant oils, without unnecessarily stripping your skin. It also simply removes make-up and sunscreen. The Tomato Base Cream nourishes the skin, helps retain moisture and is made for all ages and skin conditions. These are the basic needs of every skin. What differs from skin to skin can be addressed by adjusting your choice of serum.

We believe your skin does not need to be "fixed". Your skin is an ecosystem: give the skin what it needs, and it will often find a better balance on its own. That is why we make products that respect the skin barrier, are rich in nutrients such as antioxidants and fatty acids, and are suitable for almost every skin.

Fewer products, better chosen and used consistently: that is what gives your skin a helping hand. It also means you can see more clearly what works. If your skin reacts to something, you do not have to puzzle over ten different jars. This approach is also known as skinimalism: less, but more mindful. You can read more about it in our blog on skinimalism.

During the day, everyone needs sun protection, for example our mineral SPF30. Now and then your skin needs a little extra on top of the 3-step routine. Then the Apple Peeling or Rocket Eye Cream is a nice addition. Want to know in which order to apply everything? Read the right skincare order.

Torn between two skincare routines?

That is completely normal. These are the three doubts we hear most often:

  • Dry and sensitive? Start with calming. Skin that reacts quickly needs rest first. The Tomato Base Cream already nourishes, and if your skin still feels dry after that, you can switch to the Avocado Serum later.
  • Mature and dry? Choose nourishing. For dry, mature skin, nourishment is the basis, and the Avocado Serum also contains Q10.
  • Sensitive, but also fine lines? Start with calming. Only once your skin has calmed down does strengthening make sense. After that, you can switch to the Pumpkin Serum.

Really not sure? Then start with a trial set. That way you can try a routine for a few weeks, without buying the full set straight away.

Should you adjust your skincare routine to the seasons?

Yes, that is possible. As you read above, your skin changes with the seasons. In winter, with cold air outside and dry air inside, skin often feels drier. In summer, the same skin produces more sebum.

That does not mean you need a new routine every season. Check a few times a year what your skin is doing at that moment, with the same question as at the top of this page. If the answer has changed, just switch your serum. The Carrot Cleanser and the Tomato Base Cream simply stay the same.

So you do not need two complete sets. A single serum is enough to adapt your routine to what your skin needs right now.

Rather take the skincare quiz?

Of course, you can do that too. Our skincare quiz asks you a few extra questions about your skin and your wishes and arrives at the same three routines as on this page. It also gives advice on extra products you could add. 

Sources

Youn SW, Na JI, Choi SY, Huh CH, Park KC. Regional and seasonal variations in facial sebum secretions: a proposal for the definition of combination skin type. Skin Research and Technology 2005;11(3):189-195.
Nam GW, Baek JH, Koh JS, Hwang JK. The seasonal variation in skin hydration, sebum, scaliness, brightness and elasticity in Korean females. Skin Research and Technology 2015;21(1):1-8.

Frequently asked questions about your skincare routine

How do I put together a skincare routine if I do not know my skin type?

Take a moment to notice how your skin feels when you wake up or step out of the shower. If your skin reacts quickly and turns red, choose calming. If it feels less firm, choose strengthening. If it feels dry and tight, choose nourishing. Your skin changes with the seasons, so this answer does not have to apply forever.
Which products do I really need for a basic routine?

Three: a gentle cleanser, a serum that matches what your skin needs, and a cream that nourishes and helps retain moisture. During the day, add sun protection. You do not need more for a good basic routine.
Should I adjust my skincare routine to the seasons?

You do not have to, but you can. Listen to your skin. Your skin may feel drier in winter than in summer. Often it is enough to just switch serums and keep your cleanser and cream.
Which serum suits my skin?

The Cucumber Serum suits skin that reacts quickly and needs rest. The Pumpkin Serum suits skin that feels less firm. The Avocado Serum suits dry to very dry skin.
Which routine suits mature skin that feels less firm?

The strengthening routine with the Pumpkin Serum. The serum is rich in essential fatty acids and Q10 and supports the firmness and resilience of the skin. If your skin feels dry as well as less firm, the nourishing routine with the Avocado Serum is often a better fit. During the day, add sun protection.
Which routine suits very dry skin?

The nourishing routine with the Avocado Serum. The high concentration of skin-supporting lipids helps reduce moisture loss from the skin. Twice a week in the evening, apply a little extra serum without cream, so it works as a nourishing overnight mask.
What is a good skincare routine with as few products as possible?

Cleanse, serum and cream, morning and evening, and sun protection during the day. With fewer products you can also see more clearly how your skin reacts.
Which natural skincare routine suits sensitive skin?

A routine with few products and without fragrance. Our calming routine with the Cucumber Serum is made for this. Extremely sensitive skin? Try a new product on a small patch of skin first and consult your GP or dermatologist if symptoms persist.

Try it for three weeks

With a trial set, you try a routine for about three weeks. Long enough to notice how your skin reacts.