My top 3 natural, single ingredient skin care products

In this post I share my top 3 all-natural, single ingredient skin care products. Why are natural, simple products important? Keep reading to find out!

Why simple is better

One of the biggest challenges related to skin care that I face is finding a product that works at a price I can afford. Skin changes throughout your life. A product that worked months ago may no longer work, making it challenging to find good, long-lasting products. The products we use today are filled with chemicals that do not belong on your body and harm the environment.

Furthermore, there are thousands of products claiming to do the same thing, making it all the more confusing to find the right product for you. Taking care of your skin shouldn’t be so hard, right?

I am transitioning my skin care routine to a minimalistic, all-natural practice. My skin is dry and extremely sensitive, while some areas like my forehead and nose are prone to breakouts. If I use a thick and moisturizing product I break out. If I use something light my skin flares up. In other words, I am very picky about the products that I use. I can therefore vouch for the products I recommend below. Keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different, so what may work for me may not work for you. Nonetheless, it’s worth it to give new products a try, especially if you are in need of a change!

Without further ado, here are my top three all-natural, single ingredient skin care products.

Vegetable glycerin

This is a totally underrated product. You can often find it as an ingredient in products, but on its own it’s amazing. Glycerin is fragrance free and colourless. It has a low pH compared to other soaps, so it helps to retain moisture. As an oil-based product, it is good for removing makeup without causing flare-ups. Glycerin is hypoallergenic, meaning it (usually) does not cause allergic reactions. It is also very gentle on dry and sensitive skin. Since I started using it my skin definitely feels softer and less dry during the day. It lathers very easily, as well.

You can purchase it for a few dollars at most stores. It comes in liquid or solid form; I use a solid bar which I got from a bulk food store to reduce my waste from packaging. Make sure the product is labelled vegetable glycerin if you are vegan/vegetarian, because glycerin can also be made of animal fat.

I use it to wash my face and remove make up. I have found most other commercial cleansers to break me out, but I have no trouble with glycerin. It also has helped calm down my breakouts, making them look less noticeable. When using it to remove makeup, I can safely apply it anywhere (even eyelids) without irritation.

Coconut oil

In addition to skin care, coconut oil is great for cooking and baking as a substitute for butter in vegan baked goods, grease a baking dish/frying pan, or to put on toast (seriously give it a try if you haven’t already). The multi-functionality of this product makes it a great bang for your buck and means fewer products in your kitchen and skin care routine.

Purchase cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil to ensure you are getting a high-quality product. You can find this in grocery or health food stores. Since it is generally a product used for cooking, it is usually cheaper to purchase from a grocery store in the food aisles versus the beauty aisles where company’s try to inflate the price because it is a “trendy” beauty product.

I use coconut oil as a face moisturizer after my shower at night. This is when your skin does its most repairing and restoring. I don’t recommend putting it on before a full face of makeup as it can cause your foundation to slide around. I also use coconut oil in my hair after washing it: I take about a dime’s size of oil (which is solid at room temperature) in my hands and press them together so the oil becomes liquid, then rub it into the ends of my hair. I leave this in, and as my hair dries it locks in my curls really well.

Note: coconut oil may not work for everyone. I’ve read about coconut oil breaking people out. If you have oily skin but still want to try coconut oil I suggest first using a small amount in one area for a week or two and seeing how your skin responds.

Shea butter

Shea is another crazy-rich moisturizing product. Extracted from the African shea tree nut, it looks almost like butter (ivory/yellowish colour) and smells like cocoa (i.e. it smells really yummy). This is a commonly used product in body butters and other moisturizers, but using the product straight is not only cheaper but produces less waste and just as effective.

Make sure to use a quality shea butter without additional ingredients. If you go to health food stores or other beauty markets you will often find “shea butter” in a container that is also combined with other ingredients or has been processed in some way. The shea butter I use comes as a thick block, which can be purchased online or in speciality stores. It’s usually pretty pricey in health food stores.

You also want to be mindful that you are purchasing raw, unrefined shea butter. A helpful tip is that the whiter the shea butter, the more processed it is. Raw shea will also go rancid after some time, which is another indicator of how fresh and unrefined the raw product is.

Shea can be applied directly onto your skin if you need some serious moisturizing. It’s also solid at room temperature and will melt as it heats up. You can take a square of it and rub it onto your skin where needed. You can apply it all over. It is also soothing if you suffer from eczema!

Final thoughts

I cannot go a day without these 3 all-natural, single ingredient skin care products. Thankfully they are easy to get a hold of and are possible to buy in bulk to reduce packaging (bonus points when I can use my own containers at stores to stock up!) Not only do using single, simple ingredients like these for your daily skin and beauty routines clear up a lot of shelf space, but they save you so much money and are good for your skin, hair and face.

Have you tried any of these products? Do you have your own all natural staple products that I didn’t suggest? Let me know in the comments!

For more ideas on simplifying and naturalizing your daily routine, check out these posts for inspiration:

Until next time!