Your Guide To At-Home Skincare

The glow you’re after isn’t built in a day—it’s built daily.

You can spend hundreds on facials, but if you aren’t showing up for your skin every day, you’re missing 80% of the results. That doesn’t mean you need a complicated 12-step routine. At Ivy & Fields, we believe in simplicity, clean science, and skin that reflects how good you feel inside. This is your go-to guide for building a clean, effective, and results-driven AM and PM skincare routine. 

Building Your Personalized Routine

As part of the Aging Gracefully series (and having just turned 40!), I have been knee-deep in skincare research. Formulation school was a great resource for learning about all different types of facial products and their role in our skincare. I gained even more insight after interviewing and speaking with estheticians and spa owners for the aging series.

One thing is clear: the perfect routine is different for everyone. Whether you’re brand new to skincare or just need to tighten up your current routine, this plan will carry you most of the way. We’ll also share a few optional steps and tips along the way so you can customize according to your needs.

Evening Routine

Your heavy-hitters work best overnight while your skin is in repair mode. So save your thickest and oiliest moisturizers for your PM or night time routine. Here are the basics:

1. Double Cleanse

Why: Sunscreen, makeup, and pollution cling to the skin. An oil cleanser breaks it all down, while a water-based cleanser finishes the job.

How: Start with an oil cleanser to melt away buildup. Follow with a gentle water-based cleanser like Beauty From Bees Vitamin C Cleanser to sweep away residue without stripping. Many surfactants (the ingredient that makes your cleanser sudsy) are on my no-no list, but the one from Beauty From Bees uses a nice, gentle coco-glucoside.

If you're not going to double cleanse, then opt for just a water-based cleanser.

2. Exfoliate

Why: Dead skin cells can block serums, clog pores, and dull your glow.

How: You can choose between mechanical exfoliants which use texture (physical scrubs like sponges) or chemical exfoliants which use ingredients that dissolve debris, like Lactic Acid. Some products like Phor Essentials Turmeric Pads use both!

Frequency: Exfoliate 1 to 3 times per week. Find the frequency that works well with your skin type. Oily skin types can usually exfoliate more often, while dryer skin types should be more conservative. 

Clean Living Tip: Avoid microplastics or harsh scrubs that cause microtears. Opt for natural enzymes or acids in low concentrations.

3. Tone

Why: Toners rebalance pH, calm the skin, and help your next steps absorb better. They can also help calm redness.

How: We love hydrosols like Plant Therapy’s Calendula Hydrosol or Earth Harbor's Tidal Rose for a gentle, alcohol-free refresh. Just spritz on your face!

4. Moisturize

Why: Replenishing water content keeps skin looking plump and healthy.

How: Use a thicker, water-based moisturizer like Earth Harbor’s Siren Silk, ideal for nighttime.

5. Repair & Seal

Why: This is where transformation happens. Target fine lines, dullness, and breakouts with nutrient-dense, skin-identical oils and powerful actives like Bakuchiol (nature's Retinol).

How: It's best to use oil-based products as your final step, this includes botanical oils and tallow (if you're a tallow person!). Organic Ivy's Youth Nectar delivers 2% Sytenol A (the only certified Bakuchiol) in a base that mimics your skin’s natural composition. Apply it as your final evening step to lock in hydration from earlier in your routine.

Clean Living Tip: We only advocate for Bakuchiol, and not Retinol because Retinol is phototoxic, and unfortunately, most people don't remove their Retinol perfectly in the morning, leading to serious skin damage over time, and even increasing your risk of skin cancer. 

Optional Steps

Those are the basics, but consider adding these additional steps if they are relevant to your skin needs:

• Spot Treatment: Dealing with acne? Apply your spot treatment after toners, and before moisturizers.
• Eye Cream: If you struggle with puffiness or fine lines around the eyes, apply a caffeine-based formula like 100% Pure's Caffeine Eye Cream after toners, and before moisturizers.
• Acids and Other Targeted Serums: If you're using additional acids, serums or "essences", like Hyaluronic Acid or Niacinamide, add them into your routine after toners, but before eye creams, spot treatments or moisturizers.
• Gua Sha: Oils like Youth Nectar are excellent for Gua Sha. Gua Sha stimulates lymphatic drainage and improves circulation. It also helps your products penetrate. Use with your oil-based serums.
• Lip Mask: Don't forget about your lips! They deserve love too. We love Earth Harbor's Sea Kiss Plumpy Lip Balm.

Morning Routine

In the AM, your routine is usually much simpler. If you're using sun-safe skincare like Youth Nectar, you can skip the morning cleanse. Over-cleansing can irritate and dry out your skin. Keep those actives on your skin, and start off with toner instead:

1. Tone

Why: Refresh your skin and prep it for your day. Your skin loves hydration!

How: We love hydrosols like Plant Therapy’s Calendula Hydrosol or Earth Harbor's Tidal Rose for a gentle, alcohol-free refresh. Just spritz on your face!

2. Moisturize

Why: Lock in water and prep your skin for SPF or makeup.

How: We recommend a lighter water-based moisturizer than the one you used in the evening. Earth Harbor’s Mermaid Milk is breathable, hydrating, and layers beautifully under makeup.

3. Protect/Sunscreen

Why: Nothing will age you faster than sun damage. Sun damage is most people's top reason for accelerated aging.

How: Choose a mineral-based, non-nano sunscreen. We love Earth Harbor’s Eclipse Sunscreen because it is one of the few mineral sunscreens that doesn't leave a white cast on your face!

Optional Steps

Those are the basics, but consider adding these additional steps if they are relevant to your skin needs:

• Cleanser: if you didn't use a sun-safe product the evening before, then be sure to cleanser before applying your toner.
• Face Primer: If you are applying makeup, we always recommend applying a primer before any cosmetics. Primer helps makeup apply more smoothly and adds a protective barrier. Our favorite is the Beauty From Bees Face Primer!
• Spot Treatment: Dealing with acne? Apply your spot treatment after toners, and before moisturizers.
• Eye Cream: If you struggle with puffiness or fine lines around the eyes, apply a caffeine-based formula like 100% Pure's Caffeine Eye Cream after toners, and before moisturizers.
• Acids and Other Targeted Serums: If you're using additional acids, serums or "essences", like Hyaluronic Acid or Niacinamide, add them into your routine after toners, but before eye creams, spot treatments or moisturizers.

• Face Oils: I personally prefer to keep face oils to evening use, however, others apply it during the day as well. Tallow falls in this category too. You might also decide to use a different oil from your evening routine to benefit from different actives. For example, choose a botanical oil in the evening, and a tallow in the morning. 

If you are following your morning routine with cosmetics, be sure to choose clean makeup options. Most mainstream cosmetics use petro-ingredients, PEGs, silicones, and fragrance. Some of these ingredients can clog pores, cause breakouts or irritate your skin (along with other toxicity or environmental implications). Don't ruin your skincare routine with dirty cosmetics! Choose clean ones instead.

How To Handle Duplication

If you’re feeling like your routine is “too much” or you're simply looking to cut back, the first step is understanding the actives in your products. Actives are the ingredients doing the heavy lifting behind the marketing claims. Think: Bakuchiol, Peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, Tallow, and so on.

To simplify, start by eliminating duplicate actives. Are you using two peptide serums? Consider dropping one. Some duplication might also be okay if their delivery is different. For example you may have peptides in both your water-based hydrating moisturizer and your oil-based serum. I wouldn't necessarily cut one since each product is providing different benefits. But if you have two water-based peptide products, then it makes sense to cut back.

But what if you love both? In that case, try alternating. Use one in your AM routine and the other at night.  The most important factor in any skincare routine is consistency. Give each product its moment to shine through regular, intentional use.

A final word of caution: when streamlining your routine, don’t skip the essential categories. You always need to cleanse at least once a day. And you need to balance both water- and oil-based products, and regular exfoliation. Don't simplify yourself into a completely waterless routine. You will likely experience dryness if you don't have hydration to lock in with your oil products.

More Than Skin Deep

Your skin often reflects your internal health. No serum can replace a body that isn't functioning to its full potential. These internal tips are part of achieving your best skin too!

• Prioritize sleep and stress reduction—If you aren't resting, you aren't repairing. If you are experiencing chronic stress, your body can't focus on things like rebuilding your collagen.
• Hydrate internally too—Dry skin? Water-based moisturizers and serums are only a piece of the pie. Make sure you're drinking half your body weight in ounces daily.
• Eat nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory foods—Berries, leafy greens, and omega-3s are great for your skin and help protect against oxidative stress. Avoid inflammatory foods which trigger acne, puffiness, and redness. Inflammation also breaks down collagen and elastin, which is your skin’s natural scaffolding that keeps it firm and youthful. 

We cover many of these tips in Episode 1 of our Aging Gracefully series.

Skincare Routines Made For You

What works for one person may not work for all. You will achieve your best results by preparing a routine that is personalized to you. If you need help understanding your skin, visit your local naturally-minded esthetician. If you're in Miami, we absolutely love Skintique Spa Miami!

Working with an esthetician can really help you understand your skin. Be sure to find one grounded in ethics and genuinely interested to meet your individual needs (rather than selling you something you may not need).

When you order Youth Nectar, you'll receive a handy pamphlet with many of the tips mentioned here that you can keep in your vanity for reference. 

All products mentioned are available at Ivy & Fields, your trusted clean living marketplace. Every product is vetted for safety, transparency, and performance. No fear tactics. Just clean living that works.