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My mom has always been my style icon — her menswear shirts, her long hair, her natural smile, the timeless middle part she wore for decades. Throughout the years, we’ve often talked about our skin and beauty, and we’ve played around with makeup.
Over the summer, we made a pact to try out a natural skincare line that would work for both of us — me, in my 30s, and my mom, in her 60s. We chose True Nature Botanicals, an award-winning skincare line based in Northern California, which uses all natural and organic ingredients.
A few weeks after we started, my mom called me going, as one might say, completely ape…
First of all, why are you so excited about your new routine?
Oh my gosh, I love it. At night, I use the Pacific Cleanser. It smells very earthy, it’s super gentle and my skin feels REALLY clean after I use it. I had always used drugstore cleansers, but they didn’t really clean my skin. This is cleansing without feeling dry. I look forward to using it.
Then I use the soothing face oil, and then — ta da!!! — I apply my favorite skincare product of all time: the Night Serum With Retinol. I use it with their Vitamin C capsules and, I’m telling you, it’s a magic formula for youth. I feel as if it instantly puts me back ten years. My skin feels really taut, and the crow’s feet around my eyes have actually diminished. I love it. I am actually in love with it.
And it’s gentle enough for your skin?
Definitely. Even though retinol is supposed to be great for aging skin, I avoided it because I have rosacea, which causes redness, and I’ve heard retinol can be irritating. But that doesn’t happen at all. As soon as I use the serum, my skin immediately feels smoother and firmer without being dry.
What about your morning routine?
In the morning, I use the Pacific Mist. To be honest, I was skeptical at first. Who needs to spritz their face? But it’s so refreshing! It’s a cool spritz, like an ocean mist. It’s a wake-up call for your day.
Then, before applying makeup, I put on a few drops of the soothing face oil. For the first time ever in my life, I feel like I have a truly great skincare routine.
I know! You looked so dewy on our Portland trip.
My skin now feels more nourished than it ever has before. Even in the car today I was stroking my cheek because it felt so soft and hydrated!
You’ve always had such a healthy approach to beauty. You never seem too hard on yourself. How do you manage that?
Whenever I feel a little self-conscious, I think, well, who are the people I love? When you think about the people you adore and can’t wait to see and want to spend tons of time with and watch a movie with, you realize you don’t care how they look. They’re simply people who exude kindness and love.
For example, you would never think about your beloved grandmother, “Oh, she wears the same barrette every day and her face is a little hairy.” You’d say, “Oh, she’s so smiley and wonderful to be around.”
You know, when my mom was dying of cancer, she wore a wig and her face was swollen. I now see in old photos how tired and sick she looked. But, at the time, I didn’t even notice that she’d changed. I just loved her! She was my beautiful mom. When you’re connected to someone on the inside, not the outside, that’s how it is.
I say, use beauty products that make you feel good, and don’t worry at all about that tiny flaw that only you notice.
Thanks, Mom! And I agree — True Nature Botanicals is an amazing brand. The face oil, which comes in three different formulas, makes my skin feel so soft and fresh.
One other amazing aspect is that they sell their skincare directly online — without a middleman — so they can include the highest percentages of the best ingredients in their products without needing to charge the highest prices.
Thank you again, True Nature Botanicals!
Bonus for all readers: True Nature Botanicals is offering 15% off all of their products — skincare, haircare and solid perfumes — with the code CUPOFJO, through Wednesday, September 23rd.
(Bottom four images by Leah Verwey for Cup of Jo. This post is sponsored by True Nature Botanicals, a brand whose products and mission we believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cup of Jo.)
