As per Paul the founder of For The Biome (Bi-om) “Your keratinocytes are smiling.” That’s exactly what it is. When I was taking Physiology and Anatomy class way back when I was in dental school, I remember how keratinocytes, the outer-most surface layer of our skin, naturally renew every 30 days or so. When we were younger, our skin renewed a lot more often. That explains why our babies have the smoothest skin ever. As we get older, the skin slows down; factors like sun exposure, the products we use, and our lifestyle play into how quickly the aging process happens. Summer is prime time for age-accelerating exposure, so it’s important to take extra steps to keep your skin protected during the warmer months.
Allow me first to expand upon sun exposure—too much sun exposure inhibits the natural renewal of our skin. So if you get a sun burn or got really tan, the amount of UV light exposure you just received could lead to skin damage. And that’s going to speed up the aging process. We all want to age gracefully right?
Secondly, the products we use could make it more difficult for your skin to protect itself. For this reason, Paul, the founder of For The Biome, a herbalist, and also the founder of New Chapter, a well-known herbal supplement business purchased by Procter & Gamble in 2012, created a line of skincare products that use 100% active and whole ingredients. He applied his herbal expertise and knowledge by concocting exclusively natural products that visibly and cellularly benefit your skin from the first use.
Lastly but definitely not the least, is the lifestyle we choose to have. Every day we are given choices and it’s up to us how to make the choices that benefit us in our lifetime—from the food we eat, our daily habits, activities, and even our emotions. How we perceive things, how we choose to be carried away by our emotions, and how we develop our mindsets. They are all connected and contribute to our life as a whole, not just our skin (although healthy skin is dependent on the health of all aspects of life).
I also want to share the step by step process of using the whole kit, The Sentient Starter Set, that For The Biome sent me. I wouldn’t promote or write about products that I don’t believe in. Part of my job is discovering new brands and understanding if they truly benefit everyone. I encourage you to do this too when looking into products and brands.
So let’s get to it !
- First off, I use the Empower Powder 2-in-1 cleanser which also doubles as a mask. It’s a fermented powder that features aloe vera, ashwagandha, saffron and amla. I haven’t heard of amla before, when I looked it up it says it’s a berry with some of the highest vitamin C content and a very effective antioxidant. Here are some of the benefits of amla, just in case if you are curious like me. Empower comes with a tool kit with a little bowl, spoon and face towel. I swear, it’s super cute. For The Biome includes a free Tool Kit with your first purchase of any powder mask or cleanser.
So you just have to use 1/4 tsp of powder with equal parts of warm water.
What to do: What to do: For cleanser, use fingertips to massage evenly in circular motions for 15-30 seconds. For mask, apply a thin layer evenly over damp skin and let it sit for up to 10 mins. Then rinse well. You can do the mask once or twice a week.
2. Next, the Restore Essence Spray. There are still a lot of you who that aren’t familiar with essenses and that’s okay. We are moms, we are always busy. That’s why I’m here to explain to you why essences are essential for skincare. While essences tend to be mostly water, this one features New Zealand Manuka honey and Swiss black bee ferment. It has similar benefits to a serum but with a lower molecular weight than most face creams, since it’s in a liquid form like your toner but not really a toner at all. It’s penetrates your skin much deeper. Restore Essence Spray hydrates and rebalances the skin while using highly concentrated levels of active ingredients. This extra hydration allows your skin to absorb all the goodness of your next product even more so than usual. That’s why it is a primer before you add your oil serum.
Ingredients: Swiss black bee + New Zealand Manuka honey, 829 MGO
Based on my research, Manuka honey is a good antioxidant for the skin. It’s believed to replenish and restore your skin when applied topically. From what I’ve read, it’s also good for acne. To add, the MGO is the ratings on the honey, and that’s really important. A 829 MGO means it has superior antibacterial properties and is potent enough for cosmetic use. That’s a win.
What to do: Just spray it on your skin, like a mist.
3. Finally, the Shield Face Serum. Serums are more biologically active than many ordinary creams that we generally use. These are known for faster, better and deeper penetration in the skin and thus giving faster results. Serums are generally used to brighten skin (not whiten skin, that means it evens out skin tone), rejuvenate, revitalize, prevent ageing, moisturize and ease inflammation. So many more benefits than your regular skin cream. But what I love about Sheild Face Serum is the way it makes my skin glow. Oh my god, I love that dewy glow to my skin, it looks youthful.
Ingredients: astaxanthin, rosehip seed, marigold, chamomile
What to do: Apply 2-4 drops on your fingertips and gently massage onto skin.
There you go, that’s my summer skincare routine. Have fun with this! Explore what ritual speaks to you. For best results, please only use the Sentient Starter Set for 14 days. I encourage you to go without makeup during this time and to even go a few days between washing your face. On days that you do not wash your face, you can use an essence spray for a pick-me-up and Shield Face Serum for added moisturization. I also put sunscreen on my face and body, since we are out at the pool every day. Aside from that, I wear a hat when I’m out for too long. It’s okay for my arms and legs to get a bit more tan than usual but the face has to be protected. I’m in my late 30’s now and it’s really even more important to prevent more wrinkles. We can’t stop time and gravity, but at least we are doing it gracefully.
Thank you so much for reading and have a great summer!
This post is sponsored by For The Biome
