The Importance of Knowing How Your Skincare is Sourced

Sep 14, 2023

by Bonnie Giangrande minute read

In a world where there are so many different skincare brands, it's easy to get lost and confused when it comes to choosing the perfect products for you. With that being said, have you ever considered where your skincare comes from, how it's sourced, and what kind of ingredients are in it? These questions are much more important than you may think! Not all skincare is created equal. In this blog, we’re going to explore the importance of knowing where your skincare comes from, how it’s sourced, and the ingredients that make them up.

Your Skin Is Your Body's Largest Organ

Before we dive into the sourcing and ingredients of skincare products, it's incredibly important to know that your skin is your body's largest organ. It acts as a protective barrier, regulates your body temperature, and plays an important role in your overall health. Because it’s your body's largest organ, it’s important that we protect our skin and nourish it with ingredients and use products that aren’t harmful to us. Everything that we put on our skin gets absorbed.

The Sourcing of Skincare Ingredients

Many skincare products are made from a variety of natural and synthetic ingredients. The way these ingredients are sourced can have a big impact on not only the environment, but the efficiency of the product. Let’s talk about the difference between natural ingredients and synthetic ingredients.

Natural Ingredients

Natural ingredients in skin care products are sourced from plants, minerals, and other natural substances. Some common natural ingredients include aloe vera, coconut oil, shea butter, lavender, green tea, and different fruit extracts. In addition to vitamin content, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds, these ingredients can nourish and protect the skin. For those with sensitive skin or those who are seeking a more environmentally friendly option, natural ingredients are often free of harsh chemicals and synthetic additives.

Products that have natural ingredients are often seen as safer and more environmentally friendly. However, the sourcing of these ingredients is incredibly important. If a company isn’t promoting sustainable practices, ethical harvesting, and fair trade inside of their business and in the making of their products, then they aren’t ensuring that the natural ingredients inside of their products aren’t harming the consumer or the environment. This is often referred to as greenwashing. At Renu Naturals, not only are most of our ingredients sourced by nature, but we’re part of the 1% for the planet.

Synthetic Ingredients

Synthetic ingredients are commonly used in skin care products for many different reasons. Developed in a laboratory, these ingredients are specifically designed to mimic the substances found in the skin. They can provide moisturization, UV protection, and anti-aging properties. With that being said, some synthetic ingredients may cause irritation or allergic reactions in some people. The long-term effects of synthetic ingredients on the skin and overall health are also being debated. If you plan to use products that contain synthetic ingredients, you should carefully read and research the ingredients beforehand.

Synthetic ingredients can be rigorously tested for safety and efficacy, but the most important aspect is transparency. Knowing where and how these ingredients are manufactured ensures that they meet the highest quality standards!

The Role of Ingredients in Skincare

Understanding how each ingredient plays into your skincare products is incredibly important, not only because your skin is the largest organ on your body and you should want to know what’s being absorbed into it, but for several other reasons as well!

1. Skin Sensitivity and Allergies: Some ingredients may cause skin sensitivity or allergies. By knowing what's in your skincare, you can avoid products that contain substances your skin reacts negatively to. Some common skin irratants found in skincare are Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Oil, Propylene glycol, Formaldehyde releasers, Salicylic acid, Metals and Fragrance.
2 - Effectiveness: Different ingredients have different purposes for skin conditions. Knowing what ingredients address your specific skin concerns allows you to choose products that are tailored to your needs!
3 - Long-term Health: Some skincare ingredients have potential long-term health effects, such as exposure to harmful chemicals. Being aware of these risks helps you to make informed choices when it comes to your skincare. Believe it or not, you skincare is related to your overall health, and not just the health of your skin!
4 - The Impact on the Environment: Unfortunately, the beauty industry has a significant environmental footprint. The demand for exotic ingredients and excessive packaging contribute to waste and carbon emissions. Some of the worst ingredients for our planet that are commonly found in skincare are, Exfoliating Microbeads, Preservatives like BHA and BHT, Phthalates, Triclosan, Synthetic Fragrances, Silicones and Chemical Sunscreens, just to name a few.

By choosing skincare products with responsibly sourced ingredients and eco-friendly packaging, you can reduce your environmental impact! Here at RENU, this is an incredibly important topic. Most of the ingredients we use in our products are sourced from Brittish Columbia, which adheres to strict regulatory standards. We ensure our ingredients are responsibly sourced, and offer not only the option to ship our products without product boxes, but we use responsible packaging to ensure we aren't only taking great care of your skin, but the environment as well.

The Purity and Efficiency of Small Batch Products

When you choose to use small-batch skincare products, you’re getting a level of freshness and purity that cannot be matched by large manufactured skincare products. Unlike mass-produced products, small-batch skincare is made in limited quantities, allowing for careful attention to detail and the use of high-quality, fresh ingredients. The efficacy of these ingredients are more potent in fresh products compared to those that sit on a shelf for extended periods of time. We carefully select our product packaging so active compounds can retain their full strength and effectiveness.

Large manufactured skincare products can often contain a high amount of preservatives to prolong their shelf life, which often can diminish the potency of the ingredients over time. Overall, when you opt for small-batch skincare, you’re ensuring a more effective and pure skincare experience!

Supporting Ethical Practices

Last but not least, brands that prioritize fair wages, sustainable farming, and ethical labor practices should be encouraged and rewarded with your consumer choices. Your purchases can help drive positive change within the industry and ensure that we continue to support ethical practices.

Will You Be Keeping a Closer Eye on Your Skincare Products?

So, in the world of skincare, knowing where your products come from, how they're sourced, and what ingredients they contain is far more important and not just a personal preference. It's about taking responsibility for your skin's health, making informed choices, and contributing to a more sustainable and ethical beauty industry! Next time you reach for that skincare product, take a moment to research and consider its origins! Your skin and the planet will thank you for it. And, you deserve skincare that’s actually good for you!

Feel free follow us over on Instagram and Join our private Face Book Group at Demystifying Skincare, for more skincare tips and tricks, and check out our products here if you're on the search for skincare that isn't just good for you, but gentle on the environment, too!

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The Power of Exfoliation: Unlocking Radiant Skin ✨

Jun 17, 2024

by Bonnie Giangrande

minute read

Face exfoliation is an incredibly important step in a skincare routine anytime of year, but especially so in the summertime. When it comes to facial exfoliation, there are many benefits. From improving circulation, removing dead skin cells, improving the absorbency of subsequent skincare and makeup products, and so much more. Let's dive a little deeper into what exactly facial exfoliation is.

What is Face Exfoliation?

Face exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from your face. This is typically done with a grainy exfoliating product and even sometimes with the help of a facial exfoliation tool. It's important to use a quality exfoliation product that is gentle yet effective on your skin.

RENU Hydra Whip Exfoliant was formulated with walnut shell powder for an effective yet gentle exfoliation to cleanse your face while also polishing, buffing, and unclogging your pores.

5 Reasons Why You Should Exfoliate Your Face

Like we stated above, face exfoliation has MANY benefits. Let's dive deeper into some of the benefits you'll see when you regularly exfoliate using a gentle yet quality facial exfoliator.

1.) Removes Dead Skin Cells & Promotes Cell Turnover

Face exfoliation helps to remove dead skin cells from your face and also helps to remove age spots that were dead skin cells with pigmentation.

When your skin is freshly exfoliated, it is then exposed which helps promote the production of new cells.

2.) Improves Circulation

Facial exfoliation helps to improve circulation because when you are exfoliating your face, you are stimulating the blood vessels that lie beneath your skin. When you stimulate these blood vessels, you are improving the circulation which then gives each cell more oxygen and nutrients.

3.) Unclogs Your Pores

Exfoliating your face can help to unclog pores and dead skin buildup from the surface of your skin. When you exfoliate and remove the dead layer of skin away, you're helping to prevent getting clogged pores, blackheads, whiteheads, and even acne.

4.) Allows For Better Product Absorption

If you're using other subsequent skincare products or applying makeup, face exfoliation will help to remove those dead skin cells and allows other products to penetrate the skin and work more effectively, or allows makeup to apply smoother and look better!

5.) Brightens Your Complexion

Overall, face exfoliation will help to brighten your overall complexion because of everything listed above! It will help to remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover, improve your circulation, unclog your pores, and allow for better absorption of other skincare products and make makeup application easier.

5 FAQ's About Face Exfoliation

There are many questions around face exfoliation, so let's dive into some common questions we get surrounding exfoliating your face and more!

Q: Is it OK to Exfoliate Your Face Daily?

We do not recommend exfoliating your face daily. Face exfoliation should be done no more than 2-3 times per week with a gentle exfoliator. The reason for this is over exfoliating your face can damage your skins natural barrier. In some people, this can lead to irritation among other symptoms.

Q: Is it Better to Exfoliate at Night or in The Morning?

Truthfully, the answer to this question will vary on your skin and what your routine looks like.

While exfoliating at night will allow your skin to repair itself while you sleep, if you use more potent ingredients such as retinol in your nightly skincare, it may be best to exfoliate in the morning. Check out our "Is Natural Enough? How Actives Increase Efficiency In Your Skincare Products" to see more on the benefits of retinol and other active ingredients in skincare!

If you have more oily skin, then you may wish to exfoliate in the morning so you can start your day with clear and refreshed skin and can better apply your other products and makeup if desired.

Q: Should I Moisturize After Exfoliating?

Yes! Moisturizing after exfoliating is recommended and part of our simple 4 step skincare routine. After you exfoliate with a gentle exfoliator, it is recommended to follow up with a moisturizer to help replenish the skin and protect it.

Q: What Happens if You Don't Exfoliate Your Face?

If you don't exfoliate your face, over time you may start to notice that your complexion looks dull, you may notice an uneven skin tone or dark spots, and your pores may look or become clogged. This will lead to black heads over time and you may even experience acne.

Exfoliating really helps to polish and buff your skin to remove any trapped dirt or oils to give you a brighter and clearer complexion.

Q: Do You Use Face Wash or Scrub First?

The first step in your skincare routine should always be to use a gentle facial cleanser! Even when you are using an exfoliator, we recommend washing your face with the cleanser first.

This will help to cleanse your skin and prep it for exfoliation, which is another step to really get what's trapped in your skin out, and having a smoother and cleanser surface to work with will help the facial exfoliator to be more effective.

How to Exfoliate Your Face in 3 Easy Steps

Now that we've gone into what face exfoliation is, the benefits, and answered some frequently asked questions, let's go into HOW to exfoliate your face for the best results.

Step 1: Scoop out the product into the palm of damp hands and blend it into a mousse like consistency.

Step 2: Apply to your wet face. You'll want to start at your cheeks and move into a circular motion, moving up towards your nose and forehead.

Step 3: Rinse your face with warm water (not hot), and gently wash away the product. You can repeat this 2-3 times a week after cleansing your face with a cleanser.

Will You Be Incorporating Face Exfoliation Into Your Skincare Routine?

We hope that you start to exfoliate your face so you can reap the benefits that it has to offer. Make sure to check out our "The Benefits of a Morning Skincare Routine" and "A Step-by-Step Nighttime Skincare Routine" for help in setting a consistent morning and night routine for your skin!

You'll also love our most recent drop of Cucumber Drench Body Lotion which is perfect for summer so you can drench your skin in hydrating goodness! Have questions in the meantime? Reach out to us and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have, or follow us over on Instagram for more!

The Benefits of a Morning Skincare Routine

May 24, 2024

by Bonnie Giangrande

minute read

It's no secret that having a consistent morning skincare routine is incredibly important for maintaining healthy skin. While you may not think much accumulates overnight in your sleep, your body still produces oil, and a morning skincare routine will help you prep the skin for day ahead by removing dirt and impurities that have accumulated from your nights rest. Let's dive deeper into the reasons why you need to have a consistent morning skincare routine.

4 Benefits of a Morning Skincare Routine

1.) Cleanse Your Face of Impurities

Starting your morning off with cleansing your face with a gentle yet effective moisturizer will help to draw out any dirt or impurities that have accumulated overnight. If you use other skincare products or apply makeup, this buildup of impurities can reduce the effectiveness of other products as it limits the absorbency into your skin. Cleaning your face every morning can help you avoid this, on top of making your face feel fresh and clean.

2.) Easier Makeup Application

Like stated above, if you don't start off your day with a skincare routine, especially cleansing, you are limiting the benefits and absorbency of your other products, including makeup application. If your skin isn't looking or feeling it's best, chances are your makeup won't either. If you prep your skin well and take care of it, you'll notice an immense difference in your makeup application, especially over time.

3.) Helps to Moisturize Your Face For The Day

Keeping your face hydrated and moisturized is incredibly important. Your skin may be more dry depending on the season, or may even get dehydrated overnight. Prepping your skin and moisturizing it with a moisturizer that is gentle yet nourishing is incredibly important so that you can tackle the day ahead while helping your skin to stay hydrated to fight off outside elements.

4.) Helps to Protect Your Skin

Last but certainly the most important aspect of a morning skincare routine is to protect your skin. When you use quality products to help cleanse and nourish your skin, you're also adding protection against the free radicals you may encounter in the environment.

Easy 4 Step Morning Skincare Routine & How to Layer Your Products

Here at Renu, we believe that skincare doesn't have to be complicated or extensive. That's why we've created a skincare line that isn't only nourishing for you skin, but that is easy when life get's busy. Let's dive into this easy 4 step morning skincare routine!

1.) Cleanse Your Face

The first step in any skincare routine is cleansing your face. We recommend using a gentle yet effective cleanser such as RENU Purifying Gel Cleanser. This cleanser is plant powered and is great at removing bacteria, pollutants, and impurities yet gentle on the skin. Check out these "Top 5 Facial Cleanser Benefits" to see more on the benefits of cleanser!

How to apply: Dispense 1 pump of cleanser and apply to damp skin. Cleanse in a circular motion and rinse with warm water!

If you feel comfortable adding an extra step, you can then use a facial toner. This will help to balance and boost your complexion and minimize the appearance of pores.

Step 2: Exfoliate Your Face

Exfoliating your face is important no matter what season, but even more so in the summer months when you're more prone to sweating. We suggest exfoliating with a gentle yet effective exfoliant such as RENU Hydra Whip Exfoliant. This exfoliant is formulated with walnut shell powder and has a calming lavender scent. Perfectly gentle for your skin yet tough enough to polish and smooth.

How to apply: Scoop a small amount of exfoliant into the palm of your damp hands and blend until it reaches a mouse consistency. You can then apply it to your wet face at the cheeks and move in a circular motion up towards your nose and forehead. It's suggested to use this on your face and/or body 2-3 times a week.

Step 3: Moisturize Your Face

After you cleanse and exfoliate, you'll want to apply your moisturizer. We recommend using a moisturizer that is rich enough to moisturize and keep your skin hydrated, but that is lightweight enough. The perfect daily moisturizer for this is RENU Pure Radiance Moisturizer with active Peptides. It's packed full of vitamins, plant lipids, and botanicals to keep your skin restored and nourished. It's also formulated with powerful peptides to support the skin, while plumping, soothing, and rejuvenating!

How to apply: Pump a small amount and apply to a clean face starting at the cheeks and working upwards motion to the forehead. You can also use this on your hands and body!

Step 4: Seal Your Morning Skincare Routine with Facial Oil

The final step in your morning skincare routine is applying a facial oil. We suggest Renu Luxury Facial oil to promote hydration, give a radiant glow, lock in your routine for the day, all while making your face feel light and refreshed! Make sure to check out our "Facial Oils- Are They Good For Your Skin?" to better understand the benefits of facial oils!

How to apply: Apply 1-3 drops of oil on clean skin as the last step in your skincare routine. This can be applied under your makeup and throughout the day for a skin refresher!

Will You Be Incorporating These Steps Into Your Morning Skincare Routine?

Our hope is that this has helped you better understand the benefits of a consistent morning skincare routine along with using products that not only nourish your skin, but are GOOD for your skin. Looking for a nighttime skincare routine? See our "A Step-by-Step Nighttime Skincare Routine & Why it's so Important."

Looking to get this easy 4 step skincare to try? Our Renu Discovery Set is the perfect set to get familiar with our products. For full size, you can get this entire 4 step skincare with our Essentials 4-Step Set with Renu Bag.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or need help in finding the best skincare products for you, we would love to help, Feel free to comment below or reach out to us. Until then, follow us over on Instagram to see more from us.

Is Natural Enough? How Actives Increase Efficiency In Your Skincare Products

Apr 23, 2024

by Bonnie Giangrande

minute read

In today’s world, there are so many skincare products to choose from. It can be hard to choose the perfect products for your skin. There are many natural based skincare companies, and companies that offer natural products that also contain powerful activities. This poses the question “is natural enough?" From Peptides, Niacinamide, Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, and more. In this blog, we’re going to talk about different types of actives in skincare, and how they increase efficacy in your products to give you better results, without harming your skin or overall health.

CoQ10 - Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is an active ingredient that you can find in many skincare products that helps to protect the skin from environmental stressors. This can include but is not limited to UV exposure, pollution particles, and more. Coenzyme Q10 helps to neutralize free radicals serving as a shield to protect and even help strengthen skin cells. It offers a plumping effects to smooth and firm your skin as well.

When you incorporate Coenzyme Q10 into your skincare routine, you can help to protect your skin against potentially harmful environmental stressors that in this day and age, are near impossible to avoid.

This is why we have Coenzyme Q1O in our Brightening & Resurfacing Toner. The powerful formulation with CoQ10 not only helps to deep-clean, remove traces of impurities, and helps to bind moisture and refresh the skin, it also acts as an antioxidant that helps to protect skin and and fight skin-famaging free radicals. This helps to promote circulation while adding radiance!

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) has become a staple ingredient in many skincare formulations and for good reason. From cleansers, serums, and creams, you'll find Niacinamide listed in many. A benefit of Niacinamide is that it helps to restore cellular energy and even repair damaged DNA. Niacinamide can help to fight off external stressors to your skin which can deteriorate and break down the skin overtime which can lead to aging, discoloration, and wrinkles.

This is why you'll find Niacinamide in RENU Nourishing Night Cream. This nourishing night cream is formulated to hydrate, support collagen production, and loss of elasticity. If you're looking for a night cream to smooth and protect your skin while you sleep, this night cream is the perfect formula.

Peptides

If you're looking for an ingredient that will help your skin appear supported, plump, smooth, and rejuvenated, then introducing peptides into your skincare routine is a great idea! Tripeptide-5 can be found as an active ingredient in many skincare products and has many great benefits for the skin.

You'll find peptides in RENU Pure Radiance Moisturizer to help soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as brighten complexion.

Retinyl Palmitate

Retinyl Palmitate is an active ingredient that has wonderful exfoliating properties. This active ingredient helps in the shedding of the upper dermal layer. Shedding of this dermal layer then forces the skin to produce more new cells. The word Retinyl may sound familiar. That is because it is the ester form of Retinol which is less irritating to the skin and more stable. Overall, it is one of the best known and studied anti-aging ingredients and is one that you should desire in your skincare routine!

This is why we have formulated our Advanced Night Lift Face Cream so that you can provide your skin with nourishment while softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles! This night cream will also work hard to brighten your complexion.

Aquaxyl™

Aquaxyl is an active that is derived from natural sugars. Studies have shown that aquaxyl improves water reserves and limits water loss, which in turn helps with maintaining hydrated skin! It also helps to maintain the skins natural barrier to keep the hydration in. This will leave your skin feeling smooth and the overall appearance glowing.

This is another active ingredient you'll find in our Advanced Night Lift Face Cream. With the help of aquaxyl, your skin can better retain the hydration all night long so you can wake up with a fresh and hydrated face in the morning.

Matrixyl®

Matrixyl® Synthe-6™ acts as a wrinkle filler by smoothing the wrinkles from the inside by rebuilding skin where needed. This active is particularly great for the forehead and crow’s feet.

This is why you'll also find Matrixyl in both our Vitamin C Glow Serum and our Advanced Night Lift Face Cream. It works hard to combat wrinkles, so you can experience a smoother and refreshed complexion!

Retinol

This may sound familiar to the Retinyl we discussed above. That's because Retinyl is an ester of Retinol, which is a collage stimulating active that can help to reduce find lines and wrinkles when used topically. Retinol works hard to promote cell turnover. This will help to fade any dark spots or hyperpigmentation you may be experiencing, which will then result in a much more even complexion!

You can find Retinol in our Renu Repair Eye Cream! With retinol included into this formula, we can tackle fine lines, dark spots, and dullness around the eye area!

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic Acid brings moisture to the surface of your skin. Because of this, your skin will appear smoother, plumper, and you'll see a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles when your skin becomes more hydrated!

That's why you'll find this powerhouse active in our RENU Luxury Face Oil.The Beauty Oil not only has Hyaluronic Acid, but is also infused with 10 cold-pressed plant seed oils to brighten and increase collagen for the best anti-aging benefits!

Will You Be Trying Out Any of These Powerhouse Actives Next?

While we at Renu Naturals, love all things natural, sometimes safe actives are needed to get the results we want out of our skincare routine. When you incorporate actives into your skincare routine, you can better target specific skincare concerns you may be experiencing.

It's also important to remember that some actives may cause you sensitivities. It's best to introduce one active at a time. This way your skin can get used to your new skincare addition. You can then slowly increase the amount of product you use as your skin becomes more tolerant.

Looking to introduce actives into your skincare routine? Check out our skincare products to find the perfect products for your specific skin condition. Wondering what skincare products you SHOULD avoid? Read up on our "8 Popular Skincare Ingredients to Avoid" on the blog! Have questions? Feel free to leave a comment below, we'd be happy to help!

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The Importance of Knowing How Your Skincare is Sourced

Your Skin Is Your Body's Largest Organ

The Sourcing of Skincare Ingredients

Natural Ingredients

Synthetic Ingredients

The Role of Ingredients in Skincare

The Purity and Efficiency of Small Batch Products

Supporting Ethical Practices

Will You Be Keeping a Closer Eye on Your Skincare Products?

TAGS

RECENT ARTICLES

The Power of Exfoliation: Unlocking Radiant Skin ✨

What is Face Exfoliation?

5 Reasons Why You Should Exfoliate Your Face

1.) Removes Dead Skin Cells & Promotes Cell Turnover

2.) Improves Circulation

3.) Unclogs Your Pores

4.) Allows For Better Product Absorption

5.) Brightens Your Complexion

5 FAQ's About Face Exfoliation

Q: Is it OK to Exfoliate Your Face Daily?

Q: Is it Better to Exfoliate at Night or in The Morning?

Q: Should I Moisturize After Exfoliating?

Q: What Happens if You Don't Exfoliate Your Face?

Q: Do You Use Face Wash or Scrub First?

How to Exfoliate Your Face in 3 Easy Steps

Will You Be Incorporating Face Exfoliation Into Your Skincare Routine?

The Benefits of a Morning Skincare Routine

4 Benefits of a Morning Skincare Routine

1.) Cleanse Your Face of Impurities

2.) Easier Makeup Application

3.) Helps to Moisturize Your Face For The Day

4.) Helps to Protect Your Skin

Easy 4 Step Morning Skincare Routine & How to Layer Your Products

1.) Cleanse Your Face

Step 2: Exfoliate Your Face

Step 3: Moisturize Your Face

Step 4: Seal Your Morning Skincare Routine with Facial Oil

Will You Be Incorporating These Steps Into Your Morning Skincare Routine?

Is Natural Enough? How Actives Increase Efficiency In Your Skincare Products

CoQ10 - Coenzyme Q10

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

Peptides

Retinyl Palmitate

Aquaxyl™

Matrixyl®

Retinol

Hyaluronic Acid

Will You Be Trying Out Any of These Powerhouse Actives Next?

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