My Clean, Green Skin Routine on the Road

28 May

Part of the joy of van life is having a curated amount of stuff with you. It’s incredibly satisfying curating your life and taking only what you need along for the ride.

The Virgo Rising in me takes such joy in having an organised space and a succinct skincare and beauty regime is a large part of that. One large toiletry bag is all you need on the road and for maximum adventuring you’ll only want to spend minimal time on skincare and makeup. Like clothing, you could pack different outfits for a week but in reality you end up in one or two for the entire time because they’re so blinkin’ comfy and that’s what you want on the road.

With skincare, it’s the same story. You need a reliable routine that is both easy and earth/animal friendly. And with makeup you just want a natural look if you’re even bothering at all - makeup is something I make part of my morning routine so have included it here. Finally, in my early 40’s, I have tried and tested so many wonderful brands but settled on these products that are my skincare staple, hence coming on the road with me.

My clean and green skin and beauty regime for life on the road in the van. TIDE - mid paced walks and conscious living for modern souls.

Night routine.

I want to keep my skincare succinct in the evening, once my bed is out I’m keen to get stuck in my journal and book but do enjoy a few minutes of cleaning off the days adventures and blogging.

I start with Neal’s Yard Frankincense Cleansing Melt - it’s not a cheap bottle of cleanser but worth every penny and means also you don’t have to use water for your face and you’re not adding to the face wipe issue (even the biodegradable ones aren’t great for our planet). Because I’m only using it on the road and not at home (at home I love my Antipodes Juliet Cleanser) it lasts me ages and a little goes far. Just squeeze a pea sized amount out onto the palm of your hand, rub between both palms to warm it up and spread over face. The beautiful natural oils will work to lift any dirt out of your skin and you can then loosen with a small drop of water and wipe off with a cloth.

After cleansing I first gently dab Green People’s Line Eraser around my eyes then treat my face with a little Evolve love. I mix a few drops of their multiple award winning Hyaluronic Acid (travel size here) with their Miracle Facial Oil (travel size here). Both Evolve products are available in their travel sizes which is PERFECT for on the road but I tend to refill from the bigger versions as I stock up because I love these two so much I use it at home too.

Then onto my gnashers - I have been shouting about Truthpaste for years, for me it’s the only natural toothpaste I like and they are now doing travel tins.

Morning routine.

Nothing has changed since my Instagram post a few years back - I don’t wash my face in the mornings as I like the skin to hold onto the natural oils it’s absorbed and made itself overnight. Instead I splash my face with a bit of water, clean my teeth and then apply a bit of make up.

Makeup won’t be for everyone for life on the road but since I was 14 I’ve applied makeup nearly every day. I don’t feel me without it (though question this all the time!) so instead of fighting it I went on a mission to find my perfect natural, cruelty free cosmetics.

I start under my eyes with Ere Perez arnica concealer which is the best concealer I’ve ever used (I use Latte) then for my face Green Peoples Age Defy+ Tinted DD Cream with SPF15 - honestly this stuff is incredible. Again, it’s not a cheap product but used as I do (more on that in a mo) it last months and it makes your skin glow like nothing I’ve ever tried. But it only comes in two shades and for me the light is too light and the medium is way too dark so instead I mix the medium with Antipodes Immortal SPF15 and together I love how my face looks and feel confident it’s protected on those days hiking where the sun isn’t strong but there is still need for a bit of SPF.

I’m currently using Ere Perez’s waterproof avocado mascara but my favourite is Green Peoples Waterproof mascara because it stays put when I’m hiking or have the camera to my eye! I’m someone who sweats a lot (apparently this is healthy!) so always go back to that one.

Then onto my palette. I keep things SUPER simple and just take my Nude & Noir palette which I love so much. I’ve had this so long yet use it every day and it’s still going strong but trying to find a link while writing this gave me nothing so it might have been discontinued which is a shame as you can use the pigments for lips, eyes and cheeks. In it’s place I would recommend this eye palette instead and go for a BWC blusher (I use this one). I also use a BWC eyebrow pencil.

Then, I just finish everything off with a slick of Paw Paw - a must have for on the road for lips, cracked skin on the heels, sore hands and dry elbows! And if it’s a sunny day don’t forget the SPF - I have a more detailed post here but the one I use is Green Peoples sunscreen - the only sunscreen that doesn’t give me heat rash and is also non toxic to the ocean too (yep - sorry to be the bearer of bad news but sunscreen is poisoning our oceans).