Posted by Jamie McGuire
on September 25, 2025
Healthy skin isn’t about a bigger routine, harsher actives, or the priciest serum. It’s about a strong barrier, smart habits, nervous system + mineral support, and consistency. Save this, share it, refer back any time.
Table of Contents
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Cleansing Basics
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Over-Exfoliation & Too Many Actives
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SPF & Sun (Balanced, not fearful)
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Expectations, Marketing & Mindset
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Routine Design & Consistency
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Internal Support (gut, minerals, hydration)
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Environment (water, light, air, tech)
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Treatments, Medspas & Tretinoin
- The “Expensive = Better” Trap
1) Cleansing Basics
Mistake: Cleansing with cleanser in the morning
Why it’s a mistake: You didn’t accumulate enough oil/oxidized debris overnight to justify a full strip. Over-cleansing chips away at your barrier.
Do this instead: Using a cotton pad or towel, gently wipe your skin using lukewarm filtered water, then go straight into your am skincare routine.
Mistake: “Sometimes” not washing your face at night
Why: SPF, makeup, sweat, and pollution sit on the skin and clog, irritate, and block everything you apply next.
Do instead: Non-negotiable PM, double cleanse every night.
Mistake: Not double cleansing (i.e., not cleansing properly)
Why: One wash rarely removes all SPF/makeup fully; residue = congestion + dullness.
Do instead: Oil cleanse (mine is coming soon) → then follow with a good cleanser.
My favorite cleansers are:
Mistake: Using toners
Why: Many are fragranced/active-heavy and can irritate + strip your skin’s microbiome.
Do instead: Use hydrating peptide mists that actually support your skin & enhance your skincare benefits.
My favorites mists are:
Mistake: Hot water + rough towels
Why: Heat + friction = irritation.
Do instead: Lukewarm water, clean cotton towels
Mistake: Washing your face in the shower
Why: Showers are a barrier trap—too hot, too harsh, too messy.
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Heat + steam swell the skin and spike transepidermal water loss, leaving you tight, red, and reactive.
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Water pressure + long exposure over-strips natural oils.
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Hard water minerals/chlorine deposit on skin and irritate.
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Hair + body product runoff (fragrance, silicones, sulfates) ends up on your face.
Do this instead: At night only, cleanse at the sink, not in the shower. Oil cleanse + 60 second cleanse with lukewarm filtered water.
2) Over-Exfoliation & Too Many Actives
Mistake: Over-exfoliating
Why: Daily acids, scrubs, peels, and gadgets stack irritation and thin your barrier.
Do instead: Exfoliate 1–2×/month max when your skin is calm. If you’re inflamed, pause.
My favorite gentle exfoliants:
Mistake: Using too many things at once
Why: You can’t tell what’s helping vs. hurting & confusing to your skin
Do instead: Introduce one new product every 2–3 months and patch test.
Mistake: Starting an advanced routine too young
Why: Aggressive actives on resilient young skin is unnecessary.
Do instead: Focus on the basics: cleanse well, hydrate, feed your barrier, smart sun.
3) SPF & Sun
Mistake: Using conventional chemical SPF
Why: Toxic, chemical SPF = more sun damage, not protection.
Do instead: Use mineral-based SPF & prioritize shade, hats, timing of day.
My favorite SPF:
Mistake: Relying only on the SPF in your makeup
Why: You’ll rarely apply enough to get enough protection.
Do instead: Use sunscreen (mineral) for real protection; makeup SPF = bonus.
Mistake: Believing the sun is “bad” for your skin
Why: Smart exposure is part of whole-body health. Burns & time spent in direct sun are the issue.
Do instead: Build tolerance gradually, avoid peak hours (Example: 12, 1, 2, 3pm), do not spend more that 20 mins max at a time in direct sun (even less for the face, neck and chest) See more on my blog post about healthy sun exposure: Responsible vs Irresponsible Sun Exposure Blog
4) Expectations, Marketing & Mindset
Mistake: Wanting instant gratification
Why: Collagen + barrier repair take 8–12 weeks minimum.
Do instead: Commit to a simple routine and judge results by months & years, not days.
Mistake: Not having realistic expectations / believing “anti-aging” hype
Why: Skincare can slow the clock, not erase time.
Do instead: It’s normal to age, it’s normal (and beautiful) to have wrinkles. Work on what is in your control and not chasing youth.
Mistake: Believing everything you see on social media
Why: Filters, sponsorships, and influencer marketing can distract you from reality.
Do instead: Follow practitioners who have real experience and are honest & transparent. Not just a walking paid ad.
Mistake: “Clean products transforming your skin”
Why: “Clean” is a marketing term, not a performance metric.
Do instead: Strength matters when you want results. Well-formulated, high performance products are what move the needle - beef fat tallow skincare that claims it’s botox in a bottle isn't cutting it - I wish. You can find all of my favorite HIGH PERFORMANCE & PROFESSIONAL NON TOXIC skincare here: Jamie's Favorite Products
Mistake: Thinking “expensive” = better results
Why: Price doesn't always mean it will work for you - (yes this even includes my skincare)
Do instead: Invest in foundations before worrying about anything else (great cleanser, one active serum & balancing moisturizer). Here’s a budget friendly routine you can start with:
Cleanser:
Serum:
Replenish Antioxidant Serum - $$
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Rescue Epidermal Repair Serum - $$$$
Moisturizer:
5) Routine Consistency
Mistake: Switching products constantly
Why: Your skin never adapts; you can’t track what works.
Do instead: Stay consistent for 6 months to a year (yes a year). Results are cumulative - they don’t happen overnight.
Mistake: Copying someone else’s routine
Why: Different barrier, environment, hormones, genetics, etc.
Do instead: Personalize. Start minimal, then tailor. This is always why I recommend a 1:1 consultation: 1:1 Skincare Consultation
Mistake: Not protecting your barrier
Why: Too many actives, stripping cleansers, harsh treatments = chronic redness/dryness.
Do instead: Think long game — build a strong, resilient barrier first. Actives are the icing, not the cake.
Start with either of these barrier repairing serums:
Mistake: Skipping moisturizer because you’re “oily”
Why: Dry/Dehydrated skin overproduces oil.
Do instead: Use a light, balancing moisturizer.
My favorite moisturizers:
6) Internal Support (gut, minerals, hydration)
Mistake: Relying on skincare to “fix” acne
Why: Acne is often tied to gut, diet, stress, blood sugar, and hormones.
Do instead: Support internally: animal based diet, mineral-rich hydration (salt + magnesium), nervous system care, sunlight in the morning, quality sleep.
Mistake: Not supporting your skin internally (minerals/hydration)
Why: “Dry/dewy struggle” is often a mineral + water issue, not just moisturizer.
Do instead: Daily supplements, electrolytes/quality salt, and real water intake alongside healthy fats (grass fed butter, avocado, coconut oil).
7) Environment (water, light, air, tech)
Mistake: Ignoring your environment (hard water, blue light, air quality, EMFs)
Why: Hard water leaves residue; poor air and circadian disruption show up on skin.
Do instead: Shower filter, air filters, morning sunlight, reduce late-night screens, consider a gentle humidifier in dry seasons.
Find my water & air filter recommendations here: Low Tox Home Shop
Mistake: Not washing pillowcases/brushes often
Why: Bacteria + oil transfer back to skin.
Do instead: Wash pillowcases at minimum once a week & makeup brushes weekly.
8) Dermatologists, Med Spas & Tretinoin
Mistake: Trusting dermatologists blindly
Why: Derms treat conditions, not the whole person. Their default is prescriptions/procedures (antibiotics, steroids, tretinoin) that chase symptoms, come with side effects, and ignore nutrition, gut health, minerals, toxin load, and environment.
Do this instead: Keep a derm for medical checks. Heal your skin from the inside out by getting internal testing done at least once a year and working with a qualified functional medicine practitioner and skincare specialist that can optimize your health and skin from the inside out. We offer internal testing and functional medicine packages - click here to explore: Internal Testing + Functional Medicine Packages
Mistake: Chemically peeling your skin
Why: Burning/peeling your skin = barrier damage, inflamed, sensitive, thin, weak skin.
Do instead: Prioritize supporting your barrier and use products that will work with your skin to create turnover and strengthen your skin.
Mistake: Expecting skincare to replace Botox/fillers or lift your face
Why: Topicals CAN NOT recreate structural changes.
Do instead: Use skincare to optimize skin quality; if you choose procedures, I would recommend a surgery over injections that are toxic (botox) and will never leave your body (fillers).
Mistake: Using tretinoin/Retin-A
Why: I never recommend these. They weaken and damage the skin barrier, trigger chronic irritation and inflammation, and add to the body’s toxic burden.
Do this instead: Use gentle, yet effective naturally derived retinoids like retinaldehydes or bio-retinol.
My favorite retinals/retinols:
Renew MD Advanced Retinal Serum (member's only)
Correct Preventative Retinal Serum
Correct MD Preventative Retinal Serum (member's only)
9) The “Expensive = Better” Trap (and other mindset slips)
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Skincare hoarding / product collecting: Stop confusing your skin. Curate.
- Chasing perfection: Perfect skin doesn’t exist, healthy skin does.
How to Build a Simple, Effective Routine (example routine)
AM:
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Lukewarm rinse
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Barrier supporting serum
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Balancing moisturizer
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Smart sun (mineral SPF when needed; hats/shade; timing)
PM:
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1st oil cleanse, 2nd use a cleanser and cleanse skin for 60 seconds
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Targeted serum (for your skin type)
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Moisturizer (heavier at night if you’re dry)
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Optional: Hydrating mask, eye serum
Internal Daily Basics: clean animal based diet, mineral-rich hydration, morning light, nervous system regulation, sleep.
Quick FAQs:
“How long until I see results?”
6 months - years for meaningful change. Commit, be consistent, have realistic expectations
“Which is ‘better’: clean or non toxic clinical?”
Most clean products = better ingredients, little change. Non toxic professional grade = stronger, more advanced, proven results.
“Can I just use SPF in my makeup?”
Not as your main protection.
“Do I need a toner?”
No.
Last Note:
You don’t need more, you need support. Build a healthy barrier, nourish from the inside, respect the sun, and be consistent. That’s how you earn real results that last.
xo,
Jamie