It’s no secret that we at Belmondo Skincare love using nature’s ingredients in our healthy skin regimen. Teaching our clients, customers, and readers about the benefits of using earth-grown ingredients in their skin care regimen is the heart and soul of what we do.

In Part 5 of this 10-part series on the benefits of natural skincare, we’re busting the myth of the one-size-fits-all, three-part skincare system. We’ll tell you why you may not need to use three products, and tell you how so-called ‘anti-aging’ skincare products may be anything but.

P.S. Look for Belmondo’s Favorite Tips scattered throughout this series. There’s one in each article. We’re giving you the inside scoop on how we enjoy the things of earth, naturally, for beautiful skin and a greener planet – and how you can, too!

You’ve heard it before. We’ve all heard it: we need a three-part skincare system to reveal healthy, gorgeous, balanced skin.

Every major cosmetics company is peddling a ‘system.’ So is every pharmaceutical company with a skincare line. The mystery question I’m left scratching my head over is, why three parts? Why is three the magic number? And how likely is it that any one uniform ‘system’ will improve the skin of any individual who buys into it?

Today we’d like to give a gentle nudge to our readers: don’t believe the hype. Three steps to better skin. Three steps to younger-looking skin. Three steps to 24-hour moisture. They’re myths.

Read on to find out why.

Less is more. Use as many or as few skincare products as you want. Or use no products.

There’s no science to substantiate the claim that using three products in succession in a given order will improve, enhance, or effectively treat skin. In fact, natural skincare wisdom reveals that when it comes to product use, less is often more.

Each of us has a unique skin composition, with varying levels of oiliness, propensity for dryness, and other elemental aspects. Not everyone needs to cleanse, tone, and then apply a serum and/or a face cream every day. For some people, cleansing means applying a steamy warm washcloth to their facial skin in the morning, and then applying a face moisturizer, especially in the Fall and Winter seasons. For others, use of an actual cleansing product might be necessary to remove debris on the skin from night perspiration, or perspiration from workouts, yoga, etc.

The bottom line: know your skin type and lean on your intuition each day within each season when it comes to how, how much, and whether your skin needs to be cleansed, moisturized, and/or toned. Use a product, or two, or three, or none, that makes your skin look and feel healthy, balanced, and clean.

‘Anti-aging’ skincare products? They’re a myth, too.

The bottom line on ‘anti-aging’ skincare products: they don’t work. Before using any product, educate yourself on its ingredients and ask yourself if a chemical or manufactured ingredient is a better alternative than an all-natural ingredient. Unfortunately, one side effect of using products with harsh ‘anti-aging’ ingredients is that they can often cause further damage to skin, exacerbating certain skin conditions, or bringing about skin conditions that weren’t present before the product use. Then we need to use another skincare product to help alleviate the new condition -- and the cycle continues. 

Belmondo’s Favorite Tip No. 5: Your skin loves to rest. So give it a break. If you’re using a skincare product and begin to have a reaction to it – redness, peeling, excessive oiliness, blackheads, dryness, rash – the best thing to do is to stop all use of products and just let your skin breathe.

Adopt an all-natural perspective on your health and wellness, including your skincare, and let your skin age gracefully.

While the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries are obsessed with keeping women (and sometimes men) focused on anti-aging remedies, the truth is there is very little science to support the effectiveness of anti-aging products. Instead of playing the odds with your skin and possibly creating unwanted side effects, I encourage you to embrace your natural aging process and your innate beauty.

At the end of the day, there is no hope in a jar.

But there’s plenty of hope in a consistently clean diet and a healthy lifestyle. Together, these approaches work wonders to transform and renew the body and your skin naturally.

The best anti-agers in our book? A big fat smile, a diet of whole foods, moving your body everyday, plenty of sex, lots of water and sleep, and focusing less on aging and more on living with joy, peace, and vitality – because whatever we focus on expands.

So there you have it: two common skincare myths busted. The three-part skincare ‘system’ is not as necessary as we’ve been told, and there is no one-size-fits-all skincare solution. Embrace your skin type and a healthy lifestyle and do what makes you look and feel beautiful – naturally.*

Connect with Belmondo Skin Care on Facebook for natural skincare tips and healthy lifestyle perspectives from our owner, Daniela.

*We at Belmondo Organic Skincare are natural skincare professionals, not medical professionals. If you have a skin condition you feel needs medical attention, please consult a physician.