I'm constantly going on about the important of a "Body Care Routine". In this blog, I'll talk about why you need a body care routine and how to create one that works for you. This isn't just about brushing your teeth every day or taking vitamins to stay healthy – it's also about making sure your skin feels good and stays healthy as well!

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and a lot of what you put on it ends up inside of you.

Yup. All the things from our environment and what we put on it our skin is absorbed into our bodies. If we think about it this way, it makes sense that we should be thoughtful about what we put on our bodies. Not just our faces. We should be using natural products with beneficial ingredients everywhere. The skin is also a reservoir for water, vitamins and minerals. So if you use products with good ingredients, your skin will reap the benefits.

Cleanse skin with gentle products, not harmful ones.

Cleansing is the first step in any body care routine, and it's important that you use gentle products. You should avoid harsh soaps that are really detergents in disguise. These can strip your skin of its natural oils, leading to dryness or irritation.

Squeaky Dreams Soaps are vegan and worry-free. They cleanse gently without drying your skin or leaving you with a nasty film. Made with natural ingredients, organic and some of the ingredients are even food grade. Remember to skip the scalding hot water, as that can dry your skin as well. Opting for warm water. Using a washcloth or sponge is optimal for cleansing because they better remove dirt or any films on the skin as opposed to just using the bar of soap alone.

You need to exfoliate the dead cells from your skin to make room for new ones.

Skin cell turnover is every 28-40 days, which means that as an adult, you have a very thin layer of skin on top of your body that gets replaced every two weeks or so. This first layer of dead cells is important because it serves as a barrier between us and the environment around us--it protects against bacteria, UV rays and other irritants in our environment. But if we don't remove these layers regularly through exfoliation (to reveal newer layers below!), they build up over time until we start looking dull and the skin is dry. Once this top layer serves its purpose it needs to be gently exfoliated. But treat your skin too harshly and you make it more susceptible to those same irritants from our environment.

That's why Squeaky Dreams Sugar Scrubs are made with primarily granulated sugar. They gently slough off dead skin cells without stripping away the healthy skin underneath them. Other sugars such as turbinado or brown are extremely harsh and abrasive. After cleansing, gently rub the sugar scrub along your skin to exfoliate and rinse thoroughly. You'll immediately notice an improvement to the look and feel of your skin.

Moisturizing your skin is the crucial final step to any body care routine

Without it, you're leaving yourself vulnerable to dryness and oiliness, which can lead to irritation and even breakouts. Dry skin sends singles to your body that it is in desperate need of moisture and then your skin may begin to create too much of it. Moisturizing consistently is how you maintain healthy levels of moisture in your skin--and they're also great for adding vitamins, minerals and fatty acids that help keep your complexion looking its best!

The lightweight formula in Squeaky Dreams Infused Body Oil won't clog pores or make you break out while still providing long-lasting hydration. And the benefits from the calendula and hibiscus gives your skin extra anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial benefits. Your skin will be wonderfully moisturized and never greasy.

Body care is self care.

I know that it can be hard to get started with a new body care routine. But I hope I've been helpful in showing why it's so important, as well as some of the benefits that come from having one. You've got to care for your body inside and out because it's the only one we have. But most importantly, it just feels good to have great skin! This is one of the key reasons why I created Squeaky Dreams. So you can have great bath & body products that make you feel amazing and you don't have to worry about what you're putting on your skin. So, remember: cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, repeat.

xoxo,

Marlowe