Today’s post is all about my non-toxic skincare routine.

I should first start with noting that I didn’t always prioritize my skincare when I was younger. I was a cheap-drugstore-face-wash-and-lotion kind of person. It wasn’t until after I turned 30 that I realized it was about time I take care of my face. I mean, we only have one, right?! Flash forward to now, and it’s kind of like a total 360! I always make sure I do my skincare routine morning and night, no matter how busy things get. I have three little kids (ages 6,5 and 3), so on top of raising them and work, time is tight, to say the least… as with everyone, right!!? I need a good, healthy skincare routine that I can get really excited about and really look forward to doing each day. That also makes my skin feel really good. For me, it’s a form of self-care.

For those who have been following me for some time, you know that for the last 6 years I was primarily using Beautycounter’s clean products for my skin care. And I loved everything about it! So, when Beautycounter closed (TBD on when it’ll be back, they said some time in 2025), I needed to find a replacement that was (1.) non-toxic and (2.) very high-performing. One that I could honestly get excited about. I tried several clean brands over the summer and they were all okay, but nothing to jump up and down about. Until Oliveda entered my routine. The products have been so good that I joined as a consultant so I can share this with everyone… hence why I am making an entire blog post about it! I was using clean, high performing skin care before this, so the fact that my skin feels better than ever after using Oliveda says a loooot!!!! I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with another brand this summer, but I have honestly been really blown away by the quality and results.

Okay, let’s dive in!…

Before I go over my routine, let’s go over a few key things about this brand and common questions! Since I know it is new to a lot of you…

What is Oliveda?

Oliveda (part of the Olive Tree People brand) is a German-based luxury skincare brand that has a 20+ year reputation in Europe in salons, spas, and storefronts. It launched just a year ago in the United States. So, it’s very new to the US.

In a nutshell, Oliveda is a safe, clean, and very effective brand that utilizes the incredible benefits of the olive tree. More specifically, hydroxytyrosol, a molecule from olive leaf extract. One simple Google search of this powerhouse antioxidant ingredient, will result in some pretty remarkable benefits to the skin and body. This molecule is the primary reason olive trees can live up to 4,000 years! So cool, right?!! It provides cellular protection to the tree - imagine the internal and external benefits for our bodies. The brand was founded by Thomas Lommel after his own experience with the effects of using these olive-based products internally. The very first product was the I01 Elixir - an internal product you drink daily (Chad and I both are going to start taking this daily when I get it in!!). It then expanded to skin care, body and hair care. Every single product has Hydroxytyrosol, so you see the benefits from every single product!

WHY is it "waterless"?

Oliveda is known as a “waterless” skin care brand. But, what the heck does “waterless” mean? I was new to this term!

In conventional skin care, about 70% of the product is water. You see it usually listed first on the ingredient list. Instead of this, Oliveda replaced the water found in most skincare lines with an elixir made from Hydroxytyrosol. By replacing water in their products, they also eliminated the need for preservatives and developed products with a much higher percentage of bioactive ingredients. Due to the bioactive nature & high concentration of antioxidants from the Hydroxytyrosol found in every single product, these products yield extremely corrective results.

So, "waterless skincare" refers specifically to products without the use of water as a base ingredient. There is no water added to any of the products. (You may still notice water on the ingredient list of some of the products, but water is never added to the product, the water on the label is a byproduct of the olive leaf extraction)

Now, there’s no downside to including water in skincare products. However, Oliveda’s use of Hydroxytyrosol is an alternative that makes the rest of the active ingredients in their products even more potent and effective. A little bit of product goes a loooog way, too!!! Less is more, and you can see results from these bioactive ingredients in just 1-2 products!

Is Oliveda a clean brand?

Yes. And when I say a “clean” brand, I mean one that is made without harmful ingredients. This is a very important question for me because I would never recommend something that I wouldn't personally use myself or recommend to my loved one!! I feel very comfortable using Oliveda and really appreciate the holistic and healing nature of this brand and its mission.

Since Oliveda is a European brand, it meets the strict standards of the European Union (EU), as well as, German regulations which are even more strict. In total, Oliveda bans over 4,000 ingredients! Additionally, Oliveda will NEVER use synthetic fillers, preservatives or fragrance in their products. Any fragrance in their products is 100% essential oils. They also don’t use preservatives in their products since they are waterless.

As you're reading through Oliveda's ingredients, it can be a little confusing as a US consumer because things are labeled differently in Europe than they are in the US. Since Oliveda is a European brand (some of the strictest personal care safety standards in the world), we just have to look at things with a different lens. The United States has some of the worst safety standards in personal care products (only 30 ingredients are banned and there is VERY little oversight into what goes into products - none have to be approved for safety before coming to market). I will break down some key things to know, below.

Fragrance:

In the US, the term “fragrance” or “parfum” is a loophole that brands use to hide hundreds of chemicals, including endocrine disruptors and allergens. In the EU, every single ingredient in a skincare product, including every single ingredient in "fragrance", has to be tested for safety and go through a very strict safety assessment and be approved. Once each ingredient is tested and approved, it is then listed as “fragrance” under the EU regulations. So, you may notice that Oliveda uses the term “fragrance” on the back of some of their products as required by the EU, but everything under the term “fragrance” has been tested by the EU first under their strict safety standards, so it's not a loophole to be wary of like it is in the US. Also, any fragrance used in an Oliveda product is 100% essential oil. And these essential oils also have maximum concentration limits.

Retinol:

In the US, we're instructed not to use retinol while we are pregnant or breastfeeding, so when you see the term retinol on Oliveda products, it's a bit jarring!!!

In the EU, safe natural sources and alternatives to retinol are screened, deemed safe, and then they are labeled as a “retinol”. This is not the Vitamin A retinol we are used to here in the US that we try to avoid!!!! For context, the Oliveda product called “Green Retinol” is the natural plant-based retinol alternative called bakuchiol - this is NOT a derivative of Vitamin A.

There are 4 products that use natural alternatives to retinol.

• Green Retinol Elixir (F82): Bakuchiol

• Corrective Kahai Elixir (F87): This is nut-derived Kahai oil retinol from the Cacay tree

• Corrective Midnight Elixir (F65): Fish-derived retinol (you only use this one at night!!)

• LA DOPE Your Wrinkles Face Oil Serum (004): The LA DOPE line contains hemp, which is calming and anti-inflammatory - making it a great option for really sensitive skin.

What is a good place to start?

This was a question I had myself when I started using this brand! I had no idea where to start and all the numbers and letters were confusing to me!

First, I will break down the numbers and letters…

• F stands for “face”

• I stands for “internal”

• B stands for “body”.

• The numbers are in the order the products launched. So the I01 that I mentioned above was the very first product and it’s an internal that you drink daily!

Next up, are the steps in a skincare routine. There are Oliveda products for every step of a routine.

• Cleanser

• Toner

• Vitamin C Serum (daytime)

• Serum

• Lotion

• Eye Cream

If you are brand new to Oliveda and waterless, bioactive skincare, I recommend starting slow and simple with three steps, listed below. Then, you can add more in as you use it!

A simple 3-step routine:

• Cleanser

• Serum

• Moisturizer

Once you have the skincare steps, you need to know what products you should get for the steps. A great place to start is to take the Skin Care Quiz. Once you take it, I will email you within 24 hours and help break it down for you! This helps match up the products with your skin type and any skin concerns.

My Oliveda Routine

I am almost 37 years old (next week!!) with normal to combination skin. It is dry and also oily. Also aging skin - I definitely need products to reduce my fine lines and wrinkles (aging gracefully, that is!!!). I also have a scar on my face I am trying to reduce and overall, I want even, glowing skin and to wear less makeup. I definitely was looking for that “oliveda glow” I kept hearing about!

One thing to note is that my day and night routine is several steps, but I didn’t start right away with all of these steps. I started with 3 products and have added more over time and really looooving it. I look forward to my day and night routine, and that to me is a great sign! I started with a cleanser, serum and moisturizer. Then, I added in an elixir and eye cream. Then a vitamin c serum. And then a toner.

DAILY MORNING ROUTINE

1. CLEANSE

• Purifying Cleansing Gel (F38) - This is a great cleanser for combination skin, oily or acne-prone. I love how clean it leaves my skin! In the summer, I am more oily, so this has been so great. If you have more dry skin, use this Corrective Cleansing Gel (F71).

• Corrective Cleansing Oil (F72) - This is a really great cleansing oil for dry/mature skin. If you love using a cleansing oil, you will love this! When I want to double cleanse at the end of the day, I will apply the oil and massage with a little water all over my face, then rinse and follow with the Purifying Cleansing Gel.

2. TONER

• Corrective Facial Tonic (F67) - I do this right after cleansing to prep my skin for the rest of my skin care routine. I spray it into my palm and press on my face. The “corrective” line is meant for mature, aging skin so I have loved this line to tackle my anti-aging needs! This is a great toner, and it feels and smells really nice!

3. VITAMIN C

• HT + Vitamin C Serum (F83) - I apply about 1/3 - 1/2 of a pipette to my face and rub in. Then let set up to a minute to soak in before moving to the next step. This has 1300% more power than vitamin c alone because of the hydroxtyrosol. It’s also red from the carrot extract, which is fun. This evens skin, reduces scarring, hyperpigmentation, and gives your skin a radiant glow. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite products!!!

4. SERUM + ELIXIR

• The Oliveda serums and elixirs work synergistically together and are meant to be paired together. I use the F59 Corrective Serum and the F87 Corrective Kahai Elixir

• Corrective Serum (F59) - AKA “Botox in a botte” or “nature’s botox”. The Paracress in this serum stimulates collagen production and relaxes facial muscles. It’s also anti-inflammatory and will gently soothe fine lines and wrinkles. It will not be just like you went and got injected with Botox of course, but when used consistently, you really notice an improvement in your skin over time! I noticed reduced lines within 2 weeks!! Highly recommend!!!

• Corrective Kahai Elixir (F87) - This is a natural retinol alternative that is from the cacay tree. It’s also super nourishing. You apply morning and night and mix with a serum.

• How to use: In the palm of my hand, I mix about 1/3 to 1/2 of a pipette of the Corrective Serum (F59) with 3 drops of the Corrective Kahai Elixir (F87). Then, I apply all over my face. This is really nourishing, too! I wish everyone could experience this combination!!

5. MOISTURIZE

• Corrective Face Cream (F42)- I use this daily at the end of my routine for my lotion step. It’s a great anti-aging face cream that naturally also has spf 15 in it. I really love it. A little bit goes a long way with this face cream, you don’t need much!!!

• Two other daytime face cream options I enjoy are the Anti-aging Face Cream (F07) - a great anti-aging face cream that is good for dry skin. If you have oily or acne prone skin, get the Antioxidant Face Cream (F05).

I don't even need much makeup after this skin care routine. It leaves my skin feeling really good, glowing, clear, and even! After this, I will apply a brow gel, blush and lip balm and I am good to go!!!

NIGHTLY PM ROUTINE

My night routine is very similar to my day routine and I just swap out the lotion step at the end and use a nourishing lotion that I love for overnight! A few nights a week I also add in an AHA serum, scroll down to see that one!

1. Cleanser

• F38 Purifying Cleansing Gel

• F72 Corrective Cleansing Oil

2. Toner

• F67 Corrective Facial Tonic

3. Serum

• F59 Corrective Serum

• F87 Corrective Kahai Elixir

I mixed those two together in the palm of my hand and apply to my face .

4. Eye Cream

• Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream (F09) - If you are looking for a great eye cream, I have loved this one! I am also eyeing this Corrective Eye Cream that just came back into stock. It will have more of the hydroxytyrosol.

5. Moisturizer

• Regeneration Intense Face Cream (F74) - This is a deeply nourishing cream. You kind of rub it between your fingers to warm it up before applying. I look forward to wearing this each night!!!

PM ROUTINE I will do 2 times a week

• HT + AHA Serum (F81) - This AHA Serum exfoliates your skin overnight for more even, glowing and clear skin. This is awesome. I will wash my face and then apply about 1/2 pipette of this and follow with the F74 Regeneration Intense Cream and eye cream and go to bed!

TIPS WHEN ORDERING

If you order Oliveda, here are a few things i know!

• It’s always FREE shipping on orders $50+!

• There is a 365 day return policy, which is unheard of! So there is no risk trying these products.

• There is a way to get a FREE product!! If you take the skin care quiz and add 2 of the recommended products to your cart, you will get a free eye elixir! This is like the “botox in a bottle” for your eye area and a $90 value!

• You can join as a consultant for $50. This is what I am. You will get your own personal commissionable link and a 25% off discount. Email me at annaknewell@gmail.com if you want more info on this option and we can talk about it! You can learn more and join here.

If you try these products, I think you will love as much as I do! Reach out if you have questions, I love chatting about this and helping you find a product you need.

You can also follow along with me at @urban.apron on Instagram and we can chat there!!

xx,

Anna