One of the most common questions we see is, how do you switch your skincare routine? While change is good, some skincare changes need to be strategically planned to minimize the possibility of a bad reaction.

So really, how bad is it to switch up your skincare products?

The answer, it can be bad, and can result in slowing down the process of your skincare health. But sometimes we have to go through the ugly to get to the good.

If you’re using products with bad ingredients, then you may want to consider making the switch to a cleaner skincare system. While switching your system can be hard, YELLE has a few tips that will make it easier:

•     Consider switching your skincare products when you’ve found you’re life is easy-going, not when you have a ton of things going on. So if you’re already impacted by stressors (moving, starting a new job, getting married, having a baby, or anything else life-altering) we would encourage you not to make the switch just yet.
•     Introduce a little at a time. Instead of completely switching all at once we encourage you to introduce new products one at a time until you’ve completely switched over.
•     Let your skin adjust. As your skin tries new products, your skin will react to the new ingredients you’ve introduced. Allow time for your skin to adjust before you make your final decision on whether or not you should keep or let go of the product.

Now that you know how to switch, let’s discuss what bad product ingredients you should break up with:

•     Parabens – Run Sis! Parabens are a whole family of chemicals that help preserve shelf-life on products. This is one of the most common offenders for toxic ingredients. These chemicals have been linked to breast cancer and can stimulate hormonal disruptors throwing off reproduction and fertility issues.
•     Phthalates – This chemical is supposed to increase the flexibility of plastics in cosmetics helping the product stick and adhere to our skin. The problem is, who wants to wear plastic? No thanks, trash it!
•     Inorganic fragrance – What’s most terrifying about inorganic fragrance is that it is considered a ‘trade secret’ meaning, companies don’t have to disclose what ingredients are inside of the scent. Since we don’t know what’s really in it, we sure stay far away from it
•     Lead – we are all familiar with Lead, but surprisingly it’s in a lot of skincare brands! It can cause serious behavorial setbacks and can even lower your IQ. While it’s already been removed from things like paint and gas, it’s still floating around in some of the products we put on our skin.

One of the most important promises that YELLE Skincare makes is to deliver plant-based products that are safe and gentle on our precious skin. If you’re looking to learn more about the safe ingredients that we use at YELLE Skincare you can learn everything you need to know HERE (Link: https://yelleskincare.com/pages/ingredient-list)

While making the switch can seem overwhelming, YELLE has made it easy for you. We’ve bundled all of our skincare needs into complete systems

Whether you need to give your skin intense treatment, addressing acne and problem areas (https://yelleskincare.com/products/the-treatment-system), you’re looking to give your skincare an overall indulgence of the complete key ingredients it needs to thrive (https://yelleskincare.com/products/the-treatment-system), or you’re looking to just maintain the healthy habits you’ve created (https://yelleskincare.com/products/the-essential-kit)

YELLE has everything you need to embark on a safe-ingredient through plant-based products journey!

One of the most important factors to YELLE is convenience. When our founder Yandy Smith-Harris was developing YELLE’s Awakening Collection, she knew that she wanted to create something that was not only nourishing for people of color, but also convenient for our busy lifestyles. 

Whether you are a boss in Corporate America running from meeting to meeting, a college student living on campus, or a stay-at-home mom with little to no time for herself, YELLE was created with you and your limited time and resources in mind to ensure that you could still experience quality skincare products that are less-hassle and worry free.

That is when the Essential Kit was create. As a busy mom-prenuer herself Yandy knew that her on-the-go lifestyle meant she needed to create a system that was effortless and could travel well. 

As the holiday season approaches, we are thinking of you and your skincare needs. YELLE’s Essential Kit was perfectly crafted to meet all of your basic skincare needs while you travel.

Regardless of where we are or what we do, we always need to CLEANSE, TONE, and Moisturize to ensure preventative measures are taken to combat the every-day germs our skin encounters.

In wake of a pandemic and seasonal holiday travel picking up, YELLE Skincare’s Essential 3-Piece System is perfect for your luggage. It has everything you need to maintain healthy and nourished skin except for water!

If you’re looking to create an official skincare travel checklist here are the things we would suggest:

•     A nice toiletry bag (we adore this Traincase from Sephora, it’s perfect for separating your products: https://www.sephora.com/product/pro-on-go-traincase-P417919?skuId=1897271&icid2=products%20grid:p417919:product)

•     Makeup Wipes 
•     YELLE 3-Piece Essential Kit
•     A lip moisturizer

Traveling this holiday season? Be sure to tag #YELLESkincare in your travel adventures on Instagram. We may repost you!

Taking care of your skincare can seem overwhelming, and like a lot of work; but it doesn’t have to be. By incorporating simple skincare habits, drinking water, and ‘minding your business’ your everyday routine can become second nature to you.

Trust us, once you have a system, the rest gets easier. That’s exactly why at YELLE Skincare all of our products are bundled up into skincare systems. To make your skincare routine more convenient and easier for your lifestyle.

As you implement a skincare system, you will learn that there are things we live by in the skincare world. Check out YELLE’s 7 Skin Commandments

#1 Thou Shall Always Moisturize

We can’t stress this enough! Moisturizing is the most important part of skincare, even if you have oily skin. Do not avoid this step, ensure that you are using oil-free based moisturizer like YELLE Awaking Moisturizer so that your face remains hydrated.

#2 Thou Shall Not Sleep in Makeup

We know your tired and your makeup is stubborn, but you cannot sleep in makeup. You also cannot only use a makeup wipe. Makeup wipes do not remove all of your makeup. Instead, remove your makeup, and wash your face with YELLE’s Awakening Milk and Honey Cleanser. Be sure to follow with YELLE’s Awakening Milk & Honey Toner for the best results of removing all of the debris from the day!

#3 Thou Shall Not Neglect Your Neck

As we age our skin becomes less elastic, causing it to appear loose and saggy. You want to make sure you’re treating your neck with the same respect that you’re treating your face. Move your skincare products all the way down to your neck and collar bone to ensure that you are evenly distributing your product. Don’t neglect your neck!

#4 Thou Will Drink Water and Stay Hydrated

Health and hydration go hand-in-hand with a good skincare routine. Treat your body good and it will return the favor! Always aim to hit your water intake goals, and if you’re struggling to drink up, eat up instead. Opt out for water-rich foods like broccoli, greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and more

#5 Thou Will Kick Bad Habits to The Curb

It’s time to buckle down on bad habits. And while it’s harder than it seems, we have to take matters in our own hands. Whether it’s smoking, drinking one too many cocktails, or just not getting enough sleep, we don’t realize those had habits reflect on our fabulous glow. Prioritize your self-care, your body deserves it!

#6 Thou Will Exfoliate

We want to keep the dead skin away, so that our body has time to build up new fresh skin. As we age the natural exfoliation process slows down, so we have to manually do the work for it. Use your YELLE Awakening Milk & Honey Toner to ensure that you are removing all of the dead skin from your face on a daily basis. This gentle exfoliant will bring life right back into your skin.

#7 Though Will Not Pick at Breakouts

Ahht! Ahht! Don’t pick at it! If you spot a pimple, blackhead, or a rash, please leave it alone. Avoid picking at your skin at all costs. Hands do not belong in your face! We don’t realize how much more we inflame ourselves, resulting in even more breakouts, or worst, blemishes!

Instead, treat skincare issues with a treatment system that works, like YELLE Skincare’s Treatment System. It’s infused with a serum that has antioxidants to address every problem area your skin can potentially face. 

Even when Halloween season wraps up, pumpkins are still everywhere during fall. From Lattes to baked goods and on the front door steps of the houses in your neighborhood. But have you ever considered using this traditional squash produce in your beauty regimen? Studies have shown that pumpkin is loaded with vitamin A, C, and E making it extremely beneficial for your skin. It’s also rich in antioxidants that have been proven to fight aging and add much needed elasticity to the skin. The best part is, when paired with YELLE Skincare products, your skin will have an afterglow like no other.

Face masks are our thing over here! If you’ve ever caught our founder Yandy Smith-Harris on Instagram, you’ll see first-hand how much she values her skin-prep time in the mirror. So let’s add to this much needed me-time with our favorite Pumpkin Infused Face Mask using YELLE Skincare products.

You will need:

2 Tbsp organic canned pumpkin puree or 1 small pumpkin

1/2 tsp organic honey

1/2 tsp milk (we recommend skim, but you can substitute soy, pea or almond if you prefer non-dairy)

YELLE Awakening Milk and Honey Cleanser

YELLE Awakening Serum

YELLE Awakening Milk & Honey Toner

YELLE Awakening Moisturizer

Directions:

1: Start with clean skin. Remove all makeup and wash your face with your YELLE Awakening Milk and Honey Cleanser. Then lightly tone your skin with your YELLE Awakening Milk and Honey Toner so that it lightly exfoliates the skin before applying the mask.

2: Combine pumpkin puree, honey, five drops of YELLE Awakening Serum and milk in a small bowl and mix well. If using a fresh pumpkin (or leftovers from a carved jack-o-lantern), scrape the insides and remove the seeds. Beat the gooey insides to a creamy pulp and mix with honey and milk.

3: Apply the mask using your fingers or a medium-sized makeup brush; avoid getting the mixture too close to the eyes. You can also apply to the neck, do-so, but consider doubling your ingredients to ensure you don’t run out. 

4: Allow the mask to set for about 20 minutes. 

Gently wash off the mask with a warm, damp washcloth and follow with a moisturizer.

5. Gently wash off the mask with a warm, damp washcloth and follow with your YELLE Awakening Moisturizer.

And just like that you’ve enjoyed a nice moment of self-care that is sure to have your skin looking and feeling more hydrated. If you’re still wondering if pumpkin is the produce for you, make sure you test it out in a small area first before applying all over your facial area. 

Skincare for men, specifically black men, can become difficult for darker skin. From issues like uneven skin tones, to dramatic skin irritation from shaving, black male skin can have more issues than most. 

Let’s keep it real, most guys don’t know a thing about skincare and aren’t interested in maintaining a healthy skincare routine in general; but that’s why you have #TeamYELLESkincare to the rescue. We’ve put together a simple skincare routine for even the most un-interested man in your life to follow that will bring about healthier skin in no time.

Check it out:

Step 1: Cleanse

While in the shower cleanse your face with a gentle facial wash to remove any build up on the skin that can potentially clog the razor. YELLE Skincare’s Awakening Milk and Honey Cleanser is gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin but works hard to remove build up and bacteria.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Using a facial scrub is a very important step you don’t want to skip, especially if it’s shave day. Since you probably have curly facial hair, exfoliating will help soften and lift up any hair that has already grown into the skin, eliminating hair bumps. Scrib the entire shave area to ensure our hair is protruding as high as possible. Be gentle when exfoliating, there is no need to apply heavy pressure.

Step 3: Shave

Continue with your normal shave methods but avoid these two techniques when shaving: avoid pulling the skin tight and avoid a clean shave. Pulling the skin tight is one of the biggest causes of in-grown hairs as it cuts the whisker below the skin. You want to make sure you still have a tiny millimeter of hair to prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps.

Step 4: Aftershave

After shave is important because it soothes the skin after shaving. Finding an all natural after shave with calming ingredients like aloe can be helpful in further soothing the skin. After shave is also an antiseptic, keeping bacteria and inflammation at bay. 

Step 3: Moisturize

Don’t skip the moisture, because healthy skin is moisturized. Using a nourishing moisturizer will ensure that your skin’s health is in tip-top shape after shaving. This will help soften your skin and even the skin tone that was freshly shaved. YELLE’s Awakening Moisturizer has nourishing ingredients like coconut milk, jojoba oil, and aloe which single-handedly moisturize and restores skin to a healthy state. 

Have a handsome fella that you want to share this information with? Pass the message along, and tag us in your skincare journey on Instagram! @YELLESkincare