I get asked a lot about my favorite natural beauty products.  Since I test and review so many different products on this blog, picking favorites is a tall order, and my top picks really do change from month to month.  But regardless of what specific product I’m currently obsessing over, there are 3 basic products that I simply can’t live without.  These three puppies are the main workhorses of a great complexion and slowing the signs of aging.  Find a natural version of each of these three that you love, and you can toss pretty much 80% of the stuff pouring out of your cabinets.

Here are the 3 beauty products every woman needs:

1. An awesome, natural oil cleanser.  

I talk about this all  the time, but seriously, it couldn’t be more true.  Cleansing your face with oil is the secret to hydrated, clear, youthful, glowing skin. Hands down.  No more drying cleansers, no more chemical crap.  Just oils.  Depending on your skin type, you can customize the oils you use, but even that isn’t necessary. I got by just using jojoba oil for years before I got all fancy.

Here’s how to cleanse your face with oils.

My favorite oil face cleansers of late are Sunkissed Dream Cleansing Oil and Kindred Skincare Oil Cleanse.  Both have awesome blends of oils that deep clean and hydrate skin, while keeping it young and beautiful.

2. A powerful antioxidant serum.

You can throw all the lotions and creams you want on your face, but if you’re not feeding your skin with antioxidants, you will succumb to signs of aging.  Antioxidants like vitamins C, E, and A (retinol), resveratrol, retinol, and ubiquinone are super powerful for countering the environmental stressors (sun, wind, cold, etc.) we expose our skin too a daily basis.  Throw in some more powerful antioxidants like green or white tea and berry extracts, and you’ve got yourself a potent cocktail that encourages cell turnover and collagen synthesis.  There is honestly nothing more potent you can do daily for your skin.

I currently have two antioxidant serum obsessions:

One is SNT Cosmetics Mega-C Brightening Serum, which I use in the morning under my moisturizer.  It has 20% vitamin C and ferulic acid, along with a bunch of the other antioxidants above.  It’s super lightweight, so it’s perfect for layering under moisturizer and makeup.  I’ve found that it totally reversed and prevented sun spots (or any signs of sun damage for that matter) on my skin that has seen it’s fair share of sunburns.  It’s gently exfoliating as well, with malic acid and fruit acids, which helps to keep my skin clear and glowing.  This serum is perfect for skin that’s showing signs of premature aging, sun spots, or other environmental stress. And it’s all natural, with many organic ingredients as well! I’m in love.

Before bed, I like a serum that’s a little more hydrating, so I’ve been super into Purist Acai Berry + Vitamins Antioxidant Serum. It has a base of acai, pomegranate, rosehip and blackcurrant oils, which are both deeply hydrating and anti-aging. On top of that, it has a cocktail of the most powerful antioxidants out there (seriously, the ingredient list reads like a who’s who of everything you want to put on your skin), and leaves my skin glowing, youthful, and lovely.

If you’re over the age of 25, an antioxidant serum is an absolute must-have step in your daily skincare.  Just make sure you skip the chemical crap and feed your skin lovely, clean nutrients!

3. Natural SPF + cream

We all know we need to wear SPF every day, all the time, right?  When I lived in NYC, I definitely didn’t abide by this rule, and saw some consequences by the end of summer every year.  My skin reacts strongly to sun, so I knew when we moved to LA that I would need to step up my game.

There are plenty of great sunscreens out there, but for daily use, I wanted something that could do double duty.  A BB cream is perfect for that.  It’s like SPF on steroids, and if you can find a good natural version, you are feeding your skin with all kinds of awesome ingredients while protecting it from the sun, and providing some skin beautifying coverage.

I’ve been using Andalou Naturals Brightening SPF 30 All-in-One Beauty Balm for over a year now, and can honestly say I don’t know what I would do without it.  With amazing, organic ingredients like antioxidant, brightening fruit acids, super hydrating oils and hyaluronic acid, and calming aloe and plant extracts, it’s like a smoothie for my skin.  Except a smoothie that also provides barely-there, super natural looking, skin-evening coverage, and a hefty dose of sun protection.  I wear it every day, and while my arms (which I am sadly not as diligent about protecting) have become dotted with sun spots (arrrgh!) since moving to the west coast, my skin has never burnt, and doesn’t show a single sign of sun damage — and I am outside in the sun every single day.

So I say why just settle with SPF when you can get so much more??  Andalou also has versions of it’s BB cream for breakout prone skin, aging skin, and sensitive skin that I’m sure are equally awesome.

Skincare dies not have to be complicated, and it certainly doesn’t have to involve a thousand beauty products.  By selecting a few high quality products that will give you the most bang for your buck, you can simplify and power up your skincare routine and see amazing results.