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10/14/2026

“preservative free” is not a flex. 🫣

i was vetting a peptide serum for ivy & fields. loved the philosophy, loved the ingredients. but it had rose water, water soluble peptides, and no preservative on the list. so i asked the brand for the full ingredient list and they said they don't use preservatives or emulsifiers. 😬😬

except that's not a flex. water is where bacteria and mold grow. a product with water and nothing to stop microbes can look fine, smell fine, and pass testing the day it’s made. months later, sitting on your bathroom counter, it’s a different product. it’s like putting takeout in the fridge and planning to eat it three months from now.

👉 clean beauty isn’t about avoiding preservatives. it’s about choosing safer, less controversial ones.

what could be happening is that the formulator may not know that the rose water they've purchased already contains a preservative. but that dose does *not* hold once you add the other 12 ingredients to the final product.

quick rules:
💧 water/aloe/hydrosol/floral water in the formula means it needs a preservative
🫧 water plus oil means it needs an emulsifier too
🌿 water-free products can usually be made without one, but they do benefit from added antioxidants
🧼 saponification or high ph products can sometimes get away without a preservative (soaps)

i’m a proud member of the clean living community. i also care about basic formulation science and product safety. natural-looking doesn’t mean safe if the science isn’t there. 🫶

10/14/2026

episode 14: how hard should you go?

at home, i believe skincare should be gentle and nourishing.

🏆 the number one rule for getting results is consistency, and it’s hard to stay consistent when your skin is red, peeling and irritated. you'll miss the results you would have gotten by being a little kinder to your skin.

and in case nobody has told you: burning and stinging does not mean it’s working. (apricot scrub and stinging toner era, i’m looking at you 👋)

i save “going hard” for professional treatments, done once in a while by a trained pro. if there’s a risk of cuts, infection or irritation, that’s a sign to leave it to someone qualified instead of doing it at home.

what i do at 41: never done botox, never done filler. at home it’s all about barrier-first skincare. professionally, i get microneedling and facials about once every 3 months.

before booking anything, vet the person, ask about risks and complications, and make sure you trust them.

‼️‼️‼️‼️and a reminder: aging is a privilege!! aging is worth celebrating. don’t let anyone make you feel lesser, whatever you choose to do or not do. 🤍

if you take one thing from this series: take care of yourself and age your best, but your appearance doesn’t define you. work on the inside too! that's where the real beauty is 💖💖💖

10/12/2026

i get asked about tallow A LOT. but the conversation is a lot more nuanced. so here's my take on this insanely trendy ingredients for episode 13 of the skincare series.

🐄 tallow is rendered animal fat, usually from cow. in skincare it works as an emollient, which means it softens skin and helps slow water loss (pillar 3/episode 6 of the series). it does not add water to your skin, and there isn’t strong clinical evidence that it treats skin conditions like hyperpigmentation, fine lines, acne, eczema, etc.

but dismissing it because it’s also used for cooking doesn’t hold up either. where an ingredient comes from doesn’t decide whether it belongs in skincare. the complete formula does!

think of tallow like jojoba oil or shea butter: a lovely base, but not an active. on its own it feels great, but it won’t treat hyperpigmentation or acne or wrinkles. that’s why professionals tend to dismiss it. they’re usually talking about tallow as a single ingredient.

an example of a great tallow balm is evatasha's lumière balm in my shop. they use tallow as the base, but the ingredient list also includes bakuchiol, plant extracts and antioxidants. the texture comes from the tallow. any benefit beyond that comes from what’s added to it.

tallow can have a real place in a routine, but it’s not for everyone and the rest of the formula matters *most*. 🌿

(the balm mentioned is sold in my shop. my own line {organic ivy} is vegan, so i don’t use tallow.)

where do you land on tallow? 👀

10/11/2026

episode 12: putting it all together

now we're getting to the real actionable stuff! 🥳

you know the pillars, the order, how morning and evening differ, and how to read a label for actives. now let's put it all together.

in this episode, I discuss 5 different characters, all with different lifestyles.

and even though they selected different products, their routine had the same four jobs: cleanse, hydrate, repair, protect.

this is why skincare is not one size fits all. choose what works for your skin, your lifestyle and your goals.

(all products featured can be found on ivyandfields.com, your favorite one-stop non toxic shop!)

are the skincare essentials starting to make sense now? 👀

10/08/2026

episode 11: 🧐ask one question before you buy a skincare product: what ingredients in this formula are doing the job the product promises?

those are the actives, the ingredients that do something beyond making a formula feel nice or safe.

a few things that help you read a label:

🔎 percentage is not everything. brands usually aren't required to disclose it, but some, like vitamin C, do. higher doesn't automatically mean better. what matters is whether the amount is one that works for that specific ingredient. some need 10%, others work at 0.1%.

📋 read the ingredient list top to bottom. ingredients are listed from highest to lowest concentration, so the first few make up most of the formula. anything at 1% or below can be listed in any order, so it's a clue, not an exact measurement.

✨ watch for ingredient dusting. this is when a brand adds a trendy ingredient at a tiny amount so it can go on the label and in the marketing.

💸 check what you're paying for. a face oil that is just jojoba, rosehip and sea buckthorn can be lovely, but without extracts or other actives, a premium price is hard to justify.

🧩 know your actives so you don't double up. you may have two products doing the same job while another essential function is missing. understanding your actives helps you cover the essential 4 (cleanse, hydrate, repair, protect) and your own skin goals.

what's the first thing you check on a label? tell me below 👇

10/07/2026

episode 10 asks: should your morning routine be different from your evening routine? spoiler alert: mostly, yes. ☀️🌙

think of it as two modes. in the morning your skin is in defense mode, getting ready for sun, pollution and makeup. at night it's in repair and recovery mode.

all i'm really saying is: your products should match the moment ✨ so how does this play out?

☀️ well in the morning, you want: products that layer well with sunscreen, play nice with makeup, protect from UV and pollution and make you look good.

🌛and in the evening, you want to take advantage of heavier products, add in extra steps like double cleansing and exfoliating, and use face tape or thick balms because now you DON'T care what you look like 🤭

you do not need two completely different collections. one moisturizer that sits well under makeup and still feels rich enough at night can do both jobs. but this is definitely something to consider while choosing which products to use WHEN.

do you use different products morning vs evening? tell me below 👇

10/06/2026

do you know the correct order for your skincare? 👀

🔢 you do not need to memorize a 20 step list, and you definitely do not need one of every product. what you need is the logic behind the order.

the core rule: water before oil, lightest to heaviest.

targeted treatments follow their texture. a water based eye cream goes with your water based steps. an oil based serum goes with your oils.

☀️ in the morning, sunscreen is the final skincare step, before primer and makeup.

pimple patches technically belong on clean, dry skin. i personally put mine on at the very end, on top of everything, and it works for me. soooo there is room for your own interpretation, but start with the logic.

is there a step you've been doing out of order? tell me below 👇

10/05/2026

glass skin starts with exfoliation, but more exfoliation does not mean glassier skin, so listen up! ✨

this is a special episode of the 4 pillars series. exfoliation lives under the cleanse pillar, but I left it out of that episode on purpose, because it's *not* a daily step.

your skin sheds dead cells constantly, and sometimes they hang around and make skin look dull or flaky. exfoliating removes that buildup and reveals smoother skin underneath.

there are 2 types:

🧪 chemical: ingredients do the work. AHAs (glycolic, lactic, mandelic), BHAs, PHAs and enzymes
🧽 mechanical: friction does the work. fine powders, scrubs, konjac sponges and dermaplaning

(dermaplaning is one to leave to a trained esthetician with sterile tools, not a random blade from amazon.)

how often? most people tolerate 2 to 3 times a week. sensitive skin may want to start with once a week. and you may not need a dedicated step AT ALL if your skincare products have acids in it or you cleanse with a powder or konjac sponge. those count toward your total.

❌ tighter skin or redness means you should stop.

the best time to use a hydrating mask or skin flood (layering on more of your usual products) is right after exfoliating. i like to follow with a thick layer of Organic Ivy's Midnight Mantle and I wake up glowy.

keep exfoliating to your evening routine so your skin can recover overnight, exfoliating during the day makes your more sensitive to the sun and other environmental factors.

how often do you exfoliate? tell me below 👇

10/02/2026

episode 7: protect ☀️

let's talk about the pillar that always starts a fight 🤭: protect.

sunlight isn't the enemy. it supports your circadian rhythm, helps your body make vitamin d, and does a lot of good. but it also emits UV radiation that directly damages your skin's DNA. both things are true at once.

over time, that damage breaks down collagen, speeds up wrinkles, creates hyperpigmentation and sunspots, and leaves skin dehydrated and uneven. if you want healthy skin long term, sunscreen isn't optional.

quick ingredient breakdown:
🧴 mineral filters: zinc oxide, titanium dioxide
🧪 chemical filters: avobenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, homosalate

there's also a sneaky one: butyloctyl salicylate. it's not a regulated UV filter, but it's often added to mineral formulas to boost SPF. if you're buying "mineral" and the SPF is high, check the ingredient list. it might not be as mineral as the label implies.

the real reason a lot of the clean living community avoids sunscreen altogether: some chemical filters have been linked to endocrine disruption and environmental harm, including coral bleaching. that concern is valid and it is a concern I personally share.

but the answer isn't to skip sunscreen. a non-nano zinc oxide formula is one of the least controversial options out there.

prevention will always be easier than correction. if you're investing in good skincare and skipping SPF, you're working against yourself. 💸🚽

and if you've ever wondered about that famously good K-beauty skin, it's not a secret ingredient. it's sun protection, umbrellas, and daily SPF use.

do you wear sunscreen daily?

10/01/2026

episode 6: repair

we've arrived at my favorite pillar: repair. 🌿

repair is where face oils come in. water based products give you humectants/hydration (pillar 2). oils give you emollients, ingredients that soften skin, smooth texture and support your barrier's lipid layer.

many moisturizers are emulsions, meaning they combine water and oil in one product. that can be enough for your skin, until it isn't.

as we age, our skin naturally produces less sebum, the lipids that keep skin soft and resilient. this is often why people notice their skincare "stops working" in their 30s and 40s. it's not that the products changed, it's that your skin's own oil production did.

even a moisturizer with an oil phase is still mostly water. so if you're past your 20s, a dedicated face oil is doing a job your moisturizer alone can't finish.

what a quality face oil does:
⭐ softens and supports your barrier
⭐ slows water loss so hydration sticks around longer
⭐ helps the rest of your routine work harder

most routines talk about the big 3: cleanser, moisturizer, SPF. i'd argue repair deserves to be the 4th, especially once you're past your 20s.

have you added a dedicated face oil to your routine yet? if you haven't allow me to make my own shameless plug for Organic Ivy's YOUTH NECTAR. it's our flagship product and it was formulated specifically to mimic your skin's fatty acid profile.

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