After a year and a half of staying put in San Francisco during the pandemic, I’m very fortunate to be spending this summer in Costa Rica to reconnect with my family and recharge myself with salty ocean water and warm tropical sun. With nearly two months in paradise, I thought I’d share the skincare regimens of my closest friends and family. I love their effortless beauty routines and I’m sure you will too... 

Beauty comes from within

Costa Rican women (“ticas”) are known for their natural beauty. They have mastered the art of looking well put together while also keeping their beauty routines simple and hassle free. Their philosophy is that beauty comes from within. The key is self-love, love from our tight-knit community and a carefree lifestyle.

Morning Routines

Most of my friends and family focus more on their morning beauty routines than evening routines. Perhaps it’s because we take morning showers instead of evening baths. The morning shower is the time to wash our face with face wash and apply serums and creams. 

Which is why I formulated the Regenerate Beauty Oil, which is both a serum and a face oil rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C. It delivers powerful botanical actives in one simple skincare step.

My friends and family in Costa Rica are some of the biggest fans of the Head To Toe Beauty Butter, which is made with wild-harvested, virgin Costa Rican coconut oil. 

Since this is a multi-tasking product for face, body and hair, it captures the essence of a simple and easy beauty routine. 

Sun-kissed Skin

Costa Ricans are blessed with some of the most perfect, tropical weather. The humidity keeps our skin hydrated and we soak in plenty of vitamin D. 

We love sun-kissed skin but take sun protection seriously. You’ll always find us using a high SPF sunscreen. I prefer mineral, reef-safe and plastic-free sunscreen.

Hair Care in the Tropics

One of the benefits of Costa Rica’s beautiful weather is to be able to air dry our hair, thereby avoiding hair damage. If our hair needs a bit of extra conditioning, we prepare a coconut oil hair mask.

Or, I prefer to melt a tablespoon or two of our Head To Toe Beauty Butter and spread it evenly over my hair, paying special attention to my ends.

Simply leave in the mask for 15-20 minutes and then wash and shampoo as usual.

I hope you've enjoyed these skincare secrets! Subscribe to our newsletter to receive exclusive discounts and updates when our next blog post is up!

(Photo credits: Blackpepper Photostudio, Monica Vargas, Esther Lau and Patricia Fonseca)