Clarifying Toner

If you've been wondering what Irina's been up to lately, she's had quite the October! Our founder recently packed her bags for two back-to-back retreats, with stops in North Carolina and Tennessee. There were facials, new faces, familiar friends, and plenty of conversations about the things we love most: skincare, wellness, and making everyday life a little simpler. Here's a peek at where she's been! First Stop: Wild & Well Retreat in North Carolina From October 9–12, Irina headed to beautiful Montreat, North Carolina, where she was invited to treat attendees at the Wild & Well Retreat to withSimplicity facials! Hosted by our friends Wendy of Toxin-Freeish, a former environmental toxins lawyer who helps people make more informed choices about everyday products, and Suzy of Woo Woo Bestie, who shares all things wellness and self-care, the retreat was all about giving women a chance to step away from their busy schedules and focus on themselves. The retreat brought together women for a little time away from their everyday routines, with a focus on wellness, relaxation, and connection. As a licensed master esthetician, Irina loves helping women feel comfortable and confident in their skin. And what better setting to do that than a retreat dedicated to taking a little time for yourself? It was a chance for attendees to slow down, enjoy some much-deserved self-care, and experience our approach to skincare firsthand. There's something special about being able to sit down with someone, talk about their skin, and give them a chance to relax for a bit. That's a big part of what we love about facials, and it was fun to bring that experience to Wild & Well. Plus, a few days in the North Carolina mountains isn't a bad way to spend October! Next Stop: Camp Truly in Tennessee Just a day later, Irina was off to Franklin, Tennessee, for Camp Truly, an intimate gathering hosted by Truly Free at the beautiful Dark Horse Recording Estate from October 13–15. Camp Truly was hosted by Truly Free, a company that makes household cleaning products with a focus on ingredients. They're also one of our retail partners, so you can find withSimplicity products in their marketplace! The retreat brought together 15 brands and 60 creators for three days of connection, collaboration, and conversations about more intentional living. Camp Truly was designed to create opportunities for meaningful conversations and relationships between brands and creators who share similar values. If you've ever owned a small business, you know how much goes on behind the scenes. It's not every day that you get to spend time with other business owners, like Carly and Rachel from Kale Blossom and creators who understand this world. More Than Just Skincare and Makeup From sharing facials in the North Carolina mountains to connecting with fellow brands and creators in Tennessee, these two retreats were a fun reminder of how many people are working to make thoughtful, intentional living part of everyday life. And of course, Irina managed to squeeze in a little fun of her own, too!  We love getting to bring you along for these little behind-the-scenes moments because there's a lot more happening around here than what you see on our shelves. And now that Irina's back home, we're excited to see what the rest of the year brings!

Back-to-school mornings don't leave room for a ten-step beauty routine. So we simplified. Five easy steps, five everyday essentials, five minutes or less. Between packing lunches, finding lost shoes, and getting everyone out the door on time, this 5-minute makeup routine gives you a fresh, polished look without taking over your morning. The best part? You don't need a bathroom full of products or a complicated routine to look put together. Each step is quick, easy to apply, and designed to do exactly what you need it to do. Here's how to get ready in five minutes or less. Step 1— Even it Out: Liquid Concealer Start with a little coverage where you need it most. A few swipes of Liquid Concealer help even the look of your skin without leaving behind a heavy or cakey finish. The creamy, plant-based formula contains vanilla, jojoba, and olive fruit oil to help nourish and support the skin. Use it under the eyes, around the nose, or anywhere you'd like a little extra coverage. You don't need to cover your entire face. Just apply where you want a little more evening out, blend with your fingertips, and move on to the next step. Shop Liquid Concealer → Step 2: Add Color — Tri-Stick 3-in-1 Cheek, Lip & Eye Tint Now it's time to add a little color. Tri-Stick makes this step simple because it's one stick with three ways to use it on your cheeks, lip and eyes. The buildable cream tint goes on easily with your fingers, so there's no need to reach for a brush or spend time blending multiple products. Swipe it onto your cheeks and blend, add a little to your lips, then tap a small amount onto your eyelids if you want a little extra color. It's a quick way to add dimension and warmth to your look without adding another five minutes to your morning. Shop Tri-Stick → Step 3: Define — Botanical Mascara A couple of coats of mascara can make a big difference when you're short on time. Botanical Mascara helps define and enhance your lashes, giving your eyes a more awake, finished look. The formula is enriched with Vitamin E, Rosemary, and Thyme extracts to help condition and care for your lashes as you wear it. Apply one or two coats, depending on how much definition you want. Shop Botanical Mascara → Step 4: Add Shine — Lip Gloss The finishing touch. One swipe adds effortless shine and pulls the whole look together. It's small enough to toss in your bag for a midday refresh, whether that's between school drop-off and the grocery run or right before you walk into a meeting. Shop Lip Gloss → Step 5: Mist & Set — Facial Mist + Setting Spray Once your makeup is finished, give everything a final mist with Facial Mist + Setting Spray. Use it as the last step in your routine to help set your makeup, or keep it with you for a refreshing spritz later in the day. Shop Facial Mist + Setting Spray → That's it: five products, five minutes, one routine that actually keeps up with your mornings. Add all five to your bag and you're covered for the season. No ten-step routine required.

Reviewed by Irina Dovganetskiy, Licensed Master Esthetician & Founder of withSimplicity Between new schedules, new supply lists, and a new(ish) kid who suddenly cares a lot about how their skin looks in class photos, back to school season has a way of making everything feel like one more thing to manage. Skincare doesn't have to be that thing. As a licensed esthetician who's spent over a decade formulating for sensitive and blemish-prone skin, Irina built this routine around what actually holds up long-term, not what's trending this week. Maybe your teen is dealing with breakouts or maybe they just want to feel a little more put together before first period. Either way, an effective routine doesn't need ten steps, a skincare fridge, or a shelf of serums they'll barely use. It needs three products, five minutes, and a habit that actually sticks. Here's a routine simple enough that your teen will keep doing it past the first week of September. Why a Simple Skincare Routine Works Better for Teens  Teenage skin is figuring itself out. Hormones shift, oil production changes, and the skin barrier is still adjusting to it all. That's exactly why an overcomplicated routine tends to backfire. Too many products, especially harsh ones marketed for "clearing up" breakouts fast, can throw skin further off balance. A short, consistent routine works with teenage skin instead of against it, without overwhelming it (or your teen's patience). Three steps, done twice a day, is realistic. That's the whole strategy. The 3-Step Skincare Routine for Teens All three products are formulated and small-batch made in the US, so you know exactly what's going on your teen's skin and where it came from. They're also part of withSimplicity's matched Clarifying System, built to work together rather than as three unrelated products layered on top of each other. You can find all three together in the 3-Step Clarifying Bundle. Step 1: Cleanse - Clarifying Foaming Face Wash Every routine starts with a clean base, and this is where a lot of teen skincare goes wrong. Harsh, stripping cleansers can leave skin feeling tight and actually trigger more oil production to compensate. The Clarifying Foaming Face Wash is built for blemish-prone skin without that trade-off. It's a gentle, plant-based foaming formula with a targeted blend of tea tree, clove, and geranium essential oils to help purify skin and minimize buildup, plus probiotics to support a healthy skin microbiome. It lathers lightly, rinses clean, and leaves skin feeling refreshed rather than raw. Two minutes, morning and night. That's the entire step. Step 2: Tone - Clarifying Toner Toner has a reputation for being the skippable step, but for combination skin (which describes most teenage skin, especially through puberty) it's doing real work. It's the bridge between cleansing and moisturizing, helping rebalance the skin after washing and prepping it to actually absorb what comes next. The Clarifying Toner is formulated with lemongrass oil, witch hazel, and probiotics, working together to refine the look of pores, calm visible irritation, and support skin's natural balance without over-drying or stripping. A few swipes with a cotton pad, or a couple of spritzes if your teen prefers a mist, and they're ready for the last step. Step 3: Moisturize: Clarifying Face Lotion This is the step teens are most likely to skip, usually because oily or breakout-prone skin makes them nervous about adding more product on top. That instinct is understandable, and it's also exactly what the Clarifying Face Lotion was made to address. It's a lightweight lotion formulated with niacinamide, tea tree, and sea buckthorn to clarify, calm, and visibly improve texture, all without clogging pores or leaving a greasy finish. It absorbs quickly and layers well under makeup.  Making the Routine Stick  The routine only works if it actually happens, so the goal is to make it as automatic as brushing teeth. A few things that help: Keep the three products together in one spot, ideally somewhere your teen already stands twice a day, like next to the toothbrush. Pair it with something they're already doing, like right after their morning shower or right before bed. Let them do it themselves. A routine that feels like their own is a routine they'll keep up with.  Back to school doesn't need to mean a skincare overhaul. Three simple, well-matched products, used consistently, will do more for your teen's skin than a crowded routine they abandon by week two. Clarifying Foaming Face Wash, Clarifying Toner, and Clarifying Lotion cover the basics so skincare becomes one less thing on everyone's back to school list. Makeup basics, whenever they're ready Skincare is one piece of feeling confident this school year. If your teen wants a little help with the basics of makeup too, whether that's for school pictures, a dance, or just their everyday routine, we offer a free teen makeup lesson at withSimplicity. It's simple, age-appropriate, and built around the skin they already have. Text 540-435-4744 to book a spot.