Why I Don’t Use the Same Facial Balm All Year

I use all three of our facial balms.

That usually surprises people. Most brands want you to believe you’ve found the one product you’ll use forever, the holy grail, the last thing you’ll ever need to buy again. But that’s never made much sense to me. My skin isn’t the same every day, and I doubt yours is either.

Your Skin Is Always Changing

Think about everything your skin responds to over the course of a year. Hormones shift. The weather turns. Iowa humidity gives way to dry winter air. You spend a weekend outside and your skin tans, dries out, or reacts to sunscreen you don’t normally wear. You don’t sleep well for a few nights. You drink more coffee than water. The seasons change, and so does the way your skin behaves.

Your skin is constantly responding to the world around it. It’s not static, and it was never supposed to be.

That’s one of the reasons I don’t believe you have to use the exact same products all year long. Your skincare routine can stay consistent while the products you use within that routine change with the seasons and with your skin.

The four steps stay the same: cleanse, hydrate, treat, and nourish. You may just find that what works beautifully for your skin in July isn’t quite what it needs in January. And sometimes, even within a season, your skin will need something a little different.

Our Philosophy

Our goal was never to create a product that promises flawless skin. We aren’t chasing glass skin. We aren’t trying to convince you that pores are a problem or that you’ll never have another breakout again.

Healthy skin doesn’t mean perfect skin. It’s skin that’s cared for, resilient, and supported by products that make sense for it.

That’s really where Meadowlark Made comes from. I’m much more interested in helping you understand and care for your skin barrier than convincing you that you need to constantly “fix” your skin.

Why Barrier Support Matters

A lot of what people call “bad skin days” comes down to a compromised skin barrier. When your barrier is well cared for, your skin tends to feel calmer, softer, and more resilient to whatever the day throws at it.

When it’s struggling, you may notice more dryness, tightness, sensitivity, or just that uncomfortable feeling that suddenly everything seems to bother your skin.

That’s why every facial balm we make starts with the same philosophy: nourishing fats, botanical infusions, and carefully chosen ingredients that work with your skin rather than against it. The formulas are different. The purpose is the same.

Why We Created Three Balms

Instead of telling you one balm is better than the others, I’d rather explain why we made them different.

I think of them like the sweaters in your closet. You probably wouldn’t wear the same one in July that you’d wear in January. You have a lighter one for chilly mornings and a heavier one for the deep cold, and you reach for whichever one fits the day. Your skincare can work the same way.

• Harmony is our calming balm. It’s the one I reach for when my skin feels reactive, looks red, is breaking out, or just needs to settle down.

• Meadow Glow is for the days my skin looks a little dull and could use some brightness and radiance back.

• Foraged Grace is deeper nourishment, the one I use when my skin needs more care and restoration, usually after a stretch of bad sleep or too much sun.

None of these is the “best” one. They’re simply different options for the same step in your routine, made to support your skin through different seasons and needs.

There are times in the middle of summer when my skin wants something richer, and there are winter days when it doesn’t. Stress, lack of sleep, too much sun, or a change in weather can shift what my skin needs, too.

I don’t think you need a cabinet full of products for every possible skin day. I think it makes more sense to find products you know your skin responds well to, build a routine you can stick with, and adjust within that routine when something changes.

Why I Use All Three

I keep all three facial balms because my skin doesn't need the same kind of support all year. The four steps stay the same, but within those steps, I have flexibility. I can choose the facial bar, hydrosol, or balm that makes the most sense for where my skin is at.

That's really the reason we made three balms. Harmony, Meadow Glow, and Foraged Grace aren't meant to compete with one another. Each has its own place, and I like having the choice when my skin needs something different.

I don’t think skincare needs to be complicated to be responsive. A simple routine, good ingredients, and a little understanding of your own skin can go a long way.

That's why I use all three.