Four Healthy and Natural Decisions for Skin Care

In a society that values youthful looks and fears growing old, the beauty industry has monopolized on products that promise to reverse the effects of aging and keep us looking ever-young. However, digging a little deeper often reveals how the plethora of unpronounceable fillers making up a beauty product is anything but beautiful. Here we explore four brands that not only present their lines in an aesthetically pleasing way, but above all value natural, organic ingredients and ethical testing.

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1. The Organic Pharmacy

A conventionally trained pharmacist and homeopath, Margo Marrone, founder of The Organic Pharmacy, has an unwavering belief that the products we use on our bodies should be as natural and organic as what we eat. After reading about the dangerous effects of preservatives and pesticides in our food, health fanatic Maronne made the connection with the equally damaging carcinogens in cosmetics. Inspired, she created, with the help of her husband Francesco, a line of Soil Association certified organic mineral makeups, herbal tonics, and skin care products. With stores spanning from Abu Dhabi to Beverly Hills, The Organic Pharmacy uses natural preservatives, organic plant oils, and 95% of the ingredients in their products are sourced from organic farms – dramatically lowering their environmental impact.

Carrot Butter Cleanser, one of their most popular products, is a creamy cleanser full of rosemary, antioxidant-rich carrot, shea butter, chamomile and lavender. A small application melts as it meets skin, and rinsed off with a warm, wet muslin cloth, the cleanser rids skin of grime and makeup while still being gentle enough for all skin types. One of the highlights (aside from it’s 99% organic content) is how easily mascara washes away without having to aggressively scrub, which can inadvertently damage eyelashes.

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2. Eminence Organic Skin Care

With over fifty years of experience in herbal craftsmanship and skin rejuvenating techniques unique to Hungary, where it all began, Eminence Organic has managed to grow into an internationally renowned and respected leader in natural, organic skin care. With handpicked ingredients, their products – full of rich nutrients from the seeds, pulps, and peels of organic foods – have become favorites of stars like Jessica Biel, Katherine Heigl, and Mark Ruffalo (among others). With a commitment to respect and honor the environment, they use solar and wind power, recyclable packaging, and geothermal heating in their labs. Starting in the fall of 2012, they have aligned with Forests for the Future to plant a single tree for every product sold.

One of their most popular items, Bamboo Firming Fluid, which is part of their Age Corrective Collection, blends moisturizing coconut with strengthening bamboo to help reduce fine lines and skin damage. Natural Retinol Alternative Complex, with chicory root and tara tree, helps increase collagen production with skin visibly firming in just a few minutes. Since it goes on quite thick, just a small pump goes a long way, and the natural scent of the monoi oil is refreshing and subtle.

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3. Juice Beauty

With increasing opportunities to eat organic and buy local, consumers are paying more attention to the nutritional and health components of foods they consume. The people at Juice Beauty share that  concern and have gone a step further to focus on what we put on our body. Founded by Karen Behnke, an established wellness entrepreneur in California, Juice Beauty has designed a line of beauty products that are authentically organic (98% organic content in every product) and highly efficient. Certified with the USDA organic stamp, they support eco-values by using soy ink, recyclable and recycled containers, and solar power from California’s strong sun to manufacture the majority of their products.

Their new line, Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream is one of the first of its kind in the US that helps reduce DNA damage and accelerate cellular turnover – all the while maintaining integrity in using healthy and organic ingredients. This highly popular line, which was released this past January, is a 12-in-1 multi-tasker that blends fruit stem cells, Vitamin C, and resveratrol-rich grapeseed base to produce the ultimate tool to combat aging. As a skin evener, fine line and wrinkle eraser, and highly moisturizing product, it also protects against sun damage with an SPF of 30.

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4. Prospector Co. 

Making sure to include men in the conversation about beauty, Prospector Co., a men’s shaving company established in 2010 in Savannah, Georgia, has created a line of natural shaving products that are free of harmful additives and handmade in small batches to ensure top quality. Their first offering and still most popular seller, Burroughs Beard Oil, is regarded by the burly-bearded men of the world as a fixture of their grooming regime. With essential oils that are primed for skin and hair, to create the ideal lustrous and dandruff-free facial coif, the woodsy scented oil is a treat, and necessity, for all beards.

Often presented in matte tins, clean flasks, or wrapped in brown paper and string – the simple packaging of Prospector Co. matches the superb quality of the product inside. By taking a rustic, minimalist approach to their presentation, the design is polished and refined, like the elegance of the gentlemen.

Text by Morgan K. Sterns

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