A commitment to defense against aging means a serious skincare regimen. For some, this comes in the form of light moisturizer and crossing their fingers, but for those who plan to look young forever, skincare can mean an army of products and a routine so strictly followed that it gets borderline religious from time-to-time… But what is it that we are really putting on our faces? Yes, La Mer is a miracle, but what is methylchloroisothiazolinone?
A new breed of product designers have had these questions in mind, developing some face-worthy lines of eco-friendly, organic, and fair-trade sourced skincare products- with ingredients you’ve actually heard of. With healthy skin and beauty in mind, down to their very packaging, here’s our list of product lines that are in-demand and worth trying.
Mullein and Sparrow
Aimed at keeping alive time-honored beauty traditions that have worked for centuries, Mullein and Sparrow creator, Anit Hora, uses 100% natural and vegan ingredients in all of her products. The small-batch, hand prepared formulas are intended to bring the purest, finest, plant-based beauty directly to your cells, through the most responsible and sustainable way. Featured in Vogue, and V magazine, try one of her ultra-hydrating, line-reducing purified clay masks and you’ll see what all of the fuss is about.
Caru Skincare Co.
Operating out of Brooklyn since 2013, Caru Skincare Co. creates natural and sustainable products inside and out- using sustainable and recycled packaging, made of seed-paper you can actually plant. Caru has an honest approach to skincare, offering a detailed list of every ingredient they use on their website, meaning you’ll know exactly what you’re putting on your skin and where it came from. While this line hasn’t received too much notoriety yet, with only one year behind them, they’ve already been picked up by national retailers and been featured in Time Out NY. Now’s the time to try Caru before everyone else gets their hands on it, and don’t feel bad about leaving any of their products out on the counter, their packaging is lovely.
LURK
Featured in Allure, W, and on style.com, this Soho based company has made a name for itself by creating a unique line of additive, and alcohol free fragrance oils. Their hand-poured scents are made using only the purest essential oils in a jojoba base, resulting in androgynous smelling, long-wearing perfumes. Because their products contain no stabilizers or preservatives, they are sold in small quantities, encouraging you to finish the bottle before its 1-year expiration date.
Perricone MD
If you like the idea of an earth-friendly company, but are less inclined to leave the future of your face up to nature, Perricone MD offers lab-developed, paraben-free products that approach aging as if it is a disease to overcome. Established in 1998, their results-oriented skin care and cosmeceutical products are sold in recyclable packaging manufactured using wind power, and if the faces of celeb fans, Eva Mendes and Uma Thurman are any indication, Perricone MD’s results are undeniable.
SkinMedica
Loaded with their exclusive TNS growth factors, and developed over 10+ years of medical research, SkinMedica’s products pack a healing punch, taking your daily routine from skin-smart to skin-genius. Their unique formula both nourishes your skin from the surface, and stimulates collagen production from beneath, promoting a radiant and age-defiant exterior. Trusted by famous faces like Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Aniston, this is a company whose commitment to healthy skin leads to beautiful results.
Peter Thomas Roth
If you’re in the market for something in between the power of plants and modern medicinal miracles, look no further than Peter Thomas Roth. This line takes 100-year-old hungarian skin care philosophies, and fuses them with 21st century skin care technology to create effective products that your skin did not see coming. Packed with plant-procured vitamins, enzymes and stem-cells, these products are a good go-to for a variety of skin concerns, making them a favorite of Sarah Jessica Parker, Debra Messing, and Sharon Stone.
DDF
After receiving international acclaim from the feature of their turmeric complex at the World Congress of Dermatology in 2011, DDF has the confidence to offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee with all of their products. Boasting a huge assortment of natural ingredients and antioxidants in their line, DDF products reduce the free radicals on your skin that cause cells to die, promoting a youthful and glowing complexion you can depend on. With personalized skin care protocols to ensure that clients get the most out of their products, this line has won awards from Self and Allure magazine for exceptional products with exceptional results.
3Lab
3Lab was the first company to take plant-based skincare beyond plant derivatives and started including actual plant stem cells in their highly sought after line. These cells penetrate the surface of your skin stimulating new growth and cell production that diminishes wrinkles and other signs of aging. With newer products released exclusively at Barney’s NY, and celebrity enthusiasts like Cheryl Hines, Paula Abdul and Olivia Wilde in tow, it is easy to see why stores are having trouble keeping these proven-effective products on their shelves-even at their higher price-point.
Maybe you’re just curious, maybe you just want to keep your skin guessing, or maybe you’re about to discover the product that will change everything, but regardless, when it comes to chemicals and the human body, you can never be too careful.