At the beginning of summer, I took myself on a date to Whole Foods (it’s located just far enough away from my house to make a trip there feel simultaneously inconvenient and indulgent). I was on a mission, not for organic chicken thighs but for Cocokind’s Mymatcha All-Over Moisture Stick. Its reasonably priced packaging promised a multi-purpose glow: Use it on your lips! Under your eyes! Your cuticles will no longer scare small children! Fifteen miles and one bunch of overpriced beets later, I applied my new investment to every dry spot I could find on my being. I was hooked. It went on smooth, it smelled amazing, and it was void of the silicones and chemicals that other skincare brands use to lure you into a false sense of efficacy.
Since then, I’ve gone through two tubes of the stuff and expanded my skincare arsenal to include Cocokind’s Facial Repair Oil and Mai-Light Rosé Highlighter (which is made with material-of-the-future mushrooms). Much like one must tell her friends when a dress has pockets, who doesn’t want to shout her beauty finds from the rooftop? Here, the ladies of RANGE dish on their favorite natural beauty finds.
“I’ve been on a castor oil binge for the last few months. I’m a product of the ‘90s, which means my eyebrows are basically non-existent. I’ve tried a bevy of beauty products guaranteed to give me the big, bushy brows I’ve been dreaming of but they were expensive and didn’t yield the results I was hoping for. Enter Kate Blanc Castor Oil. My doula originally recommended I try castor oil to naturally induce my labor, so when I read reviews about women basically coating their entire head with it, I was a little confused. Wasn’t castor oil a natural laxative? Well, it turns out people have been using this multi-purpose vegetable oil for thousands of years. Rich in ricinoleic acid — a monounsaturated fatty acid — it boasts impressive healing and anti-inflammatory properties and can breathe life back into thin, blotchy brows and eyelashes. Thanks to Kate Blanc’s USDA-Certified, cold-pressed Castor Oil, I’m officially on the road to brow recovery.”
— Jeanine
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose
“The trend of face oils is not new but I am most certainly new to the scene. But after being introduced to Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose just last year, I’m proud to be the new kid on the block with a radiance that I never knew my face was capable of. Biossance’s sustainable formula is backed by three things: nature, science and Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness. A plant-based squalene helps maintain moisture balance while Vitamin C acts as a literal ray of sunshine and imbues a healthy looking glow. And oil isn’t necessarily associated with greasiness. A soft, lightweight base and fast-absorbing capabilities allows for easy application that’s actually quite enjoyable. To upgrade your skincare to self-care I’d recommend an at-home facial cupping session after applying your face oil, which relieves muscle tension and feels like a nice facial massage. Breathe in, breathe out. Yes, hennnnnnny. You deserve this.”
— Lisa
“Women in modern lifestyle publications always seem like they’ve just returned from a hike – it’s the glowing cheekbones, the twinkling eyes – and the secret is often one special organic product made famous by one iconic catalog. The RMS Living Luminizer was the secret behind the famously dewy models in J.Crew catalogs of the 2000s, a product that introduced me to clean makeup before Sephora got on board with the concept. I love these little glass pots because they’re filled with eight hours of sleep, mica, beeswax and not much else — a natural glow minus the beauty blogger glitter.”
— Nina
Mineral Face Barrier from Surfvive
“After an hour or two, sunscreen always irritates my eyes, and, well, then it irritates me. When I’m doing something outside, especially in the water, it becomes a drag pretty quickly. A few years ago, a friend and former colleague introduced me to Surfvive’s Mineral Face Barrier. It’s been a game changer for me, my skin and the natural environments I enjoy spending time in.”
— Emily
True Botanicals Clear Nourishing Cleanser
Like many 30-somethings in my social circle, I’m discovering the clear skin of my 20s wasn’t a promise (womp womp). I’m not necessarily acne-prone, but I started using this cleanser after actress/director Olivia Wilde recommended it (after seeing Booksmart, I trust her judgement), and it’s transformed my skin. I don’t say that lightly. The cleanser is lightweight, rinses clean, smells earthy and amazing, and keeps my skin clear without totally robbing it of moisture and exfoliated without scratching the hell out of it. It’s not a cheap brand by any means — they only have a sale once a year — but every product I’ve tried has rendered the rest of my skincare irrelevant.”
— Johnie
“I’ve never considered deodorant to be a luxury product. It’s the workhorse of our personal pharmacy arsenal, shamelessly warding off perspiration and stench in the dark, cavernous pit of our arms. It’s a thankless job, and it’s surprisingly difficult to find worthy candidates that don’t cause breakouts and still smell better than I do 30 minutes into hot yoga. Our underarms have an absorption rate of 100 percent, so it’s important to evaluate the products we apply there since they’re absorbed right into our bodies. Licking a stick of deodorant is essentially the same as swiping it under our arms, and the only stick I’d consider voluntarily ingesting is Agent Nateur‘s Holi(stick) N3, the fanciest natural deodorant in all the land. Ingredients like avocado and sunflower butter, castor oil, organic honey and eucalyptus are sourced from farmers in the south of France, Germany and Switzerland to make this beautiful, nonirritating product that smells divine. Oh, and floral, woodsy notes of jasmine, bergamot and sandalwood, too? Oolala! Health rule to live by: if you won’t put it in your body, you probably shouldn’t put it on your body.”
— Whitney
“California-based skincare line Ayur-Medic isn’t trendy or particularly new, but the brand’s Enhancement Cream changed my skin. The product looks like it belongs on the dusty shelves of a local health food store and has been a low-key staple of estheticians and spas for decades. Magically hydrating and calming, it uses a paraben-free combination of avocado oil, arnica and chamomile formulated on the principles of Ayurvedic medicine. With this natural beauty mainstay, I’ve suddenly gone from using fifteen different products to one — no inventive graphic design necessary.”
— Nina
XX Johnie Gall.