By Anna Griffin, Editor in Chief
A new year brings a new attitude and with it, new routines that hopefully lead to new, life-improving habits. We’re used to revising our diets and upgrading our fitness goals every January, but how often do we stop to think about reconfiguring our entire beauty routine? Most of us girls fall into convenient, long-term skincare habits and occasionally introduce a new, so-called, wonder treatment here or there. However, having a 100% reset of everything we have been doing and the products we use, has just seemed overindulgent and unnecessary. Until now.
As 2020 showed us, it’s crucial to completely readdress the way we as women approach self care. A year that served us stress on a platter, we learned firsthand all the ways it affected us inside and out - especially our skin, which gave us the opportunity to reconsider our lifestyle choices, including our beauty products. Beyond needing an effective skincare routine that helped me achieve the usual desires of youth, vitality, and radiance, I suddenly had sleep deprivation, worry, and the dreaded maskne to deal with (not great in the era of Zoom interviews). As an editor, I am lucky to get sent a lot of products to review to then discover the best that’s out there, and after extensive testing, these ten products have earned a place in my new, daily, beauty arsenal and my hair and skin feel healthy again. As well as being non toxic and clean for you and our planet, these picks each shine in their respective areas, allowing you to get your glow on no matter what ‘21 delivers.
$19.80 USD
One of my favorite discoveries last year, Face Halo gently removes makeup and impurities using only water. Non toxic and reusable up to 200 washes, the multi award-winning Face Halo replaces up to 500 single-use wipes (that take up to 100 years to break down in the landfill), is recyclable, and now leads the way in sustainable beauty while leaving my face and pores clean, soft and glowing.
PC: Face Halo
$50 USD
Think pumpkin lattes are just for fall? Then think again. This masque smells divine to the point that the “please do not eat” label on the back of the jar doesn’t surprise. Easy to apply and remove, it's full of antioxidants and vitamins C and E, effortlessly repairing, exfoliating and refining pores in one quick 20 minute application, leaving skin soft, supple, and glowing.
PC: Wondergloss
$62 USD
This softly-scented toner is always a great start and end to my day. Feeling luxuriously hydrating when applied to my face, its silky, moisturizing formula is rich in antioxidants and calms inflammation with properties from the Lotus flower and CBD. Replenishing and priming my skin, this toner is fast-absorbing returning it to its natural pH state to prep my skin to effectively absorb the rest of my skincare routine, and maximize the benefits, to reveal my skin’s ultimate glow.
PC: Kana Skincare
$160 USD
An antioxidant powerhouse, this oil-serum is an elixir for my skin that absorbs into my pores upon application, leaving my face smooth, refreshed, hydrated, and plump as if it had just received a vital infusion of everything it needed. Reversing sun damage and the appearance of wrinkles while lifting and toning, this potent serum gives my skin a radiant and youthful glow, while its gentle citrus scent lifts my spirits so feel like I am in the Mediterranean again.
PC: The Organic Pharmacy
$95 USD
A rich, emolliating, iridescent formula, just a little of this cream softens fine lines and wrinkles while nourishing the delicate eye area. It’s ultra corrective formula includes cutting-edge actives, Neodermyl and Retinyl, which reverse the appearance of wrinkles, lines and loss of elasticity, as its ceramides and Vitamin C leave my skin looking hydrated, firm, and youthful with a soft, subtle glow.
PC: Acrona
$34.95 USD
With collagen becoming one of last year’s beauty buzzwords, finding an effective plant-based version that also combined health-promoting greens was a huge win for me. Free radicals damage cells and trigger ageing, but a scoop of the Beauty Greens Collagen Booster in my daily smoothie with ingredients including wheatgrass, moringa, spirulina, kale, spinach, Hyaluronic Acid, Biotin, and Tremella mushrooms, hydrates, alkalizes and strengthens my cells while boosting my body’s collagen production. Its Pina Colada flavor takes me to the tropics as its formula promotes supple skin, strong nails and hair, and cellular longevity, giving me a healthy glow from the inside out.
PC: Sunwarrior
$36 USD
This body scrub with its blood orange scent, Crystalline sea salt granules and moisturizing sunflower and apricot oils, gently exfoliates and buffs away dry, dead skin, increasing circulation as it smoothes. Elevating my senses with its delicate, optimistic aura that lifts my senses both during and after application, my skin is soft, rejuvenated and supple, and once again I’m glowing.
PC: 100% Pure
$30 USD
Another favorite discovery last year, this All Over Whipped Body Butter hits all of my thirsty skin’s bases. Decadently moisturizing, this nourishing cream is rich in organic shea and cocoa butters and olive oil, while rice bran extracts and rosemary deliver antioxidant wellness. Beyond instant hydration without a greasy residue, this softly scented butter contains 200mg of full spectrum CBD hemp extract, soothing my skin so I can glow again.
PC: Happy Dance
$26 USD
My hair has finally found its happy place after I discovered this lightweight, silky, multitasking gloss, which restores while locking in moisture and repairing cuticles and protects against pollutants and extreme heat. Rich in antioxidants and omega fats and infused with prickly pear, this vegan gloss leaves my hair looking smooth, bouncy, shiny, and glowingly healthy.
PC: Alterna
$24 USD
I’m always on the hunt for multi-tasking supplements that can handle my lengthy list of requirements from beauty to wellness. I was excited to discover Shine Bright, an Ayurvedic-inspired, organic plant and herb, vegan, biotin supplement that promotes hair growth, strong nails, and radiant skin. Made from amla berries, carrots, and curry leaves, these plants and fruits also help support the immune system, support healthy energy levels, help manage blood sugar levels, and enhance digestive health, creating a power-packing vitamin that makes me glow in good health.
PC: Happygrams
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