Welcome Our Favourite Products, a monthly feature of the products keeping our skin glowing, mood lifted and health high. It's a combination of the new things we've tried over the previous month and historic repeat purchases that we think you might love too. And as part of our editorial policy, every product we write about is vegan, cruelty-free and 100% natural and where possible organic. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of incorporating clean beauty and wellness products into your daily routine — or even finding them, we hope you find the following helpful. And as a reminder, a constant favourite of mine — clean filtered water. Drink it frequently, daily. Here's what I'm loving this month:
Hylamide SubQ Skin
A casual delve into The Abnormal Company website led me to discover Hylamide SubQ Skin. I was looking to upgrade my skincare regime. My skin is low maintenance, combination—who doesn't have combination skin? At thirty, hydration and ageing were areas to address while keeping the daily routine minimal, one product, but multiple actions. First came Buffet, from The Ordinary, Hylamide's sister brand, but I wanted something more powerful, and SubQ Skin presented itself. "A highly active concentrate of advanced hyaluronic complexes, next-generation peptides and biotechnologies to target rehydration, while improving the look of lines, wrinkles and textural damage." This, the price and a profusion of ecstatic reviews, I was sold.
I apply SubQ Skin every morning and evening after cleansing. I love the sticky texture, quickly drying on my skin. My completion feels instantly improved, tighter, with a glowing appearance. My skin simply looks better. To manage the natural dryness on my cheeks and chin, I pair the serum with my nourishing facial oil of the moment. Trace kindly gifted me the first bottle on my birthday, and since then, I have re-purchased my second. SubQ Skin is undoubtedly a forever beauty staple.
Snowberry Smoothing Eye Serum
This is an opportunity product. According to the facialist I visited before lockdown, I neglected my eye skin, so when Trace handed me this Snowberry Eye Serum, it was time to try taking care of that delicate skin. Last month, Tracey covered the features of this product here, so let's talk about the experience. This eye serum is like a cream, almost an emulsion when spreading, so I use a small amount. I like to apply around the eye with my fingertips, and then give it a light roll with my rose quartz facial roller, for deeper penetration. After effect feels tightened skin. Not surprising as this eye serum is on the de-puffing side, as well as the preventive with the inclusion of Argireline, the natural botox. Altogether, I vividly confirm the fresh look and brightness effect, which I love after a long working day. Another product I will continue to use until the last drop.
Reusable face pad
In another life, I used disposable cotton rounds, mostly to apply toner, remove makeup and every so often, nail polish. Yet these daily consumables are highly questionable. First, their prime material, cotton is the most environmentally demanding crops, water-intensive to cultivate, process, and heavily dependent on pesticides. Then, they are part of that throw-away, consumerist culture responsible for the climate crisis, which makes no sense in regards to the natural regenerative cycles. From there, I logically switched on these reusable fabric pads. They are made of bamboo, but you can find, or make some, out of cotton or eucalyptus, known as lyocell. Always aim for organic fabric though, as materials still hold the pesticides they have been grown with. Stay aware that no fabric is perfect, organic cotton, lyocell or bamboo, they all hold some down-side but realistically nothing compared to single-used cotton rounds.
I have had my bamboo pads for four years now, and they are still going strong. Useful tip: in addition to washing them frequently, I soak the pads into hydrogen peroxide now and then to keep them bright. I love using these reusable face pads, they are convenient, for travelling or at home. The bamboo pads are relatively soft on the skin but I found the second-hand cotton rounds that I own are more coarse and also exfoliate. Undoubtedly, these reusable face pads are one of the prime accessories for anyone embracing a low waste lifestyle.
Aloe Vera juice
I have a sensitive scalp; meaning on day one, showering the previous evening, I feel localized itchiness on my skull. I reached for Aloe Vera juice after my parents gifted me an Aloe Vera products bundle. Opening the juice while on holidays, it sat on the pantry shelf back at home, forgotten. A month later, discovering it should have been kept in the fridge, I checked what I could do with it. The Healthline mentioned "Treatment for irritated scalp". Aloe Vera comprises anti-inflammatory properties, stimulates blood circulation and improves the delivery of nutrients and oxygen deep into the hair, and the skin—improving conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis. After cleaning and rinsing my hair, I pour juice on my head, up and down. I thoroughly massage the skull for a minute or so. Then, wrapping my quenched hair into a thick towel, I dry as usual. There is a significant difference between the days I forgot the juice and those I don't. Switching to Aesop Calming Shampoo helped manage until day two, but since pairing with Aloe Vera juice after-rinse, I sense my skull is going much less haywire.
Nak Aromas Curl Creme
Benoit has thick, curly hair. Yet after a certain length, his haircut turns into a clown look-a-like style that he fairly dislikes, hence a regular visit to the hairdresser for a sharp, ruthless cut—a never-ending circle, out of convenience if you ask me. I suspect he never got a haircut suiting his curls and hair regrowth. However, since April, due to lockdown and a fair amount of work leaving little free time, Benoit is skipping the hairdresser. His hair is amazingly long for the first time in...like forever. Still, long hair means maintenance, as our friend Isabella pointed out. She was a hairdresser in her studying years, and gifted Benoit the Nak Aromas curl creme, to help him manage his curls gracefully.
Australian brand dedicated towards professional use, Nak products are vegan, cruelty-free, sulfate and paraben-free. This Aromas creme "hugs and embraces natural curl shape", defining and controlling curls for a healthy texture. The cream is made from a botanical blend. It contains argan oil—including fatty acids, powerful antioxidants and Vitamin E. Argan oil is an intense moisturizer, balances scalp hydration, revitalizes and restores hair shine while protecting from free radicals and sun damage. The ingredient list also includes almond milk proteins with calming frizz properties. On usage, you only need a small amount for an effective change. To apply, crunch the hair mass into your hands. The creme dries fast, making the application fast and easy. Overall, this Nak styling creme significantly magnifies Benoit's hair, naturally bouncing his curls without crispy texture. And the truth is, I adopted it as well to achieve wavy hair!