Welcome to 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 at a time when the whole planet is stressed, a self-care regimen can be more essential than ever. 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:
Everyday Oil
Everyday Oil Mainstay is a unique blend of organic, cold-pressed coconut, olive, jojoba, castor, and argan oils spiked with essences of palo santo, geranium, lavender, and clary sage. Super hydrating and all at once healing and clarifying, this oil absorbs quickly, never greasy. I use Everyday Oil in the evening, as a fragrance. It smells how you would want to smell — enigmatic, herbaceous and spicy. And also, who doesn’t love a multi-tasker, massage this one into your body, hair and cuticles.
Davids Toothpaste
Does what you would expect of toothpaste and whitens. It is also Fluoride Free, SLS Free, Sulfate Free and Vegan. And Davids comes in a Recyclable Metal Tube & FSC Certified Packaging (the box). Vibrantly fresh and minty (sourced from the USA), this high vibe toothpaste combines Calcium Carbonate, Ultra Fine Baking Soda and Hydrated Silica — naturally derived abrasives that effectively remove plaque and whiten and brighten. I saw some reviewers on Amazon state it is super gentle on sensitive gums and you can find all Davids variants on Amazon here. Davids is made in California, with a focus on sustainability, awarded EWG VERIFIED certification by the Environmental working group for clean and safe ingredients. Davids use 98% USA Origin Ingredients, supporting USA jobs, I think that is admirable. Also, I love that each tube includes a tube roller/squeezer because, at NZ$18 per tube, you'll want to finish it.
Herbivore EMERALD CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil
Magical CBD oil, botanical oils and extracts de-stress and deeply nurture the skin. Turmeric and adaptogenic ashwagandha, ingredients of ancient Ayurvedic healing practices, protect the skin from environmental stressors like pollution and UV — stress in general. Vitamin E and shiitake — loaded in vitamin D, prevents premature signs of ageing. Emerald CBD Oil contains premium organic Colorado-grown full-spectrum CBD though it contains less than 0.3% THC.
Note, this is not the same product as Emerald Deep Moisture Glow and Emerald CBD Oil must be purchased separately from Herbivore's main website, and can only be purchased and shipped within the United States. Amandine was kind enough to gift this to me for my birthday. She bought it in Hawaii. It does contain CBD, however, and I don't know if it's psychological, I find it works quite well for me, especially when I get a bit of anxiety. I've massage this into my face each night for the past month, and its effect is very peaceful. This oil smells like counter culture.
Mario Badescu silver powder
The intent of this clay mask is to tighten pores and decongest. And it does, for not a lot of money. I usually leave it on for longer than recommended, 20 minutes or so then follow with an astringent toner — I use this Aesop one. You’ll open up your pores allowing congestion to surface. To remove those blackheads, double down with a pore strip. Yes, the powder is drying, the closest to any standard clay mask out there — Calcium Carbonate, Kaolin and Zinc Oxide, I use Go-To Face Hero for all the masking I do. Reach for this one during serious breakouts.
GLOW LAB Brightening Exfoliator
I’ve tried a few exfoliators, and you could spend more, but this one is getting things done at $15 a tube. You can literally feel the tiny Rosehip seeds doing the work, foaming, polishing up your face. During a recent stint of hormonal acne I had taken to using this supermarket find daily and four days in my skin was flaking — this was the intent. For the first time in a long time, my skin is noticeably clearer, smoother (this tube seriously reduced my acne scarring, if you identify, I highly recommend) and brighter.
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