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 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:
J Hannah polish
I used to wear Samoan Sand. All the time. My nails now and for months have been bare. Filed and shaped — I’m really religious about that. My mother always had impeccable nails, bright red-orange, and still, nail polish to me is adorning your hand so I’ll maintain some level of maintenance. I’ve worn Kester Black on and off though had been drawn more recently to the minimalist rectangular bottles and the unexpected palette of J Hannah which is also cruelty-free and made in the USA. I purchased Fauna and Himalayan Salt, which will work well with my pale hands. I purchased mine from Paper Plane.
There is no such thing as “natural” nail polish — less toxic, yes though we have to be equipped with the tools to know what questions to ask. I think since the 2000s terminology has been defined by brands, using this language to almost one-up each other — defining what non-toxic means to them. This study identified 11 different n-Free labels ranging from 3-Free to 13-Free that reported the exclusion of n ingredients. There are no industry-wide toxicity standards, and so 8-Free in one brand does not mean they are the same eight that another is avoiding.
Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser
Most days I use Kahina Giving Oil Cleanser though had been considering buying Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser, anything Youth To The People really. It turned out that when I ordered their Resurfacing Energy Facial Exfoliator via Sephora, this was a sample. So here we are. My approach to skincare begins within, and I eat a lot of Kale so was immediately attracted to this cleanser because it contains Kale in addition to Spinach, Green Tea, Alfalfa — this one smells herbaceous. There's also Vitamins C, E, K and loads of cold-pressed antioxidants to purify your city skin from the toxins and stress of modern life.
I read somewhere that Kale, Spinach and Green Tea were significant parts of the founders' diets and so naturally became a big part of the Youth To The People line. Greens one hundred per cent should be the foundation of our diets, so why not extend this approach to skincare? Cleanser for me lives in the shower — it's more efficient. Your face is wet already. Dispense into your palm and lather up, massaging into your face and neck. Take your time. You're activating the cold-pressed antioxidants. Rinse off. My skin has been clear for months now, so, at this point, I'm all about keeping it that way. Regime and diet consistency is vital for me, and I think if you feel vibrant on this inside, then that's the energy you'll carry forward.
Malin + Goetz Acne Treatment Nighttime
I get the occasional hormonal spot each month, right before my period and while I love my sulfur cream which I wrote about here and started using nightly to mitigate stress-related breakouts, I was looking for an overnight treatment. I saw this first on Mecca where there were pages of reviews that were, for the most part, five stars. One reviewer said they would have given it more if they could. Another called it ‘by far the best acne and ingrown hair spot treatment I have ever used’, and I like a multitasker — also, in part I was sold on the fact sulphur was in the ingredients list. A Salicylic Acid heavy formula (plus Sulphur and Zinc Oxide) exfoliates and decongests — gets things done basically.
Malin + Goetz does not prescribe to the idea of being a natural brand, and like Aesop, their products involve natural ingredients, chemistry and biochemistry. And while not all the products are vegan — the Hair Pomade (Lanolin and Beeswax), Vitamin B5 Body Moisturiser and Vitamin B5 Hand Treatment (both contain Honey) and the candles have Beeswax, Malin + Goetz is cruelty-free. They do not sell to mainland China (because of mandatory animal testing), and everything is made within 90-mile (144 km) radius of New York City. As Andrew Goetz states in this interview, “Labels can be very, very complex and difficult — ethical sourcing, ethical labour, all these things overlap”.
Everything we create is an effort to participate in a culture shift. All products featured are independently selected and curated by the authors, and we only feature items we use or would use ourselves that align with our values. As part of our business model, we do work with affiliates such as Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases if you decide to purchase through our links. The price would be the same to you either way, but if you find value in our work, then these affiliate links are a way to support it. We only recommend brands, makers and products we use — that we support. Transparency is important to us, so if you have any questions, please reach out to us.