Winter Skincare: Foreign Imports
Fighting dry skin with bee venom, snail mucin, Dead Sea mud and other unique formulas from around the world
While our skin has put up a good fight thus far, after a few consecutive months of being pummeled by the cold, dry air outside, and even drier heat inside, it begs for a little more love. Featuring brands from outside the US that have taken extra care with their formulations, the selection of skincare products below are what’s in current rotation in the bathrooms of CH editors.
Grown Alchemist
Melbourne-based Grown Alchemist, founded by brothers Keston and Jeremy Muijs, has some Aesop vibes in their unisex, minimalist aesthetic and philosophy for championing research and organic botanical ingredients, but the skincare brand definitely stands on its own. Their rich Body Cream ($26) is packed with rich, natural ingredients: shea butter and jojoba oil, antioxidants from almond, grape seed and rosehip oil, vitamins, essential fatty acids, wheatgerm extract and more. For those with sensitive noses, the cream’s fragrance is pleasantly light and not overbearing. Shop Grown Alchemist via the brand’s webshop or NYC boutique The Line.
Rodial
The intriguing Bee Venom Moisturizer ($190) from London-based Rodial won’t sting upon application, but it will fill and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, all the while providing intensive hydration. Though the bee venom isn’t the most concentrated in this formula (it’s last in the long list of ingredients), the anti-aging cream made an impressive difference in overall skin tone and elasticity. (New Zealand’s Royal Nectar also has a bee venom line worth checking out.) The formula sells from Space NK.
Bamford
Frequent hand-washing is a no-brainer during the cold and flu season—but harsh soaps can dry out the skin even further. UK natural product line (ranging from skincare to clothing) Bamford, whose founder Lady Carole Bamford also runs her own organic farms, offers a gentle Hand and Body Wash ($36) that smells and feels like one with the earth. Free of sulfates, parabens, artificial fragrance and color, the cleanser is made with mostly organic ingredients like aloe. Its fragrant blend of geranium, lavender and peppermint transforms the routine act of hand-washing into a sensuous, uplifting ritual. Pick up this winter essential at Net-a-Porter.
Ein Gedi
Ein Gedi’s Dead Sea Mineral Mud Mask ($17)—made in Israel—is a straightforward mask incorporating the famed salt lake’s beneficial minerals (think magnesium, calcium and more). With smooth application and equally easy wipe-off, the mask leaves skin feeling more nourished (though a moisturizer is needed after the deep cleanse). Free of mineral oils and parabens, it’s also interestingly licensed by the Israeli Ministry of Health. This mineral rich cleanser is available from Ajudaica.
Dr. Jart+
Hailing from the skincare mecca of South Korea, dermatologist-founded Dr. Jart+ offers a Ceramidin Cream ($48) using ceramides, essential lipids that restore and enhance the skin’s ability to retain moisture. Other ingredients include the anti-inflammatory and brightening licorice extract, moisturizing beet root and folic acid while remaining free of parabens, petrolatum, sulfates, synthetic dyes, preservatives like BHT and more. The cream (packaged inside a handy portable tube) essentially serves as a barrier between you and all of winter; irritation be gone. And if you’re up for a little experimentation, the lightweight, anti-wrinkle Premium Time Returning Cream ($58) contains 77% snail mucin (aka, slime) to help regenerate damaged tissue while nourishing the skin. Dr. Jart+ sells from Sephora or Birchbox.
Grown Alchemist image courtesy of The Line, all other images by Cool Hunting
