21 best natural beauty and personal care products from Expo West 2012
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Eastern healing concepts take on a modern identity in this impeccably branded new line of personal care products (Veria Inner Dosha, ID) and supplements (Veria Self Optimize, SO) that triggers an "Ayurve-duh, why didn’t I consider my dosha last time I bought a facial cleanser?" moment. Names like Toned Up and Utterly Quenched make choosing natural beauty products based on your skin and body types easier—and more fun. Plus, herbal supplements are targeted at everything from detoxification (Clean Sweep) to women’s health (Hers) to support the true foundations of beauty.
I instantly fell in love with the apothecary-style packaging of these body and facial care products, everything from invigorating scrubs to luscious moisturizers, made with USDA Organic fruits and oils. I’m writing myself a prescription for the feel-good strawberry mask mix, made from four simple ingredients that purify and revitalize skin: organic strawberries, kaolin clay, Moroccan rhassoul clay, and organic arrowroot. Mix with tea or milk instead of water for an extra dose of something special.
The latest product from MyChelle is every woman’s daily beauty ally: a sunscreen and restorative moisturizer in one lightweight, nourishing product. Mineral zinc oxide protects from UVA- and UVB rays, while antioxidant astaxanthin and tocotrienols offer additional free-radical-fighting prowess. As for the olive oil and honeysuckle … they’ll make you forget your skin ever faced the elements.
Launched in conjunction with the brand’s National Moment of Chill Campaign, these superconvenient 2-ounce “mists” are the perfect antidote for people baffled by how to use essential oils. My favorite: the Chill Pill, featuring orange, basil, peppermint and chamomile essential oils. Tailor-made for stashing in your purse or at your desk so you can keep your cool anywhere, anytime (even at Expo West).
Collagen marshmallows? I’ll pass. Sugary beauty beverage? No thanks. When it comes to nutricosmetics, all I want are research-backed ingredients at efficacious doses—with no extraneous add-ins. This new product from Jarrow is formulated to protect skin from free radical damage and regulate pigment production with ingredients including glutathione, tocotrienols, vitamin C, and alpha lipoic acid.
“BRÖÖ your 'do.” Beyond the fact that I enjoy saying this … a lot … I like to see a brand that’s finding new uses for a good ol’ (and totally underestimated) beauty ingredient. Turns out, beer is chock full of B vitamins, proteins, and minerals that are stellar for hair health and vibrancy. So go ahead, tilt your head back and let a fine microbrew quench your locks.
In light (eh hem) of the recent FDA warning about mercury in skin-whitening, brightening, and lightening products, there was no better time for Derma e to launch its latest line along with its new, simplified and solution-oriented branding. A natural alternative for managing age spots, sun spots, and other skin pigmentation issues, the Evenly Radiant cleanser, toner, serum and crèmes use madonna lily, bearberry, vitamin C and niacinamide to brighten your complexion.
I predicted baby and kids personal care products would get a lot of attention at the show, but Seventh Generation’s first personal care launch, a comprehensive baby line including sunscreen, shampoo and body wash, shows what a big impact children will have on the future … and the future of this category. I have no doubt the clean packaging and brand loyalty win over loyal Seventh Gen customers—even those who have yet to dabble in natural personal care for themselves or their kids.
OK, getting moms and young kids on board with natural personal care is one thing. But what about da, da, daaaaaa ... your defiant teen? Oy! Luckily, the totally relatable branding of Organic Young, Green People's European-based organic skin and body care company, has strong potential to convert this demographic, too. The label spells out the benefits of natural and organic body care in a way we all can relate to: "no gunk" with "natural goodness" like green tea, prebiotics and willow bark instead. Because your teen’s skin is likely temperamental as well, young adults can use fewer products with this three-in-one solution.
Coconut is passé? No way, and this new line from Alaffia, the fair-trade company behind Everyday Shea, proves it with a unique take on the same tropical fruit that continues to delight foodies. The lotion contains coconut’s ultramoisturizing oil and, my favorite part, coconut’s nutrient-rich water (rather than plain H20, as many beauty products do) for the product’s base.
Not only do these new body lotions come in my favorite Weleda scents like pomegranate and citrus, but the company introduced an innovative packaging concept to improve their shelf life. The new airless dispensing technology uses a bag inside a uniquely constructed bottle to protect the formulation against oxidative and other environmental damage, and the whole thing is recyclable. An excellent, sustainable way to preserve a natural product.
It’s your loss, literally, if you haven’t heard about this launch from Andalou Naturals. Taking the Breakthrough Company category in Delicious Living’s 2012 Beauty & Body Awards, I couldn’t wait to see the brand’s latest offerings. Enter this three-piece system that uses argan stem cells to combat weakening or aging hair follicles, along with a cocktail of other ingredients including vitamin B, an essential protein that promotes thicker locks.
This year, I was delighted to see that Pureness Health was exhibiting more than its brown rice vinegar, featured in Delicious Living’s 2010 Global Gift Guide. Its new yasu soaps are made from fermented brown rice, rich in amino acids and enzymes to cleanse and boost overall skin health. I smell another awesome natural gift-guide pick in the making …
I featured a product from this new Giovanni hair treatment line as a must-have natural hair product in the March issue of NFM. And after hearing the rave reviews at Expo West, I know this pick is truly a standout in a category that has given us very few natural solutions (and many salon-quality straightening products have been found to contain carcinogenic formaldehyde). This plant-based hair-smoothing system uses Brazilian phyto-keratin—a protein that helps straighten and strengthen locks—USDA Organic argan oil, shea butter and coconut oil.
Kudos to the Ginger People for not stopping at chews and sushi accompaniments, incorporating their signature ingredient into an entire skin care line focused on ginger’s topical benefits: improving skin cell circulation to detoxify and stimulate skin. I’m a fan of the “energy for the skin” tagline and the clear, eye-catching marketing and product descriptions.
In addition to checking out all the new brands the show, I always enjoy to see how classic companies are “bringing it.” In its 40th year, after a recent reformulation of the hair and oral care products, Nature’s Gate introduced an entire facial skin care line. My favorite is the simple, fragrance-free borage serum, highly concentrated with borage’s fatty acids and featuring the line’s signature “7 beautiful skin botanicals:” white tea, olive, aloe, argan, blackberry, flaxseed, and acerola.
Fiery Lava bright red, Sunkissed light orange-pink, Amethyst dark purple ... I was like a kid in a candy store when I found this new line of 30 nontoxic nail polish plus a strengthening base coat and top coat from mineral makeup company Mineral Fusion. The best part: all are vegan and free from formaldehyde, toluene, camphor and dibutyl phthalate.
First time Expo West exhibitors BeeAlive not only offer an entire line of energizing royal jelly products, they're also using this skin-restorative ingredient, along with honey, propolis, bee pollen and dozens of natural herbs and oils, in a sophisticated and totally pure facial skin care line. After selling direct to consumer for years, the brand is heading to retail--so you'll soon be able to see what all the buzz is about at your natural store.
In addition to highlighting the oral care benefits of neem, including inhibiting bacterial growth, this powder also incorporates rising gum-health ingredients xylitol, probiotics and vitamin D. Perhaps the best part of choosing the powder: There are up to 200 brushings in one little bottle.
I look at this product and instantly think, spa. Then I read the ingredient list and I think, organic. Then, naturally, I think organic spa. This concentrate proves that high-performance products don ‘t need to make any sacrifices to be organic, particularly now with personal-care specific certification NSF/ANSI 305. Impressive ingredient highlights include free-radical fighting tocotrienols, found in vitamin E, organic oils from raspberry seed and apricot seed (which is the first ingredient on the ingredient list) and CoQ10.
After nearly 40 years in the business, Mill Creek Botanicals launched its first baby body care line at West, featuring a two-in-one Conditioning Shampoo with jojoba and aloe vera. Like all baby product should be, they're free from fragrance and other potentially irritating ingredients, use some organic ingredients, and keep the price point as low as possible.
After nearly 40 years in the business, Mill Creek Botanicals launched its first baby body care line at West, featuring a two-in-one Conditioning Shampoo with jojoba and aloe vera. Like all baby product should be, they're free from fragrance and other potentially irritating ingredients, use some organic ingredients, and keep the price point as low as possible.
Modern Ayurveda, dessert facials, a brew for your 'do—we found a little bit of everything in natural beauty (and a lot in kids' personal care and high-performance skin and hair products) at Natural Products Expo West 2012.
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